The 200-room Leela Palace Jaipur is in the Kukas region, at the foothills of the Aravalli Hills. |
The Leela Palace Udaipur on the banks of Lake Pichola in Rajasthan, India.
modern Indian luxury traveler, as Accor has assessed, is welltravelled, globally aware and no longer impressed by excess for its own sake. At Fairmont Jaipur, that philosophy transforms into village walks through rural Rajasthan, connecting guests with local craft, pottery and home-cooked food. At Fairmont Mumbai, it surfaces through recovery therapies drawn from cutting-edge science and ancient Indian healing traditions.
“ We are extremely optimistic about the future of luxury travel in India. Demand is expanding beyond metros and the traditional gateway cities,” said Rai.“ It presents a significant opportunity for hospitality brands to develop experiences that are both globally relevant and locally authentic.”
At Leela, properties in the pipeline include hotels in Coorg and Jaisalmer, each designed to
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reflect its destination’ s specific character while meeting global luxury service standards. Considering that India’ s millionaire households are projected to grow at a compound annual rate of roughly 17.5 %, Leela is building for the guests those households will produce.
“ While global travel sentiment remains dynamic amidst an evolving macroscenario, we see the current environment as a shift in demand mix rather than a slowdown,” said Bhatnagar, citing strong macroeconomic tailwinds, rising wealth and a growing preference for experience-led travel. He said that domestic demand remains resilient, with strong traction from affluent Indian travelers across staycations, celebrations, premium leisure and corporate offsites.“ Any near-term moderation in outbound travel is likely to further support domestic demand across key leisure and heritage destinations,” he said.
For travelers planning to take advantage of the moment, timing matters. October through March remains the most comfortable window for most of the country. Diwali and Holi, both of which fall within that range, represent India’ s two most popular and most vibrant travel periods. Beyond that peak window, the monsoon season offers lower rates and smaller crowds at Ayurvedic resorts and heritage hotels, while April and May are considered the best months for wildlife viewing as diminishing vegetation concentrates animals around
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WE ARE EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE OF LUXURY TRAVEL IN INDIA. DEMAND IS EXPANDING BEYOND METROS AND THE TRADITIONAL GATEWAY CITIES
– AMITABH RAI, COO, LUXURY,
ACCOR, SOUTH ASIA
remaining water sources.
Other India-based luxury lodging companies are taking advantage of the upswing, too. Oberoi Hotels opened The Oberoi Vindhyavilas Wildlife Resort, Bandhavgarh last March. The property, which features only 19 luxury tents and two pool villas, is set within a 21-acre forested expanse minutes from Bandhavgarh National Park. Oberoi is slated to open a property in Saudi Arabia later this year in the Wadi Safar development near Diriyah.
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