Radisson Targets 160 India Hotels as Domestic Travel Keeps Growth Alive

Radisson Hotel Group plans to expand its India portfolio to between 157 and 160 operating hotels by the end of 2026.

The company also expects to reach about 19,000 to 19,500 rooms in the country. It currently operates 142 hotels in India and has 84 more in its pipeline.

Nikhil Sharma, Radisson’s managing director and COO for South Asia, said the group is still on track to reach 500 hotels in India by 2030. In 2026, Radisson expects to open 18 hotels and add around 2,000 to 2,500 rooms.

Smaller cities are supporting the growth

Radisson’s expansion is not focused only on major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai. The group is also growing in smaller Indian cities, where demand is rising from domestic tourism, business travel, weddings, religious trips, and local events.

HVS, a global hospitality consulting firm, said domestic tourism remained the strongest part of the country’s hotel sector in 2025. It also said tier-2 and tier-3 cities gained importance as economic activity and transport links improved outside major metros.

Some metro markets are weaker

Radisson also noted short-term pressure in some large cities. Sharma said the current situation in West Asia affected demand in a few metro markets, where RevPAR fell by about 27 to 28 percent. RevPAR means revenue per available room, a key hotel measure that combines occupancy and room rates.

The decline was not spread across India. Sharma said tier-2 and tier-3 cities did not see a major slowdown. That makes Radisson’s regional strategy more useful, because smaller cities can help reduce dependence on large markets that are more exposed to international traffic and corporate travel.

India remains a strong hotel development market

India remains attractive to hotel groups because travel demand is growing across several sectors. Domestic leisure travel is strong, regional business activity is expanding, and many smaller markets still have limited branded hotel supply.

Radisson is also pushing sustainability

Radisson’s India growth comes as the group expands its global sustainability work. In March 2026, it launched the global rollout of its Verified Net Zero Hotels program. The company wants to certify 100 hotels under the program by 2030.

These hotels are designed to remove fossil fuel use, run on 100 percent renewable energy, and reduce emissions across hotel operations.

IHCL’s expansion shows India’s hotel race

A similar trend is visible across India’s wider hospitality market. IHCL moved to strengthen its midscale and leisure portfolio through new hotel investments and partnerships, showing that large hotel groups are racing to build scale beyond traditional luxury and metro-focused demand.

Photo by Raajit Sharma on Unsplash