New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts chairman C.P. Krishnan Nair has been presented the prestigious Hotelier of the Century award of the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH&RA) at a glittering ceremony held in Belgrade.

'Capt. Nair is an icon of a hotelier with vision. The quality and service seen at The Leela Hotels across India remains unparalleled and is a new benchmark for luxury hospitality,' association president Ghassan Aidi said while presenting the award.

This is only the second time in 140 years that this award has been presented, a statement from the Leela group said. The previous recipient was Joseph Giacoponello, former president of the Leading Hotels of the World, New York.

Accepting the award, Nair said he was humbled by this great recognition from his peers in the hospitality industry.

'I dedicate this award to the people of India and to (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi, under whose inspirational leadership India continues to achieve greater heights to make India a superpower, alongside the US and China.'

Headquartered in Geneva, the IH&RA is the only business organization representing the hospitality industry worldwide. Its members are hospitality associations, hotels and restaurants from across the globe.

Recognized by the UN, IH&RA monitors and lobbies all international agencies on behalf of the industry, estimated to comprise 300,000 hotels and eight million restaurants, employs 60 million people and contributes $950 billion annually to the global economy.