India, in my opinion, houses some of the world’s top hotels.  Many are ‘wow’ hotels, where even the most discerning and well-travelled guest will be in awe of the detail and hospitality offered.

The Lalit Hotel Group has an amazing history.  It has 17 luxury hotels and continues to expand, with restoration of new properties.  Their philosophy is to develop the destinations the hotels are in, using local foods, cultures and activities, and thereby giving a boost to the local economy.

An Indian Lord – Lord Lalit Suri – was the founder.  Tragically, he died in London on 10 October 2006.  On 19 October 2009, his wife Jyotsna Suri, who remained in charge of the portfolio, renamed all the hotels “Lalit”, as they had previously all been running under different names.  Suri and three of her children still retain family ownership and the hotels are still family run. I was privileged enough to meet Suri and her son this week.  Suri is a very self deprecating and very inspiring woman who has achieved greatness, and is still meticulous about the details, personally choosing the décor of the individual rooms and public areas.

Visiting India, you are spoilt for choice.  A great option for your next holiday …. with Bales naturally!    

We all talk about how time passes so quickly and, as I write this, it is already the end of March.  2011 seems to have flown by, and yet so much has happened around the world.   I think a lot of us are so busy, we tend to live in the here and now.  Even so, it is good to have an event to look forward to.  I am thrilled to have been invited to two weddings in April – one in Ethiopia and one in Kerala – yet I am very sad to have had to decline both, due to time constraints.  Crazy really, as they are both good friends of mine and what an amazing experience they would have been.   I know many of us have the same problem with lack of time but, if you are better at forward planning than I am, then I would definitely plan to book your holiday now, so that you can then enjoy all the build up and anticipation.

Ok, I still need to plan all my 2011 challenges, but I have returned to the gym again this week and managed to steer my defiant car in, rather than driving past.  I hate it with a vengeance, but it is true that you feel energised and good about doing it once you have done it.

Look forward to catching up again soon.

Mandy

About Mandy Nickerson

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Mandy endeavours to share her travel experiences (where she will 'tell it like it is') and also detail the latest exciting projects that she is involved in. Mandy welcomes your feedback - please feel free to submit your thoughts, queries, comments and theories below.