The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group runs 14 hotels in India, 12 luxury and two mid-scale. Its Grand Palace in Srinagar began as Gulab Bhavan, a royal residence built in 1910 by Maharaja Pratap Singh. The LaLiT Mangar sits in the Aravalli Hills and is built of rammed earth. The LaLiT Resort & Spa Bekal sits beside the Nombili River backwaters in Kerala. The group was founded by the late Lalit Suri, and Dr Jyotsna Suri has been chairperson and managing director since 2006.
Deeksha Suri and Divya Suri Singh grew up around the group's hotels. Both are executive directors. Divya Suri Singh oversees legal, procurement and education, and executed The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School. Deeksha Suri says she moved towards growth, revenue and the people side of the business.
During an exclusive conversation with Robb Report India, they talk about the places that changed how they think about a guest's welcome, the LaLiT hotels that feel most like them, and why each property takes its character from where it stands.
Robb Report India (RR): Which place you have travelled to changed how you think about the moment a guest walks in?
Deeksha Suri (DS): Japan, definitely. What stayed with me was the extraordinary attention to detail and the care behind even the smallest gestures. Everything is thoughtful, from the cleanliness and precision to the way they anticipate what you might need without making it feel intrusive.
But most importantly, they have a wonderful way of making you feel special as a guest. It made me realise that hospitality is often in the details: knowing your customer, paying attention, and making them feel that their presence genuinely matters.
Divya Suri Singh (DSS): Bali has definitely influenced the way I think about hospitality. What stayed with me was the warmth of the people, their genuine instinct to make you feel welcome, and the attention to detail in even the smallest things. There is a beautiful sense of pride in their culture and heritage, and what I particularly admire is how they preserve and promote it while making it an integral part of the guest experience.
RR: If your design sensibility had three words, what would they be, and where in a LaLiT does it show?
DSS: Thoughtful, rooted, timeless. I appreciate design that pays attention to detail, draws from local culture and feels quietly welcoming. I see this reflected beautifully at The LaLiT Grand Palace Srinagar, where the property's heritage, Kashmiri craftsmanship and interiors celebrate the region's character with an understated elegance.
DS: Simple, warm and comfortable. For me, good design is about much more than how a space looks. It is about how it makes you feel.
I see that sensibility across all our properties. Each one has its own identity, with attention to detail, warmth and a feeling of belonging. Most importantly, each property connects naturally with its destination. The design draws from the history, culture and character of the place rather than feeling imposed upon it.
RR: Is there a space, in the group or elsewhere, that feels most like you?
DS: I do not think there is one particular space that is very Deeksha. There is a little bit of me in all our hotels, in different ways. Srinagar and Bekal probably come closest, because I naturally gravitate towards properties where you can make the most of nature and the surroundings. But I also love our city and business hotels, where the experience has to come through in very different ways.
And across all our properties, you will find a little bit of our Founder Chairman, Lalit Suri, my father, and our CMD, Dr Jyotsna Suri, my mother. Their values, their standards and their approach to hospitality.
DSS: Within the group, I would say The LaLiT Mangar. I have always liked the way the property feels deeply connected to nature and the Aravalli landscape, with the surroundings becoming an integral part of the experience. Its use of rammed-earth architecture and more conscious approach to design also reflect a thoughtful balance between luxury and sustainability.
The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School is also very close to my heart. For me, both represent the idea of creating something with purpose and long-term value. Whether it is a hotel or an institution, I believe in building something meaningful that can continue to make a difference over time.
RR: What do you both agree on about hospitality without needing to discuss it?
DSS: Deeksha and I have always shared the belief that a hotel should reflect the culture and character of the place it belongs to. For us, it is about bringing local heritage to life, celebrating traditions and creating experiences that connect guests with the destination. This understanding comes naturally to both of us, having grown up with these values being an integral part of our lives.
DS: We have always been aligned on the belief that luxury should be inclusive and accessible, without compromising on quality or experience. For us, hospitality is about creating spaces where people from different backgrounds feel equally welcome, respected and comfortable. Affordable luxury is not simply about price. It is about delivering great value, thoughtful service and a genuine feeling of belonging. That is a principle we both believe should remain at the heart of everything we do.
RR: When you host at home, what is the one habit you never compromise on?
DS: Anticipating what someone may need before they have to ask. Growing up, hosting was always about making people feel welcome, included and cared for. My father believed that a good host understands a guest's needs before they are expressed, and that instinct of anticipating rather than reacting continues to guide me. It reflects in how we approach hospitality at The LaLiT, creating experiences where every detail is thoughtfully considered before the guest arrives.
DSS: Preparation. Growing up, I watched my mother understand that true hosting begins long before the guest arrives. The warmth and ease a guest experiences are always the result of thoughtful planning and attention behind the scenes. That belief continues to guide how we approach hospitality at The LaLiT, creating experiences where every detail is thoughtfully planned.
RR: If you could design one space in a LaLiT purely on instinct, what would it look and feel like?
DSS: I would not do anything differently, as my personal taste is already aligned with The LaLiT's design philosophy. The spaces we have created already reflect the aesthetic I naturally gravitate towards.
DS: Honestly, it would look a lot like what we already do. A light-filled, comfortable space with generous seating, thoughtful art and a strong sense of the destination it belongs to. More than anything, I would want it to be a place where people naturally want to stay longer.
That instinct comes very much from my mother, Dr Jyotsna Suri. She has always been deeply involved in the design of our hotels and believes that the destination should shape the property, not the other way around. That is why each LaLiT has its own identity rather than following a standard formula.