BT BIG STORY: From Gir's Asiatic lions to Jawai's leopards and Kaziranga's rhinos, luxury is spreading its wings across the wild

Imagine waking up to the sounds of the wilderness, tracking leopards across Jawai’s granite hills in Rajasthan, meeting the Rabari community and ending the day with a private dinner under the stars. Or heading into Gir’s forests, Assam’s rhino country or Ladakh’s snow-leopard terrain, with expert naturalists and luxury comforts. For India’s affluent travellers, a holiday in the wild is increasingly about much more than the thrill of spotting a tiger. It is about slowing down, discovering new landscapes, connecting with local communities, and experiencing nature, without compromising on luxury.

For the hospitality industry, this changing appetite is a significant business opportunity. Large hotel chains, including IHCL, ITC Hotels, Marriott International and The Oberoi Group, are expanding their wildlife portfolios, while specialist operators are developing intimate, experience-led lodges. More important, expansion is no longer restricted to established tiger destinations such as Ranthambore, Kanha, and Bandhavgarh.

The opportunity is substantial. According to Akash Datta, Managing Director (South Asia), HVS Anarock, India’s branded wildlife hospitality segment had approximately 3,300 operational rooms as of June 2026, with another 3,700 planned through 2030, doubling the branded inventory over the next four years.

“Historically dominated by independent operators, often catering largely to international travellers, the strong growth in domestic leisure demand is now bringing greater institutional participation,” says Datta.

Building a wildlife circuit

For Kapil Chopra, Founder and CEO of luxury hotel chain The Postcard Hotel, the aim is not to open another luxury hotel near a national park, but to create an entire circuit of luxury wildlife experiences.

“Africa has done a phenomenal job. India, on the other hand, has extraordinary wildlife but, barring a few destinations such as Ranthambore, has historically struggled to create enough luxury hotels of global standards across its wildlife circuit,” says Chopra. He believes this represents one of the biggest opportunities in Indian hospitality today.

The Postcard Hotel is building a portfolio covering multiple wildlife habitats. Its existing properties include The Postcard Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, The Postcard in the Himalayan Willows in Leh, from where it plans to introduce winter snow-leopard safaris, and The Postcard in the Durrung Tea Estate, a 1,400-acre estate within driving distance of Kaziranga. Its upcoming properties include Jawai, Kanha, Pench, and Bandhavgarh, while discussions are underway for Kabini, Tadoba, and Ranthambore.

“We are not looking at these as individual hotels. We are creating a circuit,” says Chopra.

Chopra believes India’s finest wildlife lodges can eventually command rates comparable to similar international properties. While leading African safari lodges can charge $1,500-3,000 a night, India has historically struggled to achieve similar pricing in most wildlife markets. In India, the average is $500-600, going up to $1,000-1,200, with exceptions like SUJÁN Jawai that go up to $2,000.

“Create the right product and I believe travellers, both Indian and international, will pay for it,” he says.

Big brands move in

ITC hotels is similarly expanding its wildlife presence, particularly through its experiential hospitality brand Storii.

Anil Chadha, Managing Director, ITC Hotels Ltd says the expansion reflects changing consumer preferences. “The premiumisation of travel is creating greater appetite for intimate, differentiated experiences,” says Chadha.

The company has opened Storii in Jawai and Sanjay Dubri while signing new developments in Ranthambore, Sasan Gir and Dhari Gir. Its wider wildlife portfolio extends across Jim Corbett, Tadoba, Pench, and Bera (Pali) through brands such as Welcomhotel, WelcomHeritage and Fortune.

For Chadha, wildlife hospitality is an important component of ITC’s broader leisure expansion rather than a separate business vertical. “Our asset-right approach, with a strong emphasis on management contracts and partnerships, is particularly relevant here and more so in Tier-II and Tier-III destinations,” he says.

The approach is part of a larger expansion strategy. ITC Hotels currently has a pipeline of 69 hotels with over 7,100 rooms and aims to reach 250 operational hotels with more than 22,000 rooms over the next five years. Wildlife destinations will form a selective but increasingly important part of that growth.

Other large chains are following suit.

IHCL, which pioneered organised luxury wildlife hospitality with Taj Safaris in 2006, recently opened the 35-room Taj Tadoba Resort & Spa and the 80-room Corbett Hideaway under its SeleQtions portfolio.

It has also signed a 20-room Taj Safaris lodge in Satpura and a 75-room resort in Sawai Madhopur.

Gaurav Pokhariyal, CEO, Full-Service Business, IHCL, says wildlife resorts benefit from longer stays, strong guest engagement, and higher participation in curated experiences, including safaris, naturalist-led excursions, wellness and bespoke dining.

There are more. Marriott International has entered the segment with Jim Corbett Marriott Resort & Spa and JW Marriott Ranthambore Resort & Spa, the latter becoming its 10,000th global property.

“The Indian traveller is no longer looking only for a place to stay; they are looking for a reason to travel,” says Kiran Andicot, Senior Vice President, South Asia, Marriott International.

According to Marriott’s 2025 The Intentional Traveler report, 30% of affluent Asia-Pacific travellers plan wildlife safaris, while 37% prioritise renowned hotel brands.

Andicot believes this creates an opportunity for established hospitality companies to combine local experiences with the advantages of international distribution, loyalty programmes and consistent service standards.

The JW Marriott Ranthambore Resort & Spa, for instance, has been developed around resident naturalists, wildlife interpretation, guided nature trails, local crafts and cultural programming.

“A safari can be the reason a guest chooses Ranthambore, but it should not be the entirety of the experience,” says Andicot. Meanwhile, The Oberoi Group has expanded beyond its established Vanyavilas property in Ranthambore with the recent opening of The Oberoi Vindhyavilas in Bandhavgarh, and the addition of The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace in Khajuraho, providing access to Panna National Park.

Beyond the big cat

Perhaps the most significant change is the emergence of destinations outside conventional tiger tourism circuits. Jawai in Rajasthan has become particularly attractive. Unlike a typical national park, its leopards inhabit granite landscapes shared with local communities, creating opportunities for a different kind of wildlife experience.

Among the pioneers in establishing Jawai as a luxury wildlife destination is safari provider SUJÁN. “The premise of creating SUJÁN JAWAI was to take conservation tourism in India to the next level, to demonstrate that a safari camp could make a tangible positive impact on a landscape, its wildlife and its people, while delivering a guest experience on par with the very best in the world,” says Jaisal Singh, Founder, SUJÁN.

SUJÁN’s properties, including Jawai (at Rs 1,96,000 per night) and Sher Bagh (at Rs 1,37,000 per night) in Ranthambore, operate with limited inventory. Singh says demand for immersive, nature-based travel has strengthened since the pandemic.

“Guests have become more discerning, valuing privacy, specialist knowledge and meaningful engagement with the wilderness rather than judging a holiday by a particular sighting.”

ITC’s Storii Jawai, meanwhile, is a 15-room retreat offering leopard safaris alongside Rabari village visits, birdwatching at Jawai Dam, temple trails, regional cuisine, and wellness through K by Kaya Kalp.

The trend has also reached Gir, where Aramness has developed a luxury hospitality proposition around the Asiatic lion. Domestic travellers account for 75% of guests at its 18-kothi property. For the coming peak season, standard kothis are priced from Rs 72,000, while family kothis start at Rs 97,500.

“The Asiatic lion brings people to Gir but is rarely the only thing our guests talk about when they leave,” says Jimmy Patel, founder, Aramness. Beyond safaris, guests can experience birding, jungle walks, Maldhari community visits, wellness, and locally sourced cuisine.

In Assam, Rhino & River Wildlife Retreat and Spa, near Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, is building a luxury proposition around one-horned rhinoceros encounters, Brahmaputra experiences, and local culture. Guests are staying an average of two to three nights, suggesting that newer wildlife destinations can attract travellers beyond conventional safari circuits.

It has also been welcomed into the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection—a curated global collection of more than 700 independently owned and operated luxury boutique hotels across over 100 countries.

Selling experiences

As competition increases, luxury wildlife properties are differentiating themselves through experiences that extend beyond safari vehicles.

At Outpost 12—a nine-cottage lodge in Kanha—sundowners, says stargazing, Star Bed experience, nature walks, and chef-led cooking classes have become popular. “Many of our guests have already experienced wildlife destinations in Africa and other parts of the world, and are now looking for similar, immersive experiences in India,” says Durgesh Singh, Founder Director, Sinali Experiences, a conservation travel and wildlife community that runs Outpost 12.

At Sariska Lodge, wildlife holidays include horseback experiences, heritage walks, visits to local artisans, wellness treatments and private dining. Founder Anand Shekhawat says the 11-suite property recorded an average daily rate of approximately Rs 30,500 and an average stay of 2.5 nights during its first year.

Experiences are also helping resorts attract families and younger travellers. The Oberoi Vindhyavilas offers naturalist-led village walks, birdwatching, tiger storytelling and dedicated children’s nature programmes.

At Corbett Hideaway, General Manager Ajay Kareer says guests increasingly want to understand the landscape and local communities rather than merely collect photographs of wildlife. Experiences range from Kumaoni village walks and riverside trails to mountain drives and private breakfasts.

This interest in nature-led hospitality is visible even outside dedicated safari resorts. At The Tamara Coorg, nearly 70% of guests participate in at least one guided plantation or forest trail during their stay. According to Samir MC, CEO, Tamara Leisure

Experiences, participation in nature-led activities has increased by approximately 25% over the past two years.

The opportunities are varied and the examples are plentiful. For example, Taj Corbett Resort & Spa conducts Ragas by the River, an annual music festival, on the banks of the Kosi River. The luxury residential festival, now in its third edition, brings together music, curated culinary experiences, and luxury hospitality against the backdrop of the Corbett landscape. It generally takes place in March, and a three nights-four days package, including stay and performances, is priced around Rs 2,40,000.

Not far away, The Riverview Retreat recently hosted the inaugural Corbett Literature Festival, bringing writers, conservationists, photographers and storytellers together for three days of conversations about nature, wildlife and the Himalayas. Priced Rs 45,000-55,000 for a three-night all-inclusive package, the festival offered guests everything from literary discussions to nature walks, Kumaoni cuisine and folk performances.

For hotel companies, these experiences have an additional commercial advantage. They create reasons to visit even when parks are closed, or safari access is restricted.

Chadha says ITC Hotels is developing demand through food, wellness, nature and local culture rather than relying on a single activity or season. “The answer lies in ensuring that the resort experience is not entirely dependent on the safari,” he says.

Andicot cautions that premium room rates and additional spending on curated experiences do not necessarily make wildlife resorts more profitable than city hotels. Seasonality, accessibility, and higher operating costs remain important considerations.

Chadha says although wildlife properties have less corporate and events business than urban hotels, limited competitive supply and premium pricing during the October-to-May/June safari season can help offset that disadvantage. “The objective therefore is not simply to replicate an urban luxury hotel in a wilderness setting but design a proposition that is appropriate to the destination,” says Chadha.

Singh is concerned that the arrival of large hotel companies could encourage excessive development in fragile ecosystems. Conservation in focus

“Neither Ranthambhore nor JAWAI needs more hotels. We do not need more beds in our wildlife areas,” argues Singh. Instead of simply adding rooms, Singh says operators should invest meaningfully in conservation, local employment, education, healthcare and habitat protection.

Chopra raises a related concern about wildlife destinations increasingly becoming wedding markets. “Luxury and conservation are not contradictory. Low-density, high-value tourism can actually be far more appropriate for a wildlife destination than high-volume development,” he says.

Chadha similarly emphasises development that respects local ecology and communities. For ITC Hotels, sustainability, destination-specific design, and responsible operations are integral to the long-term commercial viability of the segment.

For Chopra, India already has the wildlife; what it needs is the hospitality and infrastructure to unlock its potential. As Rudyard Kipling once wrote, “Something hidden. Go and find it.”