New Delhi: Luxury hotels in Delhi are witnessing a severe room shortage and a sharp increase in tariffs ahead of the BRICS Summit scheduled for September 12 and 13.
Several leading properties are either fully booked around the summit dates or offering rooms at prices running into lakhs of rupees per night.
Top Hotels Show No Availability
A review of hotel booking platforms showed no room availability at Taj Mahal and The Oberoi, New Delhi, for September 11 and 12.
Taj Palace had no rooms available between September 10 and 12, while The Leela Palace was not accepting bookings for the same period.
At ITC Maurya, rooms available between September 10 and 13 carried starting tariffs of more than Rs 2.3 lakh per night.
The concentrated arrival of delegates and visitors before the summit, along with extended stays, is placing additional pressure on central Delhi’s limited luxury hotel inventory.
Room Supply Under Pressure
Hotel Association of India President K B Kachru said the summit was highlighting a major gap between India’s tourism ambitions and its hospitality infrastructure.
India currently has only around 200,000 to 220,000 branded hotel rooms, which Kachru described as inadequate for a country of its size and aspirations.
Travellers with pre-planned visits may have to pay substantially higher prices, choose hotels farther from central Delhi, change travel dates or shift to cheaper accommodation.
Demand Spreads Across Delhi-NCR
The demand surge is also benefiting hotels outside central Delhi. Ramada Encore by Wyndham on Dwarka Expressway reported 65 percent occupancy for September 12-15, considerably ahead of wider market demand.
The LaLiT New Delhi expects delegations and representatives from South Africa, Burundi and the UAE, among other countries, during the summit.
Radisson Hotel Group said average room rates across its portfolio in September were running more than 25 percent higher year-on-year. Last-minute bookings could strengthen demand further as the event approaches.
The summit is expected to support luxury hotels and the MICE segment through increased demand for rooms, conference facilities and hospitality services. However, tariffs and availability remain dynamic and may change with bookings, cancellations and fresh inventory releases.
(With PTI Inputs)
