Q&A with Amit Damani, Co-Founder, StayVista

From sell-out holiday weekends to an ambitious five-year expansion plan, StayVista is reshaping how India travels together. Co-founder Amit Damani shares the strategies driving its rise in the luxury villa market.

Inside StayVista’s Game Plan for India’s Luxury Villa Market

Laura Houldsworth, Managing Director-Asia Pacific, Booking.com, discusses why the Indian market matters more than ever.

India Is Our Highest Priority: Laura Houldsworth

Will Mandarin Oriental finally pay heed and make it to India? James Mabbutt, Vice President, Development Asia Pacific, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, weighs in.

India is Very Much Top of Mind For Us As a Luxury Brand: James Mabbutt

Q&A with Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

In a candid conversation, India’s Union Minister of Tourism &amp; Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, reveals the inner workings of his ambitious plan to revolutionise the nation's tourism sector, from addressing the complexities of FTAs to unveiling plans for the 'world's biggest museum'.

Bharat Ki Khoj

A Bold New Phase for Tamara Leisure Experiences

Immediate Priorities and Strategic Focus

Purpose, Sustainability, and Innovation as Pillars

A Transition of Continuity and Change

Tamara’s Growth Pipeline: New Properties

Exclusive:&nbsp;Samir MC, reflects on his new role and responsibilities as the CEO of Tamara Leisure Experiences, as a part of the significant leadership transition for the company’s growth.

Tamara Leisure Experiences Embarks on Bold New Journey with Samir MC’s Visionary Leadership

A symbolic win, a business benchmark

Rooted in local relevance

Aligned with broader expansion

Appealing proposition for investors

Beyond the 50-hotel mark

Exclusive:&nbsp;Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, IHG Hotels &amp; Resorts South West Asia, on IHG’s 50th Hotel Milestone and the Debut of Crowne Plaza Lucknow.

50 & Beyond: IHG Celebrates a Landmark Milestone

Anil Chadha, Chief Executive Officer, ITC Hotels

Ajay K. Bakaya, Chairman, Sarovar Hotels & Director, Louvre Hotels India

Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President, Real Estate & Development, IHCL

Sunjae Sharma, Managing Director, India and Southwest Asia, Hyatt India Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.

Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director & Area Senior Vice President – Radisson Hotel Group, South Asia

Zubin Saxena, Senior Vice President and Country Head, India, Hilton

Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts

Is Indian hospitality finally into a ‘golden’ period—unexpectedly as we may have arrived into it, buoyed by post-Covid revenge travel phenomenon that has seen the key metrics for the sector soar, globally and especially in India.

The Next Frontiers

An impressive portfolio

Strong synergies

A gemstone enterprise in 1970

Quality drives success

Tests and triumphs

Meet Harimohan Dangayach, a soft-spoken visionary who crafts exclusive experiences with passion and humility. Preferring to let his work speak for itself, he has quietly built the Dangayach Group into a hospitality leader, eschewing fanfare and spotlight for a relentless focus on delivering exceptional results. Alongside his son Atul, Managing Director of the group, Harimohan shares his insights on navigating global partnerships, maintaining exceptional standards, and capitalising on India's thriving hospitality landscape.

High on Impact: Dangayach Group, The Quiet Game-Changer

Ashish Jakhanwala, the visionary Managing Director and CEO who founded SAMHI Hotels in 2010, has crafted a bold playbook. His strategy? Transform India’s hospitality landscape by focusing on institutional investment and an acquisition-driven growth model, targeting prime metropolitan cities.

The Entrepreneur Who Broke The Mould

Redefining Hospitality: A Human-Centered Approach

From Legal Victory to Lived Inclusion

At The LaLiT, Pride Is a Way of Life

Pride Beyond the Symbolism

DEI at The LaLiT: Built Into the Blueprint

The LaLiT Hotels, under the trailblazing leadership of hotelier Keshav Suri, has emerged as a pioneering force for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in India. In celebration of Pride Month, SOH explores how the group sets itself apart through its deep-rooted commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

DEI Isn’t a Project at The LaLiT—It’s in Their DNA

SOH Exclusive: Nikhil Sharma,&nbsp;Managing Director &amp; COO – South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, on how the company is driving LGBTQ+ inclusion with purpose, people-first leadership, and empathy.

8 Key Ways Radisson is Championing LGBTQ+ Inclusion in South Asia

Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and Group CEO, OYO, highlights the company’s remarkable turnaround, transforming from a loss-making venture during the COVID pandemic to one of the&nbsp; world’s largest hospitality chains.

From ₹700 Crore Loss To ₹700 crore Profit: The OYO Story

"Let me make one hotel"

Sustainability is woven into GRT's DNA

Organic food and locavore approach

Community engagement

Sights on Tier II

The evolving definition of luxury

Forging successful alliances

Embracing the digital future

Navigating the challenges of hospitality

Bridging gaps for women and LGBTQ+ communities

Cultivating a culture of wellness

GRT Hotels began its journey far from hospitality, but its leap into the hotel industry was no accident. Vikram Cotah, CEO of GRT Hotels &amp; Resorts, shares how the 22 hotel-strong group is staying ahead in the hospitality game by championing sustainability, practicing inclusivity, and redefining luxury for the next generation.

Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow

e200X  is the future of aviation

The technology behind e200X

Opening new possibilities for tourism

India’s most ambitious urban mobility startup, The ePlane Co., is building the future of flight: the e200X, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Aviation maverick and co-founder of Akasa Air, Aditya Ghosh, gives us the details.

Flying Past Gridlock

Record occupancies.  Record ARRs. Record ARPUs.

On a growth trajectory

Voices from the industry

Factors impacting Indian hospitality

Building on a strong 2024 performance, the tourism and hospitality sectors are poised for rapid growth in 2025.

Why 2025 Looks Exciting

What is the tourism potential of Amritsar looking like in the next few years, especially beyond religious tourism?

Amritsar has recently seen rapid growth in the branded hospitality segment. What factors would you ascribe to this move?

What are the main opportunities for growth for the city’s hotels? What steps would you suggest to increase travel to the city? And what are the top challenges?

How would you rate the state’s policy for hospitality and tourism—and what would you like to see changed?

Could you give us an idea of the trends for occupancy and ARRs in recent years—pre-COVID to post-COVID? By how much are ARRs up this year compared to recent years?

What are the top sources of tourists for your hotel, by revenue? What is the split between leisure/ FIT/ social events, business and MICE guests/events for your hotel? And between local and non-local guests?

Amritsar is characterised by a high volume of religious tourism. Approximately what percentage of guests represents the religious or spiritual tourists? How are other segments growing?   

“Welcome back after 28 years”.

Amritsar, one of India’s leading religious and heritage tourism destinations and a key transit hub to the Himalayas, is strategically leveraging its strengths to boost its tourism market.

Amritsar’s Golden Hue is Shining Ever Brighter

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GM's Think Tank

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From The CEO Lens

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Insights & Trends

Trends

Restaurants

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Hotel Signings

Hotel Openings

Inside StayVista’s Game Plan for India’s Luxury Villa Market

India Is Our Highest Priority: Laura Houldsworth

India is Very Much Top of Mind For Us As a Luxury Brand: James Mabbutt

Bharat Ki Khoj

Tamara Leisure Experiences Embarks on Bold New Journey with Samir MC’s Visionary Leadership

50 & Beyond: IHG Celebrates a Landmark Milestone

High on Impact: Dangayach Group, The Quiet Game-Changer

The Entrepreneur Who Broke The Mould

DEI Isn’t a Project at The LaLiT—It’s in Their DNA

8 Key Ways Radisson is Championing LGBTQ+ Inclusion in South Asia

From ₹700 Crore Loss To ₹700 crore Profit: The OYO Story

Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow

Flying Past Gridlock

Leadership

Inside StayVista’s Game Plan for India’s Luxury Villa Market

India Is Our Highest Priority: Laura Houldsworth

India is Very Much Top of Mind For Us As a Luxury Brand: James Mabbutt

Bharat Ki Khoj

Tamara Leisure Experiences Embarks on Bold New Journey with Samir MC’s Visionary Leadership

50 & Beyond: IHG Celebrates a Landmark Milestone

The Next Frontiers

High on Impact: Dangayach Group, The Quiet Game-Changer

The Entrepreneur Who Broke The Mould

DEI Isn’t a Project at The LaLiT—It’s in Their DNA

8 Key Ways Radisson is Championing LGBTQ+ Inclusion in South Asia

From ₹700 Crore Loss To ₹700 crore Profit: The OYO Story

Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow

Flying Past Gridlock

Why 2025 Looks Exciting

Amritsar’s Golden Hue is Shining Ever Brighter