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The average room rate at Mumbai hotels was up 21% to 23% in January, according to hospitality consultancy firm HVS Anarock. The report stated that Mumbai had the highest average room rate in the country, consistently exceeding INR 14,000 ($160) a night.
“This surge could be attributed to the Coldplay concert drawing in a large crowd from across the country,” the report said.
Despite the high rates, Mumbai hotels had an occupancy rate of 82% to 84% during the month, a marginal improvement over last year.
Last September, the announcement of Coldplay’s concerts had driven the prices to as high as INR 640,000 ($7,600) for three nights, Skift had reported. All major branded hotels, including Taj The Trees, JW Marriott in Sahar and Juhu, The Westin in Garden City and Powai Lake, Four Seasons Hotel, The St. Regis Mumbai, and The Oberoi Mumbai were listed at over INR 150,000 ($1,800) for three nights during the concerts.
New Inventory in Tier-3, But Signings Much Lower: In January, a total of 9 hotels were signed with 561 keys. That was a big drop from last January, when 22 new hotels with over 2,000 keys were signed. Close to 90% of the signings were in Tier-3 cities and no new hotels were signed for Tier-1 cities, the data showed.
However, HVS Anarock said that the month was strong for the Indian hotel industry as occupancy, average room rates (ARR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR) all gained as compared to January last year.
Hilton to Debut Luxury Brand Signia by Hilton in India
Hilton on Monday announced its plans to launch its luxury brand Signia by Hilton in the Asia Pacific region with the signing of its first hotel in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The 216-key hotel is expected to open in 2028.
The signing comes soon after the opening of Signia by Hilton Amman, the first hotel under the brand to be opened outside the U.S. In a statement, Hilton said that it plans to grow the brand’s footprint in key gateway locations.
“The signing of Signia by Hilton Jaipur puts us on track to more than double our luxury estate in India following the signings of Waldorf Astoria Jaipur and Conrad Jaipur,” said Clarence Tan, senior vice president, Development, Asia Pacific.
At present, Hilton has two operational hotels under the Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton brands in the entire state of Rajasthan, both in Jaipur. In 2023, Hilton also chose Jaipur as the location for the debut of its luxury brand Waldorf Astoria.
Air India Announces ‘Via’ Campaign for Global Connectivity
Air India has optimized its global network to offer faster connections to travelers from the UK and rest of Europe to Australia and South-East Asia via Delhi and Mumbai in India. It expects to reduce connection times to around 2.5 hours, it said in a statement.
It has also launched a new marketing campaign called ‘Via’ to spread awareness about the improved connection times to promote India as a world-class hub. The campaign will run till March, the airline said in a statement.
“India’s geographical advantage and airport infrastructure, combined with Air India’s network, can offer a convenient one-stop access for travelers from the West to East and vice versa,” said Nipun Aggarwal, chief commercial officer at Air India.
Oberoi Group to Add 2 New Resorts in Rishikesh
The Oberoi Group is adding two new resorts to its portfolio in Rishikesh, the company announced on Monday. An 80-room resort will carry Oberoi’s distinctive ‘vilas’ name, while another 120-key five-star hotel will be opened under the Trident branding. The Oberoi Group’s flagship company EIH Limited will be managing both properties.
The two resorts are in addition to EIH Limited’s already announced growth strategy. The company had earlier revealed its strategy for 19 properties, including 16 hotels in India and abroad, two luxury boats, and a Nile cruiser. The expansion is set to be completed by 2029.
Skyscanner Launches New Feature for Flight Deals
Travel search aggregator Skyscanner has launched a new app-exclusive feature called ‘DROPS’ to help travelers find good flight deals for their trips. “Travelers can discover flights that have seen price drops of over 20% compared to their lowest point in the last seven days with this feature,” the company said in a statement.
Drops is a collection of flights from a traveler’s nearby airport that have dropped in price by at least 20% or more as compared to the flight’s lowest price point in the previous seven days.
According to the company’s travel trends 2025 report, 62% of the Indian travelers said that flight prices play a crucial role in their decision-making process for travels. Skyscanner shared that in January this year, Goa was the top destination with the most number of drops in the month.
Radisson to Expand India Portfolio to 240 Hotels by 2025-End
Radisson Hotel Group has announced its plan to have 240 hotels in operation and under development in India by the end of this year. It currently has an operational and developmental portfolio of 194 properties.
“Recent developments include flagship openings such as the Radisson Collection Hotel & Spa, Riverfront Srinagar, Radisson Hatgad Saputara, Radisson Namah Resort and new signings in key destinations like Kasauli, Nathdwara, Raipur, Siliguri, and Chennai, with focus on on luxury and midscale segments,” it said in a statement.
For its expansion strategy, the company will focus on Tier-2 and 3 markets and cater to the growing demand for luxury lifestyle and midscale accommodations.
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