IHCL to Add 4,500 Rooms in FY26, Launches Claridges Collection

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) Tata group hospitality major Indian Hotels Company Ltd plans to add 4,500 rooms through over 30 new properties in the next fiscal as part of its ongoing expansion of having over 700 properties by 2030, its Managing Director and CEO Puneet Chhatwal said on Friday.

The company, which introduced its new 'Claridges Collection' on Friday, plans to have over 20 properties by 2030 under the new boutique luxury hotels brand starting with the Claridges New Delhi; Connemera, Chennai; and Blue Diamond, Pune, Chhatwal told PTI here.

"We opened 25 hotels in this year, and the next financial year it will be north of 30...We used to say, (we would open) two hotels a month...Now we are getting close to between 2.5 to 3 hotels a month. This is where we will be (in the next financial year) with 2.5 being the minimum (per month)," he said when asked about the company's expansion plans for 2025-26.

On the number of rooms to be added through the new properties in FY26, Chhatwal said it could be around 4,500 rooms at an average of 150 rooms per new hotel.

Under its 'Accelerate 2030' strategy, Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) last year announced that it planned to have a portfolio of over 700 hotels and double its consolidated revenue to Rs 15,000 crore by 2030.

On the new 'Claridges Collection', he said it will cater to the luxury segment and offer bespoke experiences to discerning travellers.

The Claridges Collection is being introduced through a partnership between IHCL and Claridges Hotels Pvt Ltd.

IHCL plans to have around 20 properties under the Claridges Collection, Chhatwal said, adding these will be positioned at the heart of key gateway cities serving as epicentres of cultural and social prominence.

"Majority, 80 per cent of the (Claridges Collection) portfolio would be existing properties ...15 could be existing and four to five will be new builds," he said when asked about how hotels under the new collection would be developed.

Asked if the Claridges Collection will also expand abroad, he said, "It is an international name. So it would be really nice to make it international also. At this point of time, let's start with at least four to five key markets in the Indian subcontinent."

Chhatwal said the brand is already registered in Nepal and Sri Lanka besides India.

Claridges Hotels Pvt Ltd Suresh Nanda said the collaboration with IHCL "marks a significant milestone in expanding the Claridges legacy of luxury and excellence across India".