Now, there's more room to experience India- uniquely

Economic Times

2 days ago

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New Delhi: Homegrown boutique hotels are holding ground and carving out their own unique spaces, undeterred by escalating competition from multinational and leading Indian hospitality chains. These brands are setting ambitious expansion plans, with distinctive properties and a strong focus on personalised guest experiences. They are also exploring public listings, and partnerships with states to capture a bigger slice of this expanding market.Justa Hotels & Resorts is looking to open nine properties this fiscal year, a record for the 20-year-old boutique brand, said Ashish Vohra, its cofounder and chief executive. It currently runs 28 properties with over 900 rooms. Justa also operates wellbeing brand Bookmark and Nuo that is targeted at young travellers. "Till the pandemic, we were quiet and not large enough. But we pivoted, and got aggressive in expansion," said Vohra, underlining the company's "consistent profitability."Justa sees new properties across Varanasi, Rishikesh, Puducherry, Ayodhya, Indore, Chail, Jawai, Ujjain and Amritsar. Last year, it added architect IM Kadri's 150-year-old ancestral home in Ahmedabad. In the pipeline is an 80-year-old family home close to Assi Ghat in Varanasi that is being converted into a 14-room hotel.Vohra said the chain recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh government, and it is looking at more avenues for expansion. "We work on management and revenue share arrangements and are exploring opportunities with state governments for long-term lease partnerships of 30-40 years," he said. "It's a new dimension. You have to have a larger strategy, and plan resources accordingly." Brij Hotels will be expanding to more than 15 properties by December, with new openings in Bandhavgarh and Dalhousie. Over the next two to three years, the plan is to double the portfolio by entering micromarkets in north, central, and south India, said cofounder Udit Kumar.
'We're not trying to standardise; we're trying to personalise, and we are looking to grow meaningfully while preserving our identity,' he said.
Kumar said each Brij property is designed to evoke its surroundings—whether a mud-carved cottages at a former hunting lodge in Rajasthan or a 200-year-old Maratha palace in Varanasi. 'We're also deeply focused on curated local experiences—like aarti, forest walks with naturalists, cooking with local grandmothers, or participating in local traditions that aren't on any travel brochure.'
Today's travellers are looking for more than just a place to stay, seeking experiences and stories that resonate long after their visit, said Vibhas Prasad, director of Leisure Hotels Group.
While Leisure Hotels Group has tie-ups with chains such as Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) for its owned assets, it is also expanding in the boutique space organically through management contracts in locations such as Ranthambore. 'We are on the cusp of opening a boutique resort in Jaipur and are also actively exploring new opportunities across Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,' Prasad added.
Espire Hospitality, which owns Six Senses Fort Barwara, and runs mid-market resort chain Country Inn Hotels and Resorts, launched its boutique experiential brand Zana Luxury Resorts three years ago. "We have four Zana properties in Udaipur, Ranthambore, Rishikesh and Corbett currently and are planning six more Zana properties by the end of 2026 in locations such as Dubai, Nepal, Udaipur, Varanasi and North Goa,' said Akhil Arora, MD and CEo of the chain. 'We may double the number to 12 also considering the interest for the brand,' he said, adding the focus is on offering a distinct 'European look' and extending 'highly personalised service' to guests.
Meanwhile, boutique hospitality chain Larisa Hotels & Resorts is aiming to go public, director Randhir Narayan told ET in May. Its brands include Larisa Resorts, AM Hotel Kollection and 8fold by Larisa. The chain also does third-party hotel property management through its AM Hotel Kollection brand. 'The business is profitable, cash flow is there, and every month, we are trying to bring to the market a rebranded or a conversion hotel from our portfolio,' Narayan had said then. 'The plan is to (launch the) IPO and our timeframe is as soon as possible. We are hopeful that sometime this year it should come to fruition.'Competition has been intensifying in the boutique experiential segment after top hotels chains ventured into the space to capture changing consumer preferences since the pandemic.
IHCL unveiled the SeleQtions brand, while Radisson rolled out Radisson Individuals, aimed at incorporating smaller independent hotels in its portfolio. ITC Hotels says its Storii brand is a collection of 'handpicked boutique' properties. "IHCL is very active in the boutique segment currently. Boutique brands work in offbeat locations and leisure oriented conventional markets and are characterised by limited inventory and personalised service," said Nandivardhan Jain, founder and chief executive of Noesis Capital Advisors.This March, IHCL said it will launch Claridges Collection, a curated set of boutique luxury hotels, across metros and key leisure destinations in the country with the aim to reach over 20 hotels by 2030. The chain said the Claridges Collection portfolio will commence with The Claridges hotel in New Delhi, expanding to the Connemara, Chennai, and the Blue Diamond property in Pune after the latter undergoes a major renovation.