The glittering Hospitality Horizon Top 50 Hotel Awards 2025, with TV Partner NDTV Profit, was a resounding success. Billed as the biggest celebration of the hotel industry in the country it brought together the who’s who of the hospitality industry – from veterans to stalwarts to legends.
The Top 50 awards were divided into multiple categories: Top 10 Luxury Hotels; Top 10 Business/Leisure Hotels; Top 5 Luxury Resorts; Top 5 Boutique Luxury Hotels/Resorts; Top 10 GMs – Luxury Hotels & Resorts; Top 5 GMs – Business/Leisure Hotels; and Top 5 Game-Changer Developers/Owners.
Since this was a closely contested competition two positions in Top 10 Luxury Hotels category had been tied. As the distinguished board members wanted to maintain the sanctity and credibility of these awards while celebrating all the rightful winners, they decided to leave the numbers unchanged which is why there were 12 awards instead of the stipulated 10 in this category. The point is simple: more the merrier!
What made these awards so very special was that they had been judged by the Grand Jury comprising the who’s who of the hospitality industry making this is the most credible jury in the country. The people choice awards, on the other hand, were decided by the Editorial Board. The awards in each category were presented in alphabetical order, not in order of any ranking.
Deepak Kumar, GM, Hilton Mumbai International Airport, hosted these awards for two years in a row, and he and his team took care of every little detail to make the event the grand success that it was.
VEEBA was the Presenting Partner while Haier, Roca, Catch, Loom Crafts & IIHM were the Powered by Partners. Platinum Industry Partners were The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group & IHG Hotels & Resorts; Gold Industry Partner was MBD Group Hotels & Resorts; and Silver Industry Partners were ATHIVA Hotels & Resorts & WYNDHAM Hotels & Resorts.
Associate Partner was DAAWAT while Hydration Partner was Bisleri Vedica. Trophy Partner was Premier Printers, Print Partner was The Free Press Journal and Event Setup Partner was Minutes Entertainment Solution.
The awards were held under the stewardship of Chairman of the Jury Dr Nakul Anand, Corporate Hotelier of the World 2019 and Co-Chairpersons Priya Paul, Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels and KB Kachru, Chairman, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group. Camellia Panjabi, Queen of Indian Food, was the Chief Advisor.
Dr Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson & MD, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group was accorded the coveted Living Legend Award; Param Kannampilly, Executive Chairman, Concept Hospitality, bagged the Lifetime Achievement Award; Sanjay Sethi, MD & CEO, Chalet Hotels, received the Hall of Fame Award; Pooja Ray, MD, Mayfair Hotels & Resorts won the Woman Hotelier of the Year Award; Rahool Macarius, Market MD – Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, scooped the Hotelier of the Year Award; Kuldeep Bhartee, CEO, Peerless Hotels, got the Excellence in Leadership Award; and Anjali Mehra, Executive VP, Brand & Communications, The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts won the Marketing & Communications Leader of the Year Award.
LIVING LEGEND AWARD
Dr Jyotsna Suri
CMD, The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Param Kannampilly
Executive Chairman, Concept Hospitality
HALL OF FAME AWARD
Sanjay Sethi
MD & CEO, Chalet Hotels
HOTELIER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Rahool Macarius
Market MD – Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resort
WOMAN HOTELIER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Pooja Ray
MD, MAYFAIR Hotels & Resorts
EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARD
Kuldeep Bhartee
CEO, Peerless Hotels
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS LEADER OF THE YEAR WINNER
Anjali Mehra
Executive VP Brand & Communications, The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts
TOP 10 GMS - LUXURY HOTELS & RESORTS
Amit Kumar, JW Marriott Pune
Digvijay Singh, Conrad Bengaluru
Harkaran Singh, The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi
Moncrief Aviet, Taj Lands End, Mumbai
Nishanth Vishwanath, The St. Regis Mumbai
Nitesh Gandhi, Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai
Rajiv Kapoor, Fairmont Mumbai
Sachin Mylavarapu, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
Sonale Zagade, Hyatt Regency Ahmedabad
Vishrut Gupta, Fairmont Udaipur Palace
TOP 5 GMS – BUSINESS/LEISURE HOTELS
Amit Khare, Trident, Bandra Kurla, Mumbai
Deepak Kumar, Hilton Mumbai International Airport
Harkaran Singh Sethi, Hilton Gurugram Baani City Centre
Manish Dayya, Pullman & Novotel New Delhi Aerocity
Suman Gahlawat, Le Méridien Gurgaon, Delhi NCR
TOP 5 GAME-CHANGER DEVELOPERS/OWNERS
Chalet Hotels
Espire Hospitality
Prestige Group
Shrem Group of Companies
Ventive Hospitality
TOP 10 LUXURY HOTELS
There was a tie in 2 of the positions, hence, there are 12 in this category
Anantara Jewel Bagh, Jaipur
Conrad Pune
Fairmont Mumbai
Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai
Grand Hyatt Gurgaon
Hyatt Regency, New Delhi
ITC Maratha, Mumbai
JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru
The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel & Residences
The Leela Gandhinagar
The Lodhi, New Delhi
The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
TOP 10 BUSINESS/LEISURE HOTELS
Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport
Crowne Plaza Lucknow
Hilton Mumbai International Airport
Novotel Ahmedabad
Novotel Mumbai International Airport
Novotel New Delhi City Centre
Pullman New Delhi Aerocity
Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport
Radisson Blu MBD Hotel Noida
Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Chennai
TOP 5 LUXURY RESORTS
Fairmont Udaipur Palace
Jaisalmer Marriott Resort & Spa
JW Marriott Goa
JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa
The Leela Palace Jaipur
TOP 5 BOUTIQUE LUXURY HOTELS/RESORTS
Raffles Jaipur
Sterling Jaisinghgarh Udaipur
The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort, Ranthambore
ZANA Forest Resort, Ranthambore
ZANA Lake Resort, Udaipur
