WHY INDIA’ S HOTEL BOOM ISN’ T SLOWING DOWN.

By BRUCE FORD, LODGING ECONOMETRICS

Marriott International expects India to become the company’ s third-largest market worldwide within three to four years, overtaking Mexico and China. Hyatt Hotels is targeting a five-fold expansion of its India footprint over five years, calling it“ a long-term bet.” IHG Hotels & Resorts posted a record 24 India signings in the first half of 2026 alone, pushing its pipeline to 110 hotels on top of 53

already open. Accor calls India a“ priority market” and has signed or reached preliminary agreements on 46 hotels in just the last six months. Radisson’ s leadership describes India as one of the most promising development markets on earth.

This isn’ t scattered optimism; the data back the trend.

BEHIND THE HEADLINES According to Lodging Econometrics’ latest India Construction Pipeline Report, India’ s total hotel pipeline stood at 1,033 projects and

137,601 rooms, up 36 % by project count and 39 % by rooms compared to Q2 2025’ s 761 projects and 99,195 rooms. The existing hotel census grew right alongside the pipeline and stands at 4,832 open hotels and 295,282 rooms, up 9 % and 10 % year-overyear. Hotel construction is underway as India has 303 projects and 42,192 rooms under construction, up 31 % and 27 % YOY, with another wave close behind: 196 projects and 27,701 rooms are scheduled to begin construction anytime

70 hotelsmag. com Oct / Nov 2026