A 15-Hotel Portfolio and Ten More in Development
The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts operates 15 hotels and holds 10 more in development. Chief executive Anuraag Bhatnagar gave both counts on Suite Success, the Skift podcast hosted by Katie Cline, in an episode published on 1 October 2026.
Bhatnagar said the company held eight hotels when Brookfield acquired the portfolio. He credited revenue management and asset management work for the growth, and said the development count includes the Dubai project.
Leela 2.0 and the Brookfield Phase
Bhatnagar called the post-acquisition phase Leela 2.0. He said the plan holds the brand’s DNA, language and ethos and adds brand extensions and adjacencies. The same phase brought in technology, commercial thinking and asset management.
He said the acquisition gave the company access to capital, global technology, global distribution and talent.
The Palm Jumeirah Resort
The first Leela property outside India is a beachfront resort on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, targeted for 2028. Bhatnagar said the site holds 23 acres of land, that every villa will carry a sea view, and that the project includes service residences and 10 food and beverage venues.
The podcast host read out a breakdown of 546 keys: a 361-key hotel, 182 private residences and three villas. Bhatnagar said design development is under way and that he planned to travel to Dubai with his team the following week.
The India Development List
Bhatnagar named the destinations in the India pipeline. A 30-acre desert hotel in Jaisalmer opens at the end of this year or early next year. The first Leela branded residences open in Mumbai. A hotel on Dal Lake in Srinagar sits on 13 acres. The Agra property stands less than a kilometre from the Taj Mahal. The company also builds in Ayodhya.
Three wildlife properties are in development. Bhatnagar also described a newly acquired all-villa resort on 75 to 80 acres, with a seven-acre lake and a coffee plantation. He called that one his favourite of the group.
Dining, Wellness and the Guest Profile
Food and beverage accounts for nearly 40% of the business, Bhatnagar said. The company’s Aujasya wellness programme began with nutrition and has moved into therapeutic wellness, including an Ayurvedic ritual. He said the Jaisalmer resort will carry almost 200,000 square feet of integrated wellness.
Every Leela hotel runs a ceremonial ritual between 6.30 and 7 each evening at sunset, with local music, culture and dishes. The Leela Palace Service covers eight personalised touchpoints, among them in-room or in-villa check-in and a direct line to a Palace Service associate.
Bhatnagar put the international share of Leela guests near 50%. He said the median age of a Leela traveller has sat between 38 and 39 for the past three years, against an average in the early 50s before COVID.
What the Episode Does Not Set Out
The interview gives no opening date for the Dubai resort beyond the 2028 target, no development cost and no ownership structure for that project. It names destinations for the India pipeline and does not list all ten developments. The host read the 546-key breakdown for Palm Jumeirah from published material.