Luxury hotel signings surge across India
Luxury hotel signings are going up considerably in India with chains such as Marriott International, Accor, Hilton and Hyatt ramping up their focus on the segment. Indian chains such as Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, and The Oberoi Group are also expanding aggressively in diverse locations.
Last month, Hilton announced the signing of Waldorf Astoria Goa, its third Waldorf Astoria hotel in India, following the signings of Waldorf Astoria Jaipur and Waldorf Astoria New Delhi.
Ranju Alex, the CEO of South Asia for Accor, said luxury signings have really taken off for the chain in an interview in February. Accor has signed a hotel under Sofitel Legend, its ultra luxury brand for Jaipur, besides the Sofitel in Rishikesh and three more Sofitel hotels in Mumbai.
“We are looking forward to launching the Raffles hotel in Ranthambore and the Fairmont Agra. The cherry on the cake has been the opening of the Roswyn, A Morgans Originals hotel in Mumbai,” Alex said. Chalet Hotels will launch its first Ritz Carlton hotel in India in Hyderabad, MD and CEO Shwetank Singh told ET last month.
Manav Thadani, founder chairman of Hotelivate, said luxury hotels in India under active development (expected to become operational by 2031) include 77 hotels spanning 11,800 keys, representing nearly 66% of the existing luxury inventory.
Luxury brands currently in the development pipeline (including recently opened hotels) also include new brands such as Autograph Collection, EDITION, LXR Collection by Hilton, besides Morgans Originals. “The segment recorded a revenue per available room growth of approximately 12% between 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, the highest of any hotel positioning,” said Thadani. “Luxury hotels will continue to be developed as room rates in many leisure locations are reaching a level where the projects start becoming sustainable,” he added.
Nandivardhan Jain, MD and CEO, NOESIS Hotel Advisors, said in the last 12 months, his company has undertaken 64 feasibility studies across resort and offbeat markets, with nearly 30% qualifying for luxury and lifestyle positioning. Jain said his company also recently advised on multiple signings, including a 150 keys Taj hotel with 74 ultra luxury residences in Delhi NCR; a 185 keys Andaz by Hyatt in Jaipur; and a 110 keys Hyatt Regency in Kumbhalgarh.
Last month, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts announced the acquisition of an ultra-luxury resort in Coorg for Rs 560 crore. The 71 all-villa property, set within 76 acres near Madikeri and surrounded by coffee and spice plantations, will be unveiled as The Leela Coorg Forest Sanctuary later this year.
“Luxury has a huge runway in the country and it’s a multi-decade story,” said Anuraag Bhatnagar, CEO of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. “In terms of supply we are still grossly underserved. Out of 29,000 keys in the branded luxury space, Leela has almost 20% of the existing supply. The demand for luxury hotels is only going up with increasing household incomes, a younger demographic, and the increasing numbers of ultra-high net worth individuals in the country,” he added.
Deepak Jain, founder of Mayfair Consultants, said he is engaged in ‘advanced’ negotiations for luxury signings in Mussoorie, Dehradun, Udaipur and Varkala. “There is a growing interest in experiential travel besides a transition from passive service to active, curated guest involvement,” he added.
Last month, Marriott International said its top five growth markets in Asia Pacific (excluding China) with the highest number of signings in 2025 were India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Japan. India saw the most signings with a record 99 deals representing over 12,000 rooms.
Last month, Hilton announced the signing of Waldorf Astoria Goa, its third Waldorf Astoria hotel in India, following the signings of Waldorf Astoria Jaipur and Waldorf Astoria New Delhi.
Ranju Alex, the CEO of South Asia for Accor, said luxury signings have really taken off for the chain in an interview in February. Accor has signed a hotel under Sofitel Legend, its ultra luxury brand for Jaipur, besides the Sofitel in Rishikesh and three more Sofitel hotels in Mumbai.
“We are looking forward to launching the Raffles hotel in Ranthambore and the Fairmont Agra. The cherry on the cake has been the opening of the Roswyn, A Morgans Originals hotel in Mumbai,” Alex said. Chalet Hotels will launch its first Ritz Carlton hotel in India in Hyderabad, MD and CEO Shwetank Singh told ET last month.
Manav Thadani, founder chairman of Hotelivate, said luxury hotels in India under active development (expected to become operational by 2031) include 77 hotels spanning 11,800 keys, representing nearly 66% of the existing luxury inventory.
Luxury brands currently in the development pipeline (including recently opened hotels) also include new brands such as Autograph Collection, EDITION, LXR Collection by Hilton, besides Morgans Originals. “The segment recorded a revenue per available room growth of approximately 12% between 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, the highest of any hotel positioning,” said Thadani. “Luxury hotels will continue to be developed as room rates in many leisure locations are reaching a level where the projects start becoming sustainable,” he added.
Nandivardhan Jain, MD and CEO, NOESIS Hotel Advisors, said in the last 12 months, his company has undertaken 64 feasibility studies across resort and offbeat markets, with nearly 30% qualifying for luxury and lifestyle positioning. Jain said his company also recently advised on multiple signings, including a 150 keys Taj hotel with 74 ultra luxury residences in Delhi NCR; a 185 keys Andaz by Hyatt in Jaipur; and a 110 keys Hyatt Regency in Kumbhalgarh.
Last month, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts announced the acquisition of an ultra-luxury resort in Coorg for Rs 560 crore. The 71 all-villa property, set within 76 acres near Madikeri and surrounded by coffee and spice plantations, will be unveiled as The Leela Coorg Forest Sanctuary later this year.
“Luxury has a huge runway in the country and it’s a multi-decade story,” said Anuraag Bhatnagar, CEO of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. “In terms of supply we are still grossly underserved. Out of 29,000 keys in the branded luxury space, Leela has almost 20% of the existing supply. The demand for luxury hotels is only going up with increasing household incomes, a younger demographic, and the increasing numbers of ultra-high net worth individuals in the country,” he added.
Deepak Jain, founder of Mayfair Consultants, said he is engaged in ‘advanced’ negotiations for luxury signings in Mussoorie, Dehradun, Udaipur and Varkala. “There is a growing interest in experiential travel besides a transition from passive service to active, curated guest involvement,” he added.
Last month, Marriott International said its top five growth markets in Asia Pacific (excluding China) with the highest number of signings in 2025 were India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Japan. India saw the most signings with a record 99 deals representing over 12,000 rooms.
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