A Library of Wonders
At Arq By The Leela, luxury unfolds as an experience—through art, design, rare spirits, dining, and conversations that linger long after the evening ends.
By Deepali Nandwani
There is a particular moment
when the elevator doors open at Arq By The Leela which sets the tone for everything that follows. The experience begins in the most gracious manner. A glass of sparkling wine is offered, even if it happens to be early in the morning.
Woken up dehydrated after days of indulgence, the way I had? Perhaps coconut water would be better. Fresh lime soda might help too. Within moments, Dhruv Rastogi, the club manager, had arranged for fresh coconut water instead. The exchange captures something essential about Arq By The Leela. Luxury here is attentive, conversational and deeply personalised, unfolding naturally as guests move through the space.
What follows is an experience that feels deliberately immersive. Experiencing an ultra-exclusive private club often surpasses the experience of a luxurious hotel, offering a level of refinement, privilege and elevated access that few hospitality spaces can match.
Arq By The Leela at The Leela Palace Bengaluru is the first in a series of members-only clubs opening within some of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts' properties. The plush private members club is a space one visits for experiences and conversations—literary and otherwise; for its enviable wine and luxury spirits collection; for dining on a curated menu; for the ambience and design; for meetings and business deals; or to end the evening with a rare glass of wine or spirit and a selection of cigars.
The Bengaluru club spans more than 10,000sq.ft., composed of interconnected rooms designed with industry leaders, entrepreneurs and cultural thinkers in mind.
The interiors of Arq By The Leela were designed by New York design atelier AvroKO, the internationally recognised design firm known for hospitality projects around the world. The studio, which has outposts in Bangkok, San Francisco, London and Miami, makes its debut in India with this project. The atelier reimagines the traditional library, from a tranquil place of study into a vibrant, sophisticated playground of wonders, designed to spark curiosity and storytelling.
The concept reflects a broader shift in luxury hospitality where experiences matter as much as access. It is a redefining of the private membership club space, backed by a major hospitality group, which offers a dimension of luxury that’s beyond the ordinary. As Madhav Sehgal, SVP - Operations, South, and Head of Sales says, “The core vision behind Arq By The Leela was to create a space where culture, conversation, and community intersect in a way that feels distinctly contemporary yet rooted in Indian sensibilities. We recognised that while India has a long tradition of private clubs, many of them are either legacy institutions or hospitality spaces that serve a specific functional purpose. What felt missing was a thoughtfully designed environment where individuals from different disciplines—business leaders, creators, entrepreneurs, and cultural thinkers—could gather in a setting that encourages both reflection and interaction.”
Several shifts informed the development of Arq By The Leela. One is the growing interest in experience-led luxury, where individuals seek environments offering depth, storytelling and cultural context rather than simply access to premium services. “Another trend is the convergence of professional and social spaces,” Sehgal continues. “Increasingly, people prefer environments where business conversations, cultural engagement and leisure can coexist organically. Over the next decade, we expect private clubs in India to evolve into more experience-driven ecosystems. The most successful spaces will likely be those that combine strong design, curated programming and a genuine sense of community.”
A striking brass installation anchors the private dining corridor, its reflective surface offset by Sabyasachi’s patterned walls.
The design journey
During a walkthrough, the interiors reveal themselves gradually. Artworks by master Progressive Artist S.H. Raza line the walls. Udaipur marble appears across floors and architectural surfaces. Custom-made sconces illuminate jewel-box frames, both large and small.
A reception desk, crafted in wood with a green marble top, anchors the entrance lobby and centres the sensory experience. Behind it rise striking brass panels created by DIART Studio. Sculptures set into recesses incorporate fragments of natural coral. The lighting throughout the club is entirely custom-designed and fabricated.
A living ‘Library of Wonders’
The club was conceived as as a ‘Living Library of Wonders’. The phrase is both conceptual and literal. The intention was to frame the club as a place of discovery rather than simply access. “The intent was to create an environment where design, art, and programming come together to support meaningful engagement. In that sense, Arq By The Leela is less about exclusivity as status and more about cultivating a shared ecosystem of ideas and experiences,” says Sehgal.
Spatial planning allows the club to accommodate both professional and social uses. Spaces such as the Cigar Dewan, Art Studio and private dining rooms allow members to shift seamlessly between work, conversation and leisure.
Experiences at Arq By the Leela extend beyond interiors and dining. Programming encourages dialogue through cultural conversations, thought-leadership panels and gatherings such as vinyl listening nights. Members also enjoy privileged access to cultural moments within The Leela ecosystem, including the annual Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Polo Cup held at The Leela Palace Jaipur.
Behind the desk, DIART Studio’s embossed brass work introduces a layer of storytelling within a tightly managed arrival space.
The Café Lounge acts as a social anchor, where material richness and soft lighting invite conversation and pause.
Design as narrative
Craft and materiality are central to how Arq By The Leela communicates its identity. “Many of the surfaces and architectural elements within the club, whether the brass panels, the marble compositions, or the bespoke lighting are the result of collaboration with artisans and designers. These elements carry cultural meaning and texture. For example, materials such as Indian marble, lacquered wood, and brass have long histories within Indian architecture and craft traditions,” says Sehgal. “Reinterpreting them in a contemporary setting allows the club to feel both rooted and current. The artworks throughout the space also contribute to this narrative by adding intellectual and visual layers that encourage members to engage with the environment more closely.”
Indian craft at its core
The interiors reference Indian design traditions through material palette and craftsmanship. Techniques such as stone carving, textile work and metal inlay narrate a story of Indian craft and luxury.
The architects collaborated with several design studios. DIART Studio, founded by Geetanjali Joshi, created the brass panels lining the entrance. Qorate Studio, led by Sarthak Bajaj, executed finishes including mother-of-pearl, liquid resin, gold leaf and faux tortoise shell. RIZO, founded by Dhara Mirani, produced bespoke cast glass elements including the custom resin bar and ceiling tiles. Milaaya Embroideries created intricate embroidery and hand-beaded textiles for furniture and cushions.
Even the wallpapers tell a story. The eco-friendly Sabyasachi for Nilaya wallpapers are bordered by green Udaipur stone and created using dried petals and vegetable dyes.
Sodalite blue stone appears across bar tops and tables. Exotic blue stones and lapis lazuli reappear throughout the space as visual markers linking each room together.
A handcrafted door handle becomes a jungle vignette, with elephants in motion and delicate blue inlays.
The voyager story
Art at Arq By The Leela moves between modern and contemporary, creating a layered narrative across the space. A striking installation appears at the entrance, where brass panels trace the journey of a voyager in search of meaning. The story begins with a sailor crossing oceans in pursuit of discovery. Emeralds and precious stones emerge across the panels, symbolising knowledge gathered along the way, before the voyage culminates at The Leela Palace.
This idea of exploration continues throughout the club. An understated underwater theme evokes depth and discovery, with fragments of coral set into sculptural niches and artefacts referencing navigation, direction and time. At the heart of the club lies the Library Lounge, where works by S.H. Raza anchor the room. Paintings inspired by his iconic Bindu—symbolising the origin of life—sit alongside works reflecting trees, earth and cosmic beginnings.
Vintage photographs, leather-bound books, and sunlit French windows complete the setting, encouraging slow conversations and unhurried evenings.
Layered in sodalite stone, cast glass and resin, the bar emerges as a luminous centrepiece—precise, tactile and quietly theatrical.
Underfoot, a geometry of stone and pattern lends rhythm.
Madhav Sehgal
SVP - Operations, South, and Head of Sales, the leela palaces, hotels and resorts
The core vision behind Arq By The Leela was to create a space where culture, conversation, and community intersect—encouraging both reflection and interaction among business leaders, creators, entrepreneurs, and cultural thinkers.
Experimenting with coffee… and maybe your dining experience?
Adjacent to the library sits the café lounge, a space that functions as the club’s social anchor throughout the day. Members drift in for coffee, tea or informal meetings, often lingering longer than planned. At its centre stands an expansive coffee bar where barista Swapnil Roy roasts, blends and experiments—a small laboratory devoted to unusual coffees and tea infusions.
The bar itself is carefully considered. Bespoke handcrafted bevelled glass tiles by RIZO line the counter, while a custom resin bar glows under thoughtfully designed lighting. Sodalite blue stone surfaces and handcrafted glass elements give the space a jewel-like presence.
Roy approaches beverages with curiosity and experimentation. One of his most intriguing creations is a drink he calls The Dirty, built on a cold brew, combining Indian masala chai with lapsang souchong. “It’s a mix of Indian masala tea and one of my favourite teas, lapsang souchong, which influses it with a really light smoky aroma,” he explains.
Roy then layers condensed milk onto the tea base, drawing inspiration from Southeast Asian tea traditions.“In Burma, they make a tea concoction, add just a spoonful of condensed milk and call it milk tea,” he says.
The drink is finished with chilled milk and a shot of espresso, creating shifting flavour notes with each sip. “The first sip has higher acidity and bitterness from the ristretto,” Roy says. “On the second sip you get a milder version where the milk and espresso meet. And at the end you get the sweetness from the condensed milk, along with the tea and the smokiness from the lapsang souchong.”
Dining at Arq By The Leela operates differently from a traditional restaurant. There is no printed menu. Instead, members speak with Chef Siddharth Pandey before their reservation to discuss what they feel like eating. The result is a personalised culinary experience, where contemporary European techniques meet Indian ingredients and seasonal produce.
The beverage programme follows a similarly curated philosophy. Rather than operating like a typical hotel bar, Arq By The Leela focuses on rarity, provenance and bespoke service. The cellar features premium global wines and rare spirits, often presented through guided tastings.
In the humidor and cigar lounge, a back-lit cabinet displays exceptional bottles meant for slow drinking and pairing with cigars. Meanwhile, the cocktail programme draws on the expertise of ZLB23, the hotel's Kyoto-inspired speakeasy, with head mixologist Rajib Mukherjee collaborating to translate craft cocktail techniques into both alcoholic and non-alcoholic creations.
The Library Lounge centres the space with art, books and light, offering a quieter setting where conversations linger.
In the Café Lounge, Ganesh Selvaraj’s abstract work builds in quiet layers, offering a contemplative counterpoint.
A new kind of luxury space
The Leela is reimagining luxury through private membership and shared experiences. Arq at The Leela represents a shift in luxury hospitality, moving beyond the traditional hotel stay towards curated, membership-driven communities.
“It occupies a unique space between hospitality, culture and community. A member might host a meeting in the morning, attend a cultural conversation in the afternoon and enjoy a social gathering in the evening,” says Sehgal. “The ideal member values rarefied spaces and a community of paradigm shifters and change makers shaping business, culture and the creative industries.”
The Leela already plans to expand Arq By The Leela to Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai, with each club designed to reflect the cultural context of its city while building a strong sense of community.
A dimly lit humidor brings intimacy, its material depth and careful display inviting slow, unhurried moments.
The Cigar Lounge pairs deep materiality with softened light, shaping a space for slow ritual and conversation.
