Report: India’s hotel industry to surpass 300,000 rooms by 2029
Rising demand, supply and room rates to drive the country’s hotel market in 2025
India’s hotel industry is set to surpass 300,000 rooms by 2029, adding more than 100,000 rooms, driven by growing religious tourism, rising prosperity, and key infrastructure projects, with a supply pipeline focusing on leisure destinations and religious hubs, according to Horwath HTL. Pictured is the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai.
Vishnu Rageev R is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience in business journalism. Before joining Asian Media Group in 2022, he worked with BW Businessworld, IMAGES Group, exchange4media Group, DC Books, and Dhanam Publications in India. His coverage includes industry analysis, market trends and corporate developments, focusing on retail, real estate and hospitality. As a senior journalist with Asian Hospitality, he covers the U.S. hospitality industry. He is from Kerala, a state in South India.
India’s Hotel Industry Set to Add 100,000+ Rooms by 2029
INDIA’S HOTEL INDUSTRY is set to add more than 100,000 rooms, surpassing the 300,000-mark by 2029, according to Horwath HTL, a hospitality consulting firm. The demand is driven by growing religious tourism, rising prosperity and key infrastructure projects, with the supply pipeline focusing on leisure destinations, including religious hubs.
Horwath HTL’s India Hotel Market Review 2024 found that while the declining stock market raises concerns about its impact on travel spending in 2026, optimism remains strong, driven by rising discretionary spending and higher occupancy.
The report stated that hotel operators can adapt to shifting demand by increasing occupancy from 68-70 percent to 80 percent or more in major business cities, Mint reported, citing the report.
“India’s hotel market is well-positioned for a strong 2025, with growth in demand, supply and healthy room rates,” said Vijay Thacker, partner and chief executive of Crowe Advisory India and managing director at Horwath HTL India. “Limited new supply in major markets will drive up occupancies and rates. External factors could cause some bumps, but this is not expected under normal circumstances. At this point, discretionary spending remains strong, supported by income tax cuts.”
Larger hotel companies are acquiring smaller ones, leveraging stronger finances, the report said. Major airport and infrastructure projects, including Navi Mumbai and Jewar airports, are set to boost demand, along with growth in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad. Goa is repositioning for the future, while new convention centers in Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur are expected to attract more business travelers.
“RevPAR grew 10.7 percent, which is satisfying despite losing a quarter to elections, a softer economy in the next, and the absence of major events like the G20 summit or Cricket World Cup from the previous year. Goa also faced headwinds,” said Thacker.
Mumbai’s hotel pipeline for 2025 includes the delayed Fairmont Mumbai, set to open in early 2025, and the Hyatt Regency, expected in late 2025. The upcoming Navi Mumbai airport is expected to boost demand and performance.
Modest growth
Hotel chains surpassed 200,000 branded rooms for the first time, adding 14,000 in 2024, the report said. India is expected to add 113,000 more by 2029, mostly before then. Despite a wave of openings in 2024, the room count remained modest, with 231 new hotels adding 13,700 rooms, averaging 59 rooms per property.
In 2024, India’s hotel market added 14,400 rooms, including 11,700 from new hotels, 2,000 from brand conversions and 700 from expansions or project completions. On average, new hotels had smaller inventories of 69 to 70 rooms, Horwath HTL found.
About 67 percent of hotel additions and 65 percent of the upcoming pipeline are outside the top 10 markets, signaling broader demand distribution. Leisure destinations make up 43 percent of the pipeline, with religious tourism hotspots seeing a 12 percent increase.
The sector’s market capitalization has surged nearly 12 times, from ₹20,700 crore in March 2015 to ₹2,50,000 crore in January 2025. Indian Hotels Co Ltd., operator of Taj Hotels, accounts for 40 percent of this value. This growth is driven by listed companies owning real assets, rather than just managing others’ properties. More listings this year are expected to further boost valuations.
Many hotel companies have shown strong growth, boosting revenues and improving EBITDA margins, the report said. Data for listed companies, covering about 44,000 rooms, shows an average EBITDA margin of 36 percent for the 2024 fiscal year, up 1 percentage point from the previous year, and around 32 percent for the first half, April-September, of fiscal year 2025. Revenue growth has been largely driven by food and beverage outlets.
In December, the Confederation of Indian Industry and EY released a whitepaper stating that India’s tourism and hospitality sector is poised for significant growth, with the potential to create 6.1 million new jobs and a projected 1.2-fold increase in sectoral spending by 2034.
Marriott and BHVL plan six hotels with 940 rooms in four Indian markets.
Bengaluru-based BHVL is a subsidiary of Brigade Enterprises Ltd.
BHVL recently launched a $101.2 million IPO, including a $14.4 million pre-IPO placement.
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL AND Brigade Hotel Ventures Ltd will open six hotels totaling 940 rooms across four markets in India. The projects will be developed under five Marriott Bonvoy brands: The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott.
Bengaluru-based BHVL, a subsidiary of real estate firm Brigade Enterprises Ltd or BEL led by Executive Chairman M.R. Jaishankar, signed the agreement as part of its nearly 15-year partnership with Marriott, which has produced several large projects.
The six hotels, said Jaishankar, include the Courtyard by Marriott Chennai World Trade Center; Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru International Airport; Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru Brigade Valencia; The Ritz-Carlton Vaikom Island, Kerala; JW Marriott Chennai OMR; and Thiruvananthapuram Marriott Hotel World Trade Center.
“Each of these projects reflects our belief in the long-term potential of the Indian hospitality industry and our commitment to bringing thoughtfully designed hotels to both business and leisure travelers,” Jaishankar said. “With Marriott’s brands and global standards, we are confident these hotels will set benchmarks in their respective markets.”
BHVL is the second-largest owner of chain-affiliated hotels and rooms in South India among major private hotel asset owners as of March 31, according to the Economic Times. With the six upcoming hotels, along with the Sheraton Grand Bangalore at Brigade Gateway and Four Points by Sheraton Kochi Infopark, BHVL’s Marriott portfolio will total eight hotels with 1,388 keys.
“Our growth strategy focuses on being present where our guests want us to be, as we continue to meet the demand for luxury travel and hospitality services,” said Rajeev Menon, Marriott’s president, Asia Pacific excluding China. “Today’s agreement underscores our relationship with the Brigade Group and leveraging our brand portfolio, we are confident these developments will meet the needs of travellers for every trip purpose.”
Upcoming projects
Courtyard by Marriott Chennai World Trade Center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu – 45 rooms, opening fiscal year 2027.
Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru International Airport, Bengaluru, Karnataka – 224 rooms, opening fiscal year 2028.
Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru Brigade Valencia, Bengaluru, Karnataka – 151 rooms, opening fiscal year 2028.
The Ritz-Carlton Vaikom Island, Kerala – 70 villas, opening fiscal year 2029.
JW Marriott Chennai OMR, Chennai, Tamil Nadu – 250 rooms, opening fiscal year 2030.
Thiruvananthapuram Marriott Hotel World Trade Center, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – 200 rooms, opening fiscal year 2030.
BEL has a pipeline of about 16 million square feet of new launches in the residential and commercial segments and plans to add 1,700 keys to its hotel portfolio. BHVL operates nine hotels in Bengaluru, Karnataka; Chennai, Tamil Nadu; Kochi, Kerala; Mysuru, Karnataka and GIFT City, Gujarat, with 1,604 keys. The hotels are managed by Marriott, Accor S.A. and InterContinental Hotels Group. They are in the upper upscale, upscale, upper-midscale and midscale segments.
BHVL recently launched a $101.2 million initial public offering, including a $14.4 million pre-IPO placement, Business Standard reported. Hospitality revenue in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 was $16.1 million, up 19 percent from the same period in fiscal year 2025, while EBITDA rose 34 percent to $5.5 million.
Separately, Bengaluru-based Prestige Hospitality Ventures recently secured Sebi approval for a $308 million initial public offering.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Asian Media
Group USA Inc. and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.
Prestige Hospitality Ventures received SEBI approval for a $308 million IPO.
It operates hotels under multiple Marriott International brands.
As of December 2024, its portfolio included seven hotels with 1,445 keys.
PRESTIGE HOSPITALITY VENTURES recently received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India for a $308 million, or ₹2,700 crore, initial public offering. The company develops and operates luxury to upper midscale hospitality assets and is part of Bengaluru-based Prestige Group, promoted by Prestige Estates Projects.
The offer comprises a $193 million fresh issue of shares and an offer for sale of up to $114 million by promoters Prestige Estates Projects, Economic Times reported.
Prestige Hospitality Ventures, led by CEO Suresh Singaravelu, plans to use $128 million from the fresh issue to repay $45.34 million in debt incurred by itself and its subsidiaries, Sai Chakra Hotels and Northland Holding Co., while reinvesting $83 million into these subsidiaries.
Additional funds will support growth through acquisitions, strategic initiatives and general corporate purposes, the Times said.
As of December 2024, its portfolio included seven hotels with 1,445 keys—1,255 operating and 190 under renovation. It also has three ongoing projects with 951 keys and nine planned projects adding 1,558 rooms, making it the largest hotel chain in South India. The portfolio spans Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad and Chennai, covering convention centers, business hotels, extended stay residences and golf resorts.
The company operates hotels under several Marriott International brands—St. Regis, Edition, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Marriott Marquis, Sheraton, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Moxy, Aloft and Marriott Executive Apartments—as well as Conrad by Hilton and Angsana Resorts & Spa by Banyan Tree.
Marriott-managed keys account for nine percent of the group’s portfolio, the largest share under any brand. Meanwhile, revenue from hospitality services rose to $91 million, or around Rs 796 crore, in the previous fiscal year, up from $73 million, Rs 636 crore, in fiscal 2023.
IHCL and Ambuja Neotia Group aim to develop 15 new hotels across West Bengal, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh.
The projects are expected to be completed by 2030.
The expansion aims to boost tourism in East and North-East India.
INDIAN HOTELS CO. Ltd. recently signed a new agreement with the Ambuja Neotia Group to develop 15 additional hotels across West Bengal, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh. Ambuja will invest approximately $240 million toward executing the projects.
The IHCL and Ambuja Neotia partnership will open Taj resorts in Sunderban and Darjeeling, West Bengal; Shimla, Himachal Pradesh; and Rabong, Sikkim. They will build SeleQtions hotels in Kolkata, West Bengal and Siliguri, West Bengal. A Tree of Life hotel will be built in Lataguri, West Bengal. The expansion will include a mix of greenfield, brownfield and conversion projects, PTI reported.
“Under this capital light arrangement, the total number of hotels, through the partnership with the Ambuja Neotia Group, will go from 28 to 43,” said Puneet Chhatwal, IHCL managing director and CEO. “What we estimate is 1,000-plus rooms will be added by the new hotels to an existing 1,500 rooms.”
Harshvardhan Neotia, Ambuja's chairman, said the recent partnership with IHCL highlights the strength and momentum of their continued collaboration.
“Northeast, the unexplored region of India, has tremendous potential for bespoke luxury travel,” he said. “The addition of premium room inventory this fiscal to Taj Chia Kutir in Kurseong as well as the upcoming Taj-branded luxury villas in Darjeeling, Lataguri and Gangtok reflects the growing demand from the segment."
The first phase includes four signed operating agreements: Taj Darjeeling, SeleQtions in Kolkata and Siliguri and Tree of Life in Lataguri. A few select projects will also include Taj-branded villas in Darjeeling, Sikkim, Lataguri and Raichak. Completion is planned over the next five years.
Recently, Tata Sons launched a new hospitality platform to support IHCL, enabling it to operate group-owned hotels on a revenue-share model while staying asset-light.
The Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council and The Lalit Suri Hospitality School signed an MoU to improve hospitality education.
The collaboration reflects a broader push to invest in youth training and workforce readiness in India’s hospitality sector.
It aims to provide domain knowledge, hands-on training and certifications for domestic and international careers.
THE TOURISM AND Hospitality Skill Council and The Lalit Suri Hospitality School recently signed a memorandum of understanding to improve the quality and reach of hospitality training in India. The collaboration reflects a broader push to invest in youth training and workforce readiness in the sector.
The initiative offers students domain knowledge, practical training and certifications for national and international careers, THSC and TLSHS said in a statement.
“We are thrilled to see institutions like TLSHS champion the skilling mission,” said Jyoti Mayal, THSC chairperson. “Such partnerships are the backbone of a demand-driven skilling ecosystem that responds to industry needs and supports India’s youth—especially in tourism, one of the most people-centric sectors.”
THSC, a not-for-profit, is promoted by the Confederation of Indian Industry with representation from government, industry, associations, and training institutes across India. Faridabad-based TLSHS offers programs including a B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration, a Diploma in Food Production, and a Diploma in Bakery and Patisserie.
Jyotsna Suri, CMD of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, said the partnership aligns academic expertise with industry demand.
“At The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, we believe in building not just businesses but communities, and skilling is a key pillar of that philosophy,” she said. “By working with THSC, we are proud to contribute to nation-building through youth empowerment and skill creation.”
The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, part of Bharat Hotels Ltd., is a privately owned hotel company based in New Delhi. It operates 12 hotels in India and one in London. Its motto is “limitless hospitality.”
Radisson Hotel Group trained more than 300 individuals for hospitality roles with THSC, Job Plus, and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance marked World Youth Skills Day on July 15.
Neemrana Hotels is working with Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to restore heritage sites.
The two sites are Baruasagar Fort in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, and Raja Rani Mahal in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh.
Neemrana aims to convert them into “revenue-generating non-hotels.”
INDIA’S NEEMRANA HOTELS recently signed agreements with the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states to restore and adapt heritage structures under a public-private partnership. The two sites are Baruasagar Fort in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, and Raja Rani Mahal in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh.
Neemrana aims to convert them into “revenue-generating non-hotels,” a term it uses for heritage sites adapted for hospitality without typical hotel conventions.
The Baruasagar project is scheduled for completion by 2027, while the Madhya Pradesh project is targeted for 2028, Economic Times reported.
Baruasagar Fort’s phase one includes 25 guest rooms, a restaurant, a pool, a spa, spaces for cultural activities and facilities for small destination events. Restoration of Raja Rani Mahal in Chanderi’s Inner Town will begin with 10 to 12 guest rooms and is expected to retain the site’s architectural integrity.
A project representative said the goal is to retain historical authenticity while adding functional hospitality infrastructure.
Neemrana began operations in 1991, when co-founders Aman Nath and Francis Wacziarg opened the Neemrana Fort-Palace as a 12-room hotel after acquiring it in 1986. The company, now led by Co-founder and Chairman Aman Nath and CEO Sonavi Kaicker, operates more than 15 heritage hotels across India.