Leela Hotels founder Captain Nair dies aged 92

Captain C. P. Krishnan Nair, founder chairman of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, has died aged 92.

He passed away peacefully yesterday with his family beside him and the last rites will be performed today, at Pawan Hans crematorium in Juhu, Mumbai.

Nair established The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts in 1987 in Mumbai, aged 65. Previously, while in charge of his father-in-law’s handloom business, which he grew into India’s largest garment exporting house, Nair’s frequent business trips exposed him to the world of luxury hospitality.

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts was inspired by his strong belief in India’s ability to compete with the world’s premier travel destinations. He was dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and advancement of tourism in India.

Nair was also well-known for being officer of the Indian Army during World War II and a staunch environmentalist, for which he received the Global 500 Laureate Roll of Honour by the United Nations Environment Program.

Captain Nair is survived by his wife Leela Nair, their sons - chairman and managing director, Vivek Nair, and co-chairman and managing director, Dinesh Nair - and their wives Lakshmi and Madhu Nair respectively, and their children.

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts comprises a collection of luxury hotels and resorts in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Udaipur, Goa, Kovalam and Chennai with plans to develop hotels in Agra, Lake Ashtamudi (Kerala) and Jaipur.

The group has marketing alliances with US-based Preferred Hotel & Resorts and is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The group has previously revealed plans to debut in the Middle East, although no contracts have been announced to date.