Global Hotels Hunt for Deals as Travel Surges

Flurry of deals drives change across India's luxury, lifestyle hotel segments

- Varuni Khosla

Global hotel brands are making a beeline for India, signing a flurry of deals with local property owners to expand in one of the world's fastest-growing hospitality markets. The rise in business travel and opening of new holiday destinations are fueling this surge, industry executives and analysts said.

Thailand's Dusit and Minor Hotels, UAE's Kerzner, Maldives' Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, and Hong Kong's Mandarin Oriental are scouting for locations in India, while larger chains such as Accor, IHG, and Hilton plan to debut brands like Handwritten Collection, Vignette Collection, Hampton, and Signia in the country.

Minor Hotels is planning to expand its Anantara, Avani, NH Hotels, and NH Collection in India and is expected to add 50 properties in the country by 2035, while Dusit has already soft-launched its Dusit D2Fagu hotel brand in Shimla.