The Leela Palace New Delhi, with its rooftop pool, reminds Samyukta of her enterprising family history

BA PEOPLE • October 2018

My Club: the entrepreneur

Samyukta Nair
Samyukta Nair

@SamyuktaNair

She’s taken Mayfair's hospitality scene by storm, brought chic homeware brands to her native India and still finds the time to celebrate industry's most inspiration ladies with her Jamavar Women’s Club. To find out more, we chat to Club Gold Member and entrepreneur, Samyukta Nair

I’m proud of my keen eye for design
I’ve long been inspired by India and England, and having spent my formative years travelling between the two, I draw my sensibilities from both. However, I owe my eye for design to my industrious mother, Madhu. She oversees the operation and design for The Leela hotels; I learnt everything I know about design by working alongside her.

Life as an entrepreneur constantly teaches me new things
Every day must be productive, which takes planning. Due to the time differences, in the morning I tend to work on designs for my lifestyle and homeware stores in Mumbai – Dandelion and Clove – and once London begins to wake up, I focus on my restaurants – Jamavar and Bombay Bustle. Both halves find a way to co-exist and the learnings from them are tremendous.

Mumbai is a foodie paradise
Head to Le15 for beautiful patisseries, Kala Ghoda Café for strong coffee, and Kitchen Garden for wholesome organic bowls. For your evening meal, it should be either Le Cirque SignatureThe Bombay Canteen or The Table – all fantastic places to dine. For something in between, comfort food fixes can be found at snack central, Swati.

I have a trio of holiday essentials
They include La Roche Posay’s Ultra Light Spray SPF for protecting my skin, Smith’s Rosebud Salve for dry lips and Shea Butter Hand Cream by L'Occitane, which is my favourite hand cream and one of the best on the market. They're my beauty must-haves and keep me equipped on the go. 

My best travel adventure was in Cuba
It was incredibly adventurous, I loved it. Havana (pictured below) is beautiful and drenched in culture – every corner turned was a marvel in itself. I will definitely return.

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Her heart is in Havana: Samyukta loved Cuba's off-grid vibes and adventurous spirit

There’s no place like home
My favourite hotel in the world is The Leela Palace New Delhi – the decor takes me back to childhood holidays in Paris and reminds me of time with my grandfather, as it was his dream project. I love how expansive it is, yet – especially to me – it still manages to feel like home.

I have a huge love of interiors
My favourite room is the bedroom, because I love sleeping, something very apparent from my love of pyjamas! It’s a sanctuary, a place where one can retreat from the world and take time out to think, while enjoying some downtime.

I like flying to be stress-free
Which is exactly how it feels when I’m flying with BA – they turn flying into something I look forward to. I always feel welcomed on board with a smile, and the customer service, both at the airports and in flight, is of the highest quality.

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