)
The long, floral-scented corridor on the eighth-floor of The Leela, Mumbai, leads us to a door that announces: 'The Chairman's Suite'. Beyond it is the sprawling 1,250 sq ft corner office of CP Krishnan Nair, widely known as Captain Nair, ex-army man and the founder of Hotel Leelaventure. We are late for the appointment, delayed by traffic on a rain-washed Thursday. In contrast, the atmosphere in the suite is warm and the 92-year-old host has been waiting patiently.
"I was watching the traffic from the window and wondering which of those cars you might be in," Nair says with a smile. Dressed in a cream suit with a silky white shirt and brown boots, the chairman emeritus cuts a suave figure. The yellow cravate he wears is by the House of Bijan, which has among others catered to Barack Obama, The Beatles and Jack Nicholson. Nair's attire matches the decor of the living and dining rooms, done predominantly in hues of beige, ochre and brown. The suite also includes a compact bedroom, two offices and a small boardroom. The offices seem darker with furniture in deep brown and black.
The Mumbai hotel was the first to be built in the chain and Nair monitored its construction from the ground up, literally. As each floor was completed, the corner suite on the level would become his office, until he moved into the suite on the top floor 24-years ago. Even at the age of 65, when he entered the hospitality industry, he spent 16- to-18 hours a day, overseeing construction and design in the initial phases.
Nair has an eye for beauty, says his staff. He is not fond of being ostentatious, however, and prefers a more understated appeal. "People like to have big, showy pieces. The main concern for me was that the suite should be practical as well as aesthetically pleasing," he says. As it follows, there are no bulky chandeliers in his suite, just task lights and sleek steel lamps. The cream-coloured curtains look almost too simple, but they are drawn aside to reveal a handsome view of the city. All the furniture is custom-made from teakwood. The sofas in the living room, covered in hand-woven silk, are decorated with plump hand-embroidered silk cushions. The rugs on the floor were custom-made by artisans in New Delhi.
Rather than the office room, Nair likes to work out of the dining area. The chairs here are more convenient than the swivelling leather-clad ones in the office. The dining table has been converted into a work table, where he meets and greets guests daily. Also giving him company in this space is a a larger-than-life oil painting by the artist B Prabha with elongated figures of rural women looking at lotuses, which happens to be Nair's favourite flower. His daughter-in-law, Madhu Nair, is a noted art connoisseur who has added considerably to the art collection of various Leela hotels across the country. She is an avid collector of works by Satish Gujral and Jayasri Burman.
* * * * *
Nair's gaze often drifts outside the suite's full-length windows to the expanse of greenery below. "I took the room with the best view," he laughs. Most of the trees in the lawn were planted by Nair and his wife, after whom the hotels are named. The living room sofa by the window is his favourite spot in the suite. From there he can also see some of the nine hotels that have sprung up in competition over the years. The upcoming airport and convention centre nearby are more uplifting sights, as they could add to the Leela's business.
Coffee table books on the Sahyadris and the Himalayas, recently published with support from the hotels, are laid out on his work table alongside compilations of his friend and Greek travel photographer Dimitra Stasinopoulou. The bookshelf holds travel books, biographies and a few Malayalam titles.
On another shelf are several of his awards, certificates and framed photographs of him with prominent personalities. He likes best a photo of his wife and him along with the Emperor Akihito of Japan, clicked when he received the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) award in 1999. "The Emperor did not usually take photographs with people but since I had won, he invited us to a party," he recalls. Others pictures include Nair posing with Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Lewis Hamilton (taken at the request of the British racing driver).
Statues of Buddha and Ganesha are visible across the suite, on tables and shelves. Some have been collected over the years by Nair, while others were gifts received on occasions, such as his 90th birthday. Two of the Buddha idols are special - a golden statue draped in a rich yellow cloth, a present from the Dalai Lama; and a stone idol picked up by Nair from Takshashila (now Taxila).
Nair is not well-versed with gadgets; the finer workings of the MacBook escape him, but he enjoys looking at photos or presentations on it. Among the gadgets in the suite, the large Philips flat-screen TV and music player get most of his attention.
* * * * *
Over the years, Mata Amritanandamayi and Vijayaraje Scindia have used the chairman's suite for their stays. When in Mumbai, business magnate Karim Aga Khan usually stays in the larger Presidential suite next door and spends hours looking at the garden, Nair says with pride. He talks in the relaxed manner of a retired man. However, six months after stepping down as chairman, he has not slowed down. "These people make sure I am busy," he says, pointing to the staff in mock accusation. Apart from hosting prominent guests, Nair is working on releasing an English-language biography soon. As we leave, he settles comfortably back into the sofa, surrounded by the evidence of a career rich with stories.
