The Fairmont Udaipur Palace is an 18-acre, modern Rajput-Mewar estate set in the Aravalli Hills.

COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT

AISH-O-ARAM

INDIA’ S LUXURY HOTELS WERE ALREADY PERFORMING WELL— THEN THEY GOT A BOOST FROM THE PRIME MINISTER.

By SWASTI SHARMA

Geopolitical pressure, uncertain inbound travel and a cautious global mood made were still not enough to stymie India’ s luxury hotel performance in 2025, something that has also carried over through this year. Consider The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. It posted strong results in first-quarter 2026, with revenue per available room increasing 6 % year over year. Average daily rate increased by 14 % and EBITDA rose by 19 %.“ Our RevPAR outperformance at about 2.3 times the luxury segment continues to deliver market share gains, underscoring our pricing power,” said CEO Anuraag Bhatnagar.

Domestic tourism in India is showing clear signs of a broader resurgence.

66 hotelsmag. com July / August 2026