Eyeing a major play in the fast-growing hospitality sector, billionaire Gautam Adani’s Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) has inked an agreement with global hospitality giant IHG Hotels & Resorts to develop five hotels across key airport-linked and high-growth urban destinations in India.
The agreement will add close to 1,500 keys across multiple brands and locations.
The portfolio includes a Kimpton hotel in Jaipur, as well as Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels within upcoming hospitality-led mixed-use developments as part of the Adani Airport cities.
These hotels are planned across Navi Mumbai, Mangaluru, and Thiruvananthapuram. AAHL is also in advanced discussions with IHG to further deepen and expand this partnership.
Sources said the Adani Group views hospitality as a key growth area and plans to expand into multiple cities and tourist destinations. It may also pursue acquisitions of existing hotel assets, particularly stressed ones, to secure immediate scale.
Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), the flagship company of the port-to-power conglomerate, had recently announced that its step-down unit has incorporated three wholly-owned subsidiaries focused on hotel and real estate development as part of its airport city expansion strategy.
Adani Airport City Ltd has set up Adani Navi Mumbai Airport City Ltd, Adani Guwahati Airport City Ltd and Adani Ahmedabad Airport City Ltd.
As per a regulatory filing, the new entities will undertake real estate activities including construction, along with hotels featuring integrated restaurants, banquets and business centres.
“As the Adani Group expands its presence across hospitality and airport-led urban infrastructure, our vision is to create world-class destinations that seamlessly integrate travel, stay and urban experiences around India’s rapidly growing aviation ecosystem,” said Pranav Adani, Director, Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL).
Pranav added, “We are building this platform in partnership with leading international hotel brands that bring global standards, operational excellence and scale. Our collaboration with IHG Hotels & Resorts and the development of five hotels across key gateway destinations marks an important step in strengthening high-quality hospitality infrastructure aligned with India’s long-term travel and economic growth.”
The partnership with IHG also marks the debut of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in India.
AAHL, India’s largest private airport operator, is reimagining airports as integrated urban ecosystems that combine aviation with hospitality, retail, commercial and social infrastructure.
Through its airport city developments spanning approximately 663 acres across key cities, AAHL is building mixed-use destinations designed to enhance travel experiences while driving long-term economic and urban growth.
Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said, “With a mix of luxury, premium and essentials brands, this portfolio allows us to meaningfully strengthen our presence across high-growth markets across the country. This agreement also marks an important milestone for us with the introduction of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants to India."
IHG Hotels & Resorts currently operates 52 hotels across six brands in India and has a pipeline of 98 additional hotels expected to open over the next three to five years.
