Wonderla Holidays Launches ‘Isle’ Boutique Resort in Bengaluru, Eyes Experiential Travel Market with Disney-Inspired Vision
BENGALURU, INDIA – Wonderla Holidays Ltd., India’s leading amusement park operator, has officially entered the hospitality space with the launch of its first boutique resort, “Isle,” located adjacent to its flagship amusement park in Bengaluru. With this strategic expansion, the company aims to deliver curated, immersive leisure experiences inspired by the likes of Disney and Universal Studios, marking a significant step into the growing experiential travel segment in India.
Spread across 4.5 acres of lush land, the newly launched Isle resort features 39 contemporary rooms with rates starting from ₹10,000 per night. The resort has been designed to provide an upscale yet playful experience for families, couples, and leisure travellers looking to complement their theme park visit with comfortable luxury accommodation. The company has invested ₹39 crore in developing the property.
In a recent conversation with NDTV Profit, Arun Chittilappilly, Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Wonderla Holidays, stated, “We saw a growing need for differentiated and curated offerings in the post-Covid travel space. Guests are now taking shorter but more premium vacations. We felt it was time to offer something that goes beyond a standard amusement park day.”
A Complementary but Scalable Business Model
Although Wonderla is primarily known for its amusement parks in Kochi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, the hospitality vertical may evolve into a substantial business stream. “Right now, the resort is a complementary offering to our core business,” said Chittilappilly. “But if we see potential, there’s no reason why it couldn’t become a standalone vertical in the future.”
The launch of Isle aligns with the company’s broader vision of delivering an integrated entertainment experience — a concept successfully adopted by global giants such as Disney Resorts and Universal Studios. Wonderla’s move into resorts represents a calculated response to changing consumer behaviours, especially after the pandemic reshaped leisure travel preferences worldwide.
Leveraging Location-Based Expansion
Wonderla is cautiously optimistic about scaling the resort concept to other cities where it already operates or plans to expand. “It’s too early to say how fast we will grow this vertical,” Chittilappilly noted. “But we will definitely consider adding resort facilities in cities where we already have amusement parks or are developing new ones.”
This includes their much-anticipated Chennai park, slated to open in December 2025. The Chennai amusement park is expected to contribute significantly to revenues in the fourth quarter of FY26, although it won’t be operational for the full fiscal year.
Additionally, the company is observing modest but steady growth in its Bhubaneswar park, which entered its first full operational year recently. These parks could serve as potential launchpads for future hospitality additions if consumer demand for integrated experiences remains strong.
Financial Outlook and FY26 Challenges
While the resort’s return ratios and operating margins are projected to be on par or better than the amusement park operations, Chittilappilly remains cautiously optimistic about FY26. The company’s marketing budget is expected to rise sharply due to promotional efforts tied to the Chennai park’s grand opening.
“We should perform better than last year in terms of overall numbers. But increased marketing for the Chennai launch could impact our margin slightly,” he explained.
Wonderla Holidays is also monitoring travel trends closely, noting that Indian consumers are leaning more toward destination-based, experience-rich holidays rather than volume-driven travel. This insight fuels the company’s strategy to continue blending leisure accommodation with entertainment.
Tapping into India’s Rising Demand for Experiential Travel
The Indian travel and tourism industry has seen a marked shift toward experience-driven getaways, a trend amplified by post-pandemic consumer values such as wellness, personalization, and value-based spending. Wonderla’s decision to introduce a boutique resort aligns well with these market demands, giving it an early-mover advantage in a niche still underexplored in India.
In this regard, “Isle” offers not just a night’s stay but an immersive micro-vacation that can include rides, live entertainment, curated dining, and premium hospitality — a concept increasingly gaining traction among urban families and millennial travellers.
By bringing in elements of storytelling, curated experiences, and premium offerings, Wonderla is positioning itself not just as an amusement park brand, but as a lifestyle and experiential travel company.
Future Outlook: Expansion and Brand Reimagination
With the Isle resort now operational, Wonderla Holidays has taken a bold step towards redefining family leisure in India. The brand’s ability to combine amusement parks with high-quality resort stays could reshape expectations of theme park tourism across the country.
Chittilappilly concluded, “We are still early in this journey, but the direction is clear — Indian families want more from their holidays. And we believe we’re well-positioned to meet that demand with a product that’s fun, safe, and memorable.”
As the domestic tourism market continues to mature and travellers seek out integrated experiences, Wonderla’s resort strategy may very well become the blueprint for India’s next wave of themed tourism.
