India Witnesses 16–40% Jump in Hotel Prices, Reveals Sciative Report
Hotel prices across India surged significantly during the November–December wedding season, finds Sciative report.
By SOH Edit Team
Hotel prices across India recorded a sharp uptick during the November–December wedding season, rising between 16% and 40% compared to the relatively stable demand period of July–October 2025, according to a new report by Sciative Solutions. The surge was largely attributed to clustered muhurat dates, festive weekends, and the growing use of Agentic AI-led dynamic pricing strategies by hotels.
The findings are based on data from ZettaRMS, Sciative’s Agentic AI-powered hotel pricing platform, which tracks real-time pricing movements and demand signals across markets.
Premium Destinations Lead the Price Rally
The report highlights a clear divergence between high-end wedding destinations and more budget-friendly markets, reflecting varied demand behaviour influenced by cultural preferences, guest profiles and competitive dynamics.
Premium wedding hotspots—including Mumbai, Goa, Udaipur, Jaipur and Alibaug—posted an average display price of ₹13,933, marking a 16.4% increase over non-peak months.
City-wise pricing trends show sharp variations:
- Goa: ₹15,299 (+24% vs normal period)
- Udaipur: ₹10,757 (+20%)
- Jaipur: ₹10,078 (+35%)
- Alibaug: ₹25,459 (–3%), signalling deliberate price stabilisation despite strong demand
Sciative notes that destinations like Alibaug adopted a more calibrated pricing approach, focusing on yield stability rather than aggressive surges.
While premium properties leaned into optimised surge pricing, budget hotels adopted a contrasting strategy. The report shows that 2-star properties offered average discounts of 39%, nearly 12 percentage points deeper than usual, to attract wedding-related spillover traffic without compromising occupancy levels.
This divergence underscores how different hotel segments are using pricing levers selectively during peak demand cycles.
Muhurat Clustering Creates Pricing Volatility
Two specific dates emerged as the most volatile pricing periods of the season:
- 21 November: Prices surged by up to 90%, driven by three consecutive high-demand muhurat days
- 19 December: A strong upswing linked to the Christmas–New Year long weekend
The clustering of auspicious dates, combined with holiday travel, amplified short-term pricing pressure across key markets.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Anshu Jalora, Founder and MD, Sciative Solutions, said India’s wedding season is undergoing a structural shift. “India’s wedding season is no longer dependent solely on auspicious dates—it is evolving into a structured, insight-led pricing cycle. With ZettaRMS, hotels can anticipate pressure points before they materialise, using Agentic AI to make confident and profitable pricing decisions without compromising guest satisfaction.”
Vijeta Soni, Co-Founder and CEO, Sciative Solutions, added that proactive pricing is becoming critical during peak seasons. “ZettaRMS enables hotels to stay ahead of demand rather than chase it. Instead of reacting to last-minute spikes or resorting to late discounting, hoteliers can course-correct early—maximising occupancy, revenue and accessibility for guests during the most competitive season of the year.”
The 2025 report underscores the growing role of Agentic AI in reshaping India’s festive and wedding-season hospitality landscape. As hotels increasingly move away from reactive price adjustments, intelligent revenue planning is emerging as a key differentiator—optimising room rates, booking windows and inventory to deliver value for both operators and travellers.