Bangkok, Thailand, July 7, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / by Mewati Sitaram – “Doing good begins at home” is the motto of the Lebua Group. On July 3, 2020, the day of its reopening after the lockdown, the hotel was fully booked within a very short time. The response from guests was overwhelming. All four restaurants were fully booked in advance. The Lebua Dome houses four internationally renowned restaurants: Mezzaluna, Chef's Table, Sirocco, and Breeze. On opening day, the established safety and hygiene measures, as well as the usual guest-oriented service, were consistently implemented.

While the guests enjoyed the sumptuous meal, they were pleasantly surprised when the bill arrived. Instead of a bill, they were asked to pay an amount of their choosing, as the hotel would be donating all of the evening's proceeds to charities in Thailand.

Indian hotelier Deepak Ohri created the world's first vertical luxury hotel with the Lebua in Bangkok. The world's second vertical luxury hotel is Hudson's Yards in New York City.

Deepak Ohri, CEO of Lebua Hotels and Resorts, said: “It was truly moving to see that none of our guests who wanted to dine with us paid less than the regular menu price, but on the contrary, 30 percent more. Many were moved to tears by this gesture and promised to return soon. Some have even already made reservations with us again for the coming days.”

In view of the somber mood and in gratitude to the Almighty for the team that has stuck together during this crisis, the management of Lebua decided to donate all the proceeds from the opening to five selected local charities.

Ohri added: “On July 3rd, our food smelled heavenly – so exquisite that its price was incomparable. Our guests didn't worry about the bill, but instead donated to our five chosen charities. They paid as they wished – with boundless love and generosity. And that, dear friends, is priceless! It was truly heartwarming that all the restaurants were fully booked on opening night, which overwhelmed and humbled the team while simultaneously boosting their confidence.”

Ohri added: “We were truly blessed by the rain god when the heavens opened in the evening. The downpour didn't dampen anyone's spirits – neither those of our guests nor those of our teams… On the contrary, it was an evening full of positivity and blessings, and we look forward to happy times ahead! Many guests sat under umbrellas and stayed until the very end to enjoy the day's rain.”

Who would have ever thought that our Indian hotelier Deepak Ohri would create the world's first vertical luxury hotel with the Lebua in Bangkok? Interestingly, Hudson's Yards in New York City, which cost 28 billion US dollars to build, is the second vertical luxury hotel in the world!

It's worth noting that at the Zodiac Grill restaurant in Mumbai's legendary Taj Mahal Hotel, no bills were issued for the first month after its opening in 1989. The chefs and servers assured guests that they put their heart and soul into preparing the dishes and that they could pay as they saw fit. And indeed, all the guests paid significantly more than the listed price. The Zodiac Grill was a unique concept in Mumbai and was fully booked for a long time after its opening. There were no walk-ins, only telephone reservations. This information was shared with the Mumbai Messenger newspaper by the then culinary director, celebrity chef Satish Arora.

It should be noted that the Lebua Group has decided to retain its employees throughout the crisis, and this step is highly appreciated worldwide.

First published on MumbaiMessenger