The Leela Ambience Gurugram is an urban sanctuary where luxury and eco-consciousness coexist in perfect harmony
BY RUPALI DEAN
Art is hardly the first thing that jumps to mind when you think of Gurugram, isn’t it? The city has more boardrooms and baristas than brushstrokes and creative flair. But as I walked into The Leela Ambience Gurugram, I could feel my preconceptions evaporating faster than ice on a Delhi summer afternoon.
It wasn’t the usual straight -laced corporate chic. No, this place felt alive. Its walls practically whispered stories through art, bold colours, unruly lines and striking portraits.
Legendary shutterbug Raghu Rai himself had handpicked each piece, mentoring young artists to capture the soul of a place that’s evolved from bucolic farmland to a vertical cityscape of glass and ambition. It’s art with an edge, not the polite kind that fades into the background while you sip your cappuccino. And yet, this isn’t all about ascetic elegance, because they have got the indulgent part down to an art form too.
They say true guilt-free opulence is a unicorn in the world of hospitality, a cliché pinned to glossy brochures and breathless Instagram captions. But here, sitting on the edge of a 1,000-acre forest, that unicorn isn’t just real; it’s out back, grazing on pesticide-free grass with a glorious sunset as its backdrop.
Welcome to The Leela Ambience Gurugram, where indulgence wears sustainability like a tailored designer suit.
Luxury meets mindfulness
I wasn’t here for just a night’s stay; I was here to press pause on life with my daughter, recalibrate and embrace a weekend that felt more like a warm embrace than a getaway. And, oh, it delivered.
Our Executive Suite with Forest Views, with its floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto an emerald expanse of 1,000 untamed acres, instantly silenced the noise in my head. Of course, luxury here isn’t just in thread counts or gilt-edged service, it’s in the details.
At Spectra, the 24-hour multi-cuisine restaurant, the incredible breakfast spread was an ode to indulgence but what surprised me was the sheer playfulness of it all. On the other hand, Diya’s Dal Makhani alone has the kind of rich, butter drunk decadence that makes an entire suitcase worth unpacking.
Even more enchanting was The Courtyard Garden. As the sun softened, we found ourselves cocooned under a cabana, toes grazing smooth grass in a perfect moment of barefoot luxury. A steaming cup of berry-infused green tea in hand and dainty hors d’oeuvres served on rustic platters created the kind of high tea that lives rent free in your memory.
There’s something about the juxtaposition of garden fresh flavours and opulent surroundings that makes every bite taste, somehow, guiltless yet indulgent. Between that and the tranquillity of strolling through the courtyard as twilight set in, I felt lighter, like I had shed a version of myself too bound by life’s to-do lists earlier that day.
After a refreshing swim in the glittering pool, hunger struck like clockwork, and my daughter’s unwavering demand for pasta saved the day. Thankfully, Zanotta, the hotel’s elegant Italian restaurant, came to our rescue. The chef whisked up a bespoke menu that wowed us, his perfectly al dente spaghetti in creamy white sauce was a crowd pleaser, while I savoured dishes showcasing ingredients so fresh they might have whispered tales of the Italian countryside.
Post feast? Cue blissful indulgence, a Swedish massage at The Leela Spa, where divine aromas and green tea led me straight to Nirvana.
Farm fresh, minus the fuss
Now, let’s talk food, because isn’t that the best way to meet a place? Most hotels sling buzzwords like ‘locally sourced,’ but are we talking ‘really’ local or just the next state over? At The Leela Ambience Gurugram, they don’t just take ‘farm-to-table’ seriously; they unapologetically own the ‘farm.’ Yes, their 3.5-acre organic farm is not some marketing gimmick but a real, thriving patch of earth. Better yet, it works in perfect rhythm with their hydroponic garden just a whisper away, ensuring non-stop greens that are as fresh as gossip in a small town.
Seriously, their spinach could probably still pull off photosynthesis on your fork. When chef Abhishek Gupta told me that the cherry tomatoes in my salad had been plucked hours before landing on my plate, I paused mid-bite. Was it the jetlag, or did those tomatoes actually taste juicy enough to make you swoon? Combine this with Forest View Deck’s inventive menus and Aujasya Café’s healthy yet delicious offerings, and eating here feels less like just a meal and more like a thoughtful dialogue with your palate, and the planet.
Platinum RECOGNITIONS: saving the planet, silently
Here’s the thing: luxury, in this new era, isn’t about gold taps or sky-high thread counts. It’s about how you live, not just how opulent it looks. And The Leela Ambience Gurugram proves its mettle with Dual Platinum Certifications from the Indian Green Building Council, the Oscars of eco-friendly architecture, if you will. But this isn’t some corporate pat-on-the-back; it’s a deeply ingrained way of life that shows up in the quietest, smartest ways.
Among the many awards and accolades the hotel has received for its sustainability efforts are: CII National Energy Efficiency Circle Competition 2025 – Recipient of the Strong Commitment Award; two prestigious Platinum Certifications by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for Green Existing Building and Net Zero Waste to Landfill, and also recognised among the Top 10 Luxury Hotels for Sustainability in India.
What’s more, Senior Vice President - Operations and General Manager, The Leela Ambience Gurugram also received the coveted Hall of Fame Award at Hospitality Horizon Sustainability Awards 2025 held at The Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai for his contribution to sustainability in hospitality.
Rooms power down when you leave without you even noticing, motion-sensor lights know to follow you only when needed, and kitchens hum happily on PNG, cutting emissions without even daring to touch the flavours on your plate.
Through digital check-ins, e-invoicing and a completely paperless system, the hotel is reducing environmental impact while ensuring efficiency and elegance in every interaction. Each step, including the initiative to completely eliminate the use of single-use plastic, reflects The Leela Ambience Gurugram’s commitment to creating a sustainable luxury experience.
Walking through its artfully designed spaces, you get the feeling that the hotel’s green credentials aren’t there for applause, they are simply there, embedded like a beautifully understated muscle. This is sustainability so suave, it’s practically invisible.
“At The Leela Ambience Gurugram, we are proud to have taken path-breaking strides in the area of luxury and sustainability. From commissioning a 15,000 sq. ft open-air rooftop organic garden to a 3.5-acre farm growing fresh produce for our kitchens and countless other initiatives, the hotel has worked tirelessly on ensuring that sustainability is not limited to being a fancy buzz word that is only meant for the brochures,” said Shridhar.
He added: “The hotel is an integral part of the larger Ambience Island ecosystem (including the luxury mall) spread over 200 acres, out of which over 75 per cent area is retained as green space for our guests in Gurugram. We are deeply grateful to our stakeholders for their unequivocal support of our vision towards making the world (and, of course, our hotel) a much better place for our valued guests.”
Fairways to heaven
The Leela Ambience Gurugram doesn’t just pamper its guests with lavish rooms and Michelin-worthy dining, it lets them tee off in style too. Perched against the peaceful backdrop of the The Leela Ambience Golf Greens, this 9-hole gem whispers ‘challenge accepted’ the minute you step onto its impeccably manicured fairways.
Designed by Nelson & Haworth, the stars who breathe life into golf courses with easy panache, this layout marries playful water hazards with tricky pins and roughs that smile at your missteps. First timer? No worries, there is a breezy 45-minute session for rookies or full-round coaching for ambitious perfectionists.
Truly, this isn’t just a hotel posing as a luxury address; it’s the kind of urban sanctuary that whispers a promise of slow, intentional living, surrounded by thoughtful indulgences and a connection to nature.
More than luxury; it’s a haven of sustainability. Rainwater harvesting meets plush cabanas. A thoughtful paradise indeed.
Breathing easy, inside and out
In a city like Gurugram, where the skyline sometimes looks smudged under a haze of pollution, finding a pocket of pristine air feels almost mythical. But here, breathing is an experience in itself. Equipped with state-of-the-art air purification technology across all guest rooms and public spaces, the hotel offers an environment where each breath feels fresh and revitalising. The air here isn’t just clean; it’s light, almost buoyant, as if someone bottled up a Himalayan morning and let it loose within these walls.
Then there’s the water, the kind that feels like it is part of a life cycle rather than part of a problem. Rain isn’t wasted; it’s harvested, stored and put to work.
Smart aerators reduce water usage while ensuring each drop counts. As a matter of fact, the water that washes linens makes its way back to nurture saplings in The Leela Nursery which serves as an in-house sanctuary where the hotel carefully nurtures a diverse collection of plants and flowers. Every bloom that graces the hotel’s interiors, guest rooms and landscaped gardens originates from this dedicated space, ensuring that its surroundings remain vibrant and fresh throughout the year. Each spray, soak and drip is for a reason, playing its role in an intricate balance of sustainability.
In addition, the hotel’s Aujasya by The Leela – in-house bottling plant provides purified water in sustainable, recycled glass bottles, ensuring that each guestroom reflects The Leela Ambience Gurugram’s commitment to eco-conscious luxury.
What’s more, at The Leela Ambience Gurugram, floral elegance extends beyond the moment. The carefully curated floral décor placed across all guest areas is repurposed in partnership with Phool, transformed into artisanal incense that honours tradition while embracing sustainability. This initiative reflects the hotel’s commitment to circular practices, seamlessly woven into the guest experience.
But that’s not all. You won’t find the growl of diesel engines echoing through a city infamous for its traffic snarls here. Instead, you will discover silent revolutions on four wheels. The hotel’s fleet of BMW electric i7 and iX models glides silently, their charging stations standing armed with power. It is luxury without carbon guilt, a gentle nudge that eco-friendly doesn’t have to mean eco-boring.
Sustainability feels almost like a well-kept secret here, a quiet whisper rather than a bold proclamation. It’s not just something they have added to appear responsible, it’s baked into their DNA, present in ways big, bold and achingly beautiful.
