Anuraag Bhatnagar

A CEO’s Blueprint for Success

Dynamic, visionary, and relentlessly driven, he has redefined what leadership in the hospitality industry looks like. As CEO of the world’s most respected hotel chains, he has steered the brand towards innovation while keeping its timeless values intact

Text & Photographs: Farzana Contractor

“It must be quite a job but such an honour to be heading a hotel chain such as The Leela…” is how I began my interview with Anuraag sitting in one of the nicest suites of The Leela in Bombay. “Oh, absolutely! It’s been six years of nurturing a brand I cherish, and what an amazing ride it has been! To represent a brand which has put India on the forefront of the world’s best hotels is a dream job.

Anuraag Bhatnagar, Whole Time Director and CEO of The Leela Group, is in the right place at the right time. “The Leela is celebrating 40 years of existence. What does that feel like?’ I enquire. “Pure ecstacy!” he shoots back, “With so much going on, I have to say, I am most excited and on a natural high to do better. We have 15 operating hotels, all in top locations and we are now poised to open nine more. With singular focus on utmost luxury with true Indian cultural depiction. With substantial emphasis on F&B and wellness. Believe me, we are all set for the next 10 years!”

When Anuraag took charge, Leela had a clutch of eight properties in its basket, which went to 15, with nine to be added soon. His enthusiasm was so delightful to watch, I found myself getting carried away when he started to mention the new locations; Srinagar, Sikkim, Bandhavgarh, Agra, Jaisalmer, Ranthambore, Coorg, Ayodhya and Dubai. Oh wait, I forgot the one at Bombay’s BKC, so that makes it 10. The CEO is going to have his hands full!

But that does not deter him. It, in fact only gets his adrenaline going. From a successful IPO in 2025 which marked The Leela’s transition into India’s only listed pure-play luxury hospitality company, with a strengthened balance sheet, institutional governance and accelerated growth strategy, the group under Anuraag’s leadership has truly transformed into a high-performance, globally relevant luxury brand. I do want to discuss more about the new properties, which has Rs 1400 crores under deployment, but we will come to that later. First, about the CEO himself.

Anuraag Bhatnagar has every reason to smile

Anuraag has been a hotelier since 35 years. Quietly and steadily garnering experiences and learnings for all these decades and now distilling them at this perfect job, a God-given opportunity of working at a brand that lets you be, once your worth is recognised. He clearly wears the mantle well.

Anuraag’s journey in luxury hospitality began with The Oberoi Group of Hotels, where he honed his skills and mastered nuances in a super professional setting. He then went on to take up significant roles at Starwood Hotels and Resorts and later at Marriott International where he served as Multi-Property Vice President for Bombay and Goa, overseeing 12 luxury hotels. During this tenure he worked with iconic brands such as The St. Regis, W Hotels and The Ritz Carlton.

All of which has had Anuraag sweep away many awards, both personally and for the hotels he has represented. In the industry he is well-respected and enjoys a tall stature to suit his 6.2 height.

So, what makes Anuraag Bhatnagar tick? What is expected of him? What is his forte? “New challenges, for sure. Each of these new properties which are in various stages of completion call for a lot of thought, planning and decisions. And I love thinking and arriving at solutions. My job also includes attracting top talent; focusing on hiring and training, getting newcomers to fit into The Leela culture. Talking of culture, one important aspect expected of me is to preserve the legacy left to us by our founder, the colossal Capt Nair. I have to not only preserve the culture but enhance it. That certainly is a challenge, one that I enjoy facing.”

I agree with Anuraag, Capt Nair was a colossal, a rare, human being, with a keen eye for aesthetics and the greenest of thumbs. The Leela is so much because of this one man. And one woman, perhaps. Leela was the name of Capt Nair’s wife and he called his first company Leela Lace! A garment export business, specialising in lace embroidery., which primarily became the backbone for his entry into luxury hospitality with The Leela. I am glad that Anuraag is aware of the divine task assigned to him. I noticed the reverence in his voice when we were discussing the subject.

So the legacy is in safe hands, “When we acquired the brand in 2019 we knew we had a strong operating platform. I just carried it forward making sure all our hotels are in top notch shape, well-maintained, and that I would attract the best talent there was, across all roles; leadership, GMs, and to upskill them all.” They also brought in a lot of technology that would free the team to be able to concetrate on areas that really mattered. Brand IPs, wellness programmes, including sustainabilty and recycling projects like Leela ke Phool. “That’s true, at Leela we are very conscious about ecology. We upcycle three metric tonnes of dry flowers every year to create incensce sticks, which we give to our guests as gifts. We also grow Kumud and Nilgiri flowers to create a fragrance called Trishya. Nothing we use at Leela is bought off the shelf. we curate and we create, we have 300 village women who do the job,” says Anuraag. I came away with a gift bag of toiletries. The handwash is beautiful; a subtle, gentle fragrance.

We, the people, don’t realise but there is so much that goes into sucessfully running of a top hotel. To maintain the high standard of a 5-star hotel involves constant effort. The endeavour is on-going. You can’t afford to let up. The CEO has to be a visionary leader and a meticulous operator – balancing guest experience, financial performance and brand reputation. The role requires deep focus on service excellence, innovation and organisational culture. Anuraag fits the bill, he has all the leadership qualities to define the hotel’s mission, vision and values. He offers, “I am very focused on intuitive service, attention to detail and what contributes to true luxury. My staff has to anticipate every guest’s every need. Today, the luxury traveller literally wants anticipatory and intuitive service. They don’t want to be asked too many questions. They expect the staff to know their preferences. This is where our training comes into play. The Leela staff is trained to look out for clues, read the signs and deliver genuine care. Guests can sense warmth and gracious service which comes from your core. Front Office, Housekeeping, F&B, all have to function in tandem.”

Le Cirque was happy to serve their boss	Here's Anuraag, the single malt man

On a personal note, I must say, I have seen all of the above in action at The Leela Udaipur. I rate it among the best in the world. The staff is simply wonderful. They seem to fulfill every need before you are even aware of it yourself! And can they make you feel special? Uff…Udaipur also happens to be a favourite of the CEO among their bouquet of resort hotels (Leela Bengaluru among city hotels), except, he says, he is getting swayed by The Leela in Coorg which will open any time now.

Anuraag is exploding with anticipation to make their foray into Coorg. “Oh, it is simply out of this world. It’s a forest sanctuary, 80 acres of coffee plantation. A lake, a natural waterbody of 7 acres, with beautiful natural waterfalls around. An all-villa property amidst zillions of trees, located near Nagarhole. Every villa has a temperature-controlled pool and spa. Beats Bali!”

Sikkim is a 28-acre hill property with rooms located atop from where you get mesmerising valley views.

In Agra, the property is just 1.2 kms. from the Taj Mahal and all rooms and suites are built starting at a height of 28 mtrs., which is from where you get a clear view of the iconic Wonder of the World. Designed very beautifully and cleverly, the portion under has a dome where your arrival experience takes place and where the restaurants and banquet spaces are. But the pièce de résistance has to be the restaurant right on the top, with powerful binoculars in place. Imagine looking at the Taj Mahal on a full moon night, soft, sensual. Will be glorious.

Jaisalmer sounds interesting, too. It is a desert sanctuary. With tents and villas, courtyards and so on, set on 10 acres, and 20 acres just left as a desert stretching ahead of you. “The experiences here will be pure magic. We are creating an oasis where there will be palm trees and peacocks. We will have our own horses and camels that you can ride. Oh yes, there is an old bawri, a step-well but we are adding another bawri, which will become an event space. Should open early next year,” says the big boss.

The new destinations are indeed intriguing; within forests and plantations, in deserts, on hills and even game reserves. Like Bandhavgarh, a 48-acre property with lagoons and waterbodies, where there will be 25 villas and three tree houses! Promises to be rather experiential with nature as the highlight, and wellness, too. The one at Ranthambore also seems alluring. Just 45 kms. from the main forest, it has a 400-year-old warrior fortress with turrets and all, with the Parvati river flowing by, seems rather iconic. “It is. We are creating new genres in luxury. Our asset quality will be pretty hard to beat. The world will be surprised at what they will see in just a few years,” says Anuraag, with twinkling eyes.

“What about Ayodhya?” I ask, “That must be a feather in your cap?” “Yes, indeed,” comes the reply, “Ayodhya will be very special. The trend these days for spiritual tourism, especially with NRIs, is that multi-generations travel together. So we will take into account the needs of little children, young adults and the elderly. The Leela Ayodhya will be very high-end. The location is perfect, just 1 km. away from the Ram Temple. It’s also a beautiful spot with the Sarayu river flowing nearby, and an orchard on the property. The architecture will be phenomenal. An imagery of King Dasarath’s palace, with a temple on site, with kutiyas and kutirs... The programming is to retain guests for two nights, which will involve a darshan, aarti, spiritual talks and discourses as well as events and shows in a Valmiki stadium relating to Ramayana and Mahabharata. Right now, we are in the throes of researching culinary aspects, pure vegetarian, adopting local food. Of course, no alcohol will be served.”

Now the best, kept for the last. The one place my heart always beats for, Kashmir! Guess where The Leela is coming up in Srinagar? Right on the Dal Lake. Where the old Centaur Hotel with 220 rooms used to be. Cutting down to 170 rooms now, this heavily landscaped 13-acre property will have a complete makeover with its own private jetty, shikaras, the works. Can’t wait. But have to, until the end of next year.

This sure is an exciting time for Anuraag and his team. A team which is young and robust. In fact, most of the GMs across the various hotels are in their early 40s, with two of them being women. “I do have a very good team at the operational level; young and dynamic. My senior colleagues and I make it a point to meet these youngsters, my foot soldiers. Not just for optics or a cursory encouraging handshake. I actually spend quality time with them, be with them at lunchtime in the staff cafeteria and interact with them. Believe me, it’s a two-way thing. Good for them and good for me,” says Anuraag, with a big smile.

A coffee to start the day

I learn there are not many among the 6,500 staff of The Leela who are over 60. Anuraag enlightens, “We have a very good balance between the old guns, who are young at heart and raring to go. Young, agile ones. The seniors are indespensable, I dont retire them, I re-attire them. We value wisdom and experience. These are people who make great mentors to the young ones.” As for Anuraag, I am not telling you how old he is. But look at him, does he not appear to be 50 or thereabout? It’s his fitness regime that keeps him light on his feet and brimming with energy. Anuraag’s gym routine is quite unusual. He gives full credit to his trainer. “He works on me mentally, more than physically. First, he cajoles me into getting to the building gym by saying, ‘don’t worry, we will do some lazy cardio’ and then it all gets down to weights and resistance training!”

What is a holiday like for him? His ideal break is to go into nature; mountains, hills. If he is abroad it’s museums that lure him. Says Anuraag, “Shopping is not on my list, far from it. The last time in Paris, I went to The Louvre all the three days we were there, much to my wife, Meena’s chagrin. But I can’t help it, ancient history, mythology, drives me. Christmas in New York, the whole family loves. Last year we went to Vietnam and before that, Spain. A joint family holiday once a year, with our two and a half generations is a given. Have to do it, I do want to stay married!”

Thankfully Anuraag does have a few decent hobbies. It’s so necessary to pursue some in the high-pressure job he holds. He loves plants and dabbles in the garden, likes walking, listening to music, like of the John Denver variety. He used to be a big movie junkie, now toned-down coz of lack of time. His weakness still is WWII movies and those on mythology. And is a fan of Game of Thrones.

Surprisingly, food is not something he dwells upon, but he is certainly a malt man – the more peaty kind. His face lights up as he mentions; Talisker, Lagavulin. He is a cigar guy, Cuban, hand-rolled Habanos. Loves the whole ritual involved in selecting one, holding it, cutting it, and then the final act of, lighting it! He has a private and secret humidor. Anuraag has never cooked in his life! Except Maggi!

But he does have a weakness. Dogs. Tuffy, a German Spitz, was brought home for his son, Anish, when he was little. Adorable one, who lived to be 18, but sadly they had to put him down in the end. Now they have Zara, a Lhasa Apso and Whiskey, a Poodle. With a one-year-old grandson and these two pets I must say, Anuraag’s life is quite sorted!

The flagship hotel: The Leela Bombay	Cheers from The Leela's Blue Lagoon	Milling his own pepper