IHCL Kerala Signs Tree of Life Resort In Wayanad

WAYANAD, May 21, 2026: Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has signed a Tree of Life resort in Wayanad, bringing the brand into Kerala for the first time. The 55-key property sits on over four acres overlooking Banasura Lake, and with this signing, IHCL's Kerala portfolio climbs to 23 hotels, five of which are still under development.

Wayanad has been pulling serious leisure travel numbers over the past few years. It is the kind of destination, dense forest cover, hill terrain, a lake that photographs well in any season, that fits the Tree of Life brand better than most. IHCL clearly sees that, and this brownfield project is the group's way of planting a flag before the market gets any more crowded.

IHCL Brings Tree of Life Into Kerala With Wayanad Resort Signing

Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President of Real Estate and Development at IHCL, laid out the thinking behind the signing plainly.

"As travel preferences continue to evolve towards more immersive, nature-led stays, Wayanad is emerging as a key destination on India's leisure map. Tree of Life, anchored in authenticity and a deep sense of place, brings its distinctive, experience-led approach to this setting. This signing marks the brand's debut in Kerala and reflects its focus on expanding in high-potential leisure markets. We are pleased to partner with Saeed Edavankandy for this project."

— Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development, IHCL

The language about "authenticity and a deep sense of place" is not just brand speak in this case. Tree of Life has built its identity around smaller, experience-led properties in locations where the surroundings do most of the heavy lifting, and Wayanad delivers exactly that.

The 55-Key Resort Sits Across Four Acres With Views of Banasura Lake

Tree of Life Wayanad will offer 55 keys spread across a four-acre site with direct views of Banasura Lake and the hills beyond. The property will include an all-day dining restaurant and bar, a pool and a spa, the kind of facilities that support extended leisure stays rather than quick transits.

Banasura Lake itself is one of Wayanad's better-known landmarks, set against the Brahmagiri mountain range and within reach of several wildlife corridors. A resort perched above it is not a difficult sell to the traveller looking for something quieter than a beach destination but more visually rewarding than a city property.

Geeone Exports Backs the Project as Owner Partner

The property is developed in partnership with IHCL and Geeone Exports Pvt. Ltd. Saeed Edavankandy, who serves as Chairman of Geeone Exports and Managing Director of Geeone International LLC, said he was confident about what the collaboration would produce for Wayanad.

"We are delighted to partner with IHCL to bring the Tree of Life brand to Wayanad. We are confident the resort will enhance Wayanad's positioning as a preferred getaway."

— Saeed Edavankandy, Chairman, Geeone Exports Pvt. Ltd. and Managing Director, Geeone International LLC

Brownfield projects like this one tend to move faster than greenfield developments, and with five properties already in the IHCL pipeline across Kerala, the group is clearly treating the state as a long-term market rather than an opportunistic one.

Kerala Becomes One of IHCL's Most Active State Portfolios

Twenty-three hotels in a single state is a meaningful number by any measure. Kerala has long attracted hospitality investment on the back of its backwater tourism, ayurvedic wellness circuit and hill station appeal, but the competition has intensified significantly over the past decade.

For IHCL, getting the Tree of Life brand into Kerala through a destination like Wayanad makes sense on multiple levels. The brand is not competing with Taj on room rates or scale. It is going after a different traveller entirely, one who wants fewer rooms around them, more landscape in front of them and a property that feels specific to its location rather than interchangeable with a hotel in any other city.

With five more properties still in the pipeline, IHCL's Kerala story is clearly not finished. The Wayanad signing adds one more piece to what is becoming one of the more deliberate state-level hospitality strategies in India right now.