- Hotel rates rise for India’s Independence Day.
- Expectations high despite Aug.15 being a Saturday.
- Leisure, pilgrimage destinations’ bookings up.
HOTEL RATES IN key leisure destinations in India are rising 10 to 20 percent year over year for the Independence Day weekend. Hoteliers expect bookings to increase, driven by corporate professionals and travelers from nearby regions.
Aug. 15 falls on a Saturday this year, but hotels expect higher business than the same weekend last year, according to The Economic Times. Leisure and pilgrimage destinations are seeing sustained demand, with bookings tracking ahead of last year.
“It’s still a long weekend for corporate professionals who work on Saturdays and destinations like Udaipur are getting good business for Aug. 14 as well, with travelers from Gujarat and other nearby destinations expected to drive down on Friday,” said Ashish Vohra, CEO of Justa Hotels & Resorts. “Our business on the books is about 50 to 60 percent for Aug. 15, which is pretty healthy considering a lot of travelers also make last-minute bookings. Rates are up about 15 percent year over year for our property in Udaipur. Except for Manali, rates are up pretty much everywhere.”
Justa, founded in 2005, operates more than 40 hotels across India.
The Leela Palace in Udaipur is charging about $494, including taxes, for Aug. 15, according to rates published on a travel portal. Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa is charging about $620 including taxes, for the same date.
Nikhil Sharma, Radisson Hotel Group’s MD and COO for South Asia, said leisure destinations including Goa, Udaipur, Jim Corbett, Manali and Mussoorie continue to perform well, while pilgrimage destinations such as Ayodhya and Ujjain are also seeing sustained demand.
“We expect these markets to maintain healthy occupancies, with average room rates remaining in the high single digits compared to last year, reflecting continued pricing strength in premium leisure destinations,” Sharma said.
Last year, Independence Day fell on a Friday, but travel sentiment remained subdued after the Pahalgam incident and amid geopolitical tensions, said Shahzad Aslam, head of sales at Leisure Hotels Group.
Leisure Hotels Group, founded in 1989 and based in New Delhi, owns and operates 28 properties across 18 locations in India.
“Early booking trends indicate healthy demand across key leisure destinations, particularly Corbett and Nainital,” Aslam said. “Additionally, several comparable properties have already reported nearly 30 percent confirmed occupancy for the Independence Day weekend, reflecting positive market momentum.”
Leisure Hotels Group has set rates for the Independence Day weekend about 20 percent above the same period last year.
Ibis and ibis Styles properties in India are seeing bookings about 10 percent higher than the same period last year, said Animesh Kumar, commercial head of ibis and ibis Styles India. Leisure destinations, particularly Goa, are driving booking growth.
The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality expects hotel bookings to rise 10-15 percent over the August 15 weekend, said its general secretary, Rajiv Mehra.
A recent ICRA report said premium hotel occupancy in India is expected to remain at 72 to 74 percent in fiscal 2027, in line with fiscal 2026.
