Leela Palaces Grows from Eight Hotels to Fifteen
The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is growing from eight hotels to 15 operating properties. Ten more are in development. Chief executive Anuraag Bhatnagar set out the plan on Suite Success, the Skift podcast hosted by Katie Cline, in an episode published on 1 October 2026.
Bhatnagar said the pipeline includes Dubai, three wildlife properties, a desert hotel in Jaisalmer due before the end of this year or in early 2027, the first Leela branded residences in Mumbai, a hotel in Srinagar on Dal Lake, a hotel in Agra less than a kilometre from the Taj Mahal, and a hotel in Ayodhya.
He said the group now has the bandwidth, the capabilities and the skills to take on an international destination. He dated the shift to the acquisition of the company by Brookfield, when it gained access to capital, global technology, global distribution and talent.
The Leela 2.0 Strategy
Bhatnagar said the strategy preserves the brand’s service culture and adds global best practices, technology and commercial discipline. He calls the combination Leela 2.0. He said the company wanted to build brand extensions and adjacencies without diluting what the founder built.
He said everything about Leela has to be true Indian luxury: authentic and specially curated, from fragrances and music to cuisine. Nearly 50 per cent of guests are international, he said, so the Indian experience has to satisfy travellers who have access to the best hotels in the world.
The Dubai Debut on Palm Jumeirah
The first international project is a beachfront resort on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, planned for 2028. Bhatnagar said the asset is 23 acres, that all villas will have a sea view, and that it will carry 10 food and beverage venues and service residences. He said the design is in development now.
The host put the resort at 546 keys, made up of a 361-key hotel, 182 private residences and three villas. Bhatnagar did not dispute that description and built on it. He said Dubai is a global market, one of the largest outbound markets from India and a strong source of brand recall. He said he and his team would be in Dubai the following week to work on a design language that reads as Indian and Leela while it appeals to a global traveller.
He said the group would be mindful of local culture, local talent and local positioning, and would put weight on food and beverage, experiences and wellness.
Food and Beverage Carries the Brand
Bhatnagar said food and beverage is nearly 40 per cent of the business. He said the group programmes master classes and pop-up events. He said younger guests meet the brand through its restaurants and bars before they book a room.
The Guest Is Younger Than Before
He said the median age of a Leela guest is now between 38 and 39. He put the average in the early fifties before the pandemic. He linked the shift to guests who travel widely, understand food and beverage, and want experiences.
The Service Rituals
Bhatnagar described the Leela Palace Service as eight touch points across a stay. A team of associates takes decisions and friction away from the guest. The touch points include check-in in the room or the villa, unpacking and pressing, evening and goodnight amenities, tea or coffee chosen from the guest history, a moment created at least once during the stay, and a small local gift at departure.
He said a ceremonial ritual runs in every hotel from 6.30pm to 7pm at sunset. It brings local music, culture and cuisine into the property.
Every figure in this piece is Bhatnagar’s account on the episode, or the host’s description of the Dubai asset that he did not dispute. The group has published no separate document with the portfolio counts. Skift published the episode on 1 October 2026 and states that the transcript is generated by artificial intelligence.