Rates for hotels up by 10-20% year on year for Independence Day weekend

New Delhi: Despite August 15 falling on a Saturday unlike last year, hoteliers are expecting brisk business for the independence day weekend, with rates for properties and hotels in key leisure locations going up by 10-20% year on year.

"It's still a long weekend for corporate professionals who work on Saturdays and destinations like Udaipur are getting good business for August 14 as well with travellers from Gujarat and other nearby destinations expected to drive down on Friday,” said Ashish Vohra, CEO, Justa Hotels & Resorts. “Our business on the books is about 50-60% for August 15, which is pretty healthy, considering a lot of travellers also make last minute bookings. Rates are up about 15% year on year for our property in Udaipur. Except for Manali, rates are up pretty much everywhere,” he added.

Also Read: Leela reports operating revenue of Rs 353 cr for Q1, PAT at Rs 48.8 cr


The Leela Palace in Udaipur is charging around Rs 47,000 (including taxes) for August 15 as per rates published on a popular travel portal, while a room at Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa is available for Rs 59,000, including taxes, for the same date.

Nikhil Sharma, MD and COO (South Asia) at Radisson Hotel Group said leisure destinations such as Goa, Udaipur, Jim Corbett, Manali and Mussoorie continue to perform well, while pilgrimage destinations including Ayodhya and Ujjain are also witnessing sustained demand.

“We expect these markets to maintain healthy occupancies, with average room rates remaining in the high single digits compared to last year, reflecting continued pricing strength in premium leisure destinations,” he added.

Last year, Independence Day fell on a Friday, but the overall travel sentiments remained subdued due to the Pahalgam incident and the prevailing geopolitical situation, said Shahzad Aslam, head of sales at Leisure Hotels Group.

Rates for the Independence Day weekend have been positioned at approximately 20% above the corresponding period last year at Leisure Hotels Group.

“Early booking trends indicate healthy demand across key leisure destinations, particularly Corbett and Nainital. Additionally, several comparable properties have already reported nearly 30% confirmed occupancy for the Independence Day weekend, reflecting positive market momentum,” said Aslam.

Also Read: Radisson Hotel signs 10 new hotels from India's religious spots to tech hub Bengaluru

ibis and ibis Styles properties in India are seeing bookings tracking around 10% higher than the same period last year, said Animesh Kumar, commercial head, ibis and ibis Styles India.

Kumar said long weekends have become an important part of how Indians are planning their travel calendar today and the changing travel preferences are reflecting across the brand portfolio. The strongest booking momentum is coming from the ibis and ibis Styles properties in leisure destinations, particularly Goa.

Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) is expecting a 10-15% uptick in hotel bookings around the August 15 weekend, said general secretary Rajiv Mehra.