Europe’s largest hospitality group, Accor, and Indian aviation-to-hospitality major InterGlobe are exploring the possibility of tapping public markets for their joint hotel enterprise, under which the partners plan to develop 300 hotels by 2030, according to Ranju Alex, CEO of South Asia, Accor.
Notably, in April last year, Accor and InterGlobe announced that they were “strengthening” their partnership to establish a new hospitality platform aimed at creating a network of 300 Accor-branded hotels across India by the end of the decade.
Explaining the shift, Alex said, “We are considering taking the public route in the near future. There has been a lot of market curiosity around this development, because, suddenly, from a management operator setup, we will now be owning assets. We will be investing in assets, and we will continue running our assets as well.”
Furthermore, she highlighted how the strategy marks a fundamental transformation for the group in India. “The dynamics have completely changed. It is very exciting because India is a very robust market globally today. There is a lot of interest to see how the growth will pan out. We have said we are aiming for 300 hotels by 2030, but the idea is to surpass that goal,” Alex added.
Reflecting on performance, Alex said 2025 proved to be a record year for Accor in India, as the company signed close to 4,000 rooms, the highest number in its history. “The India-Pakistan skirmish had a little bit of effect for a couple of months, but India showed resilience, and we were very quickly back in the game. Our revenue per available room grew by about 12% over 2024,” she said.
At the same time, Accor strengthened its luxury portfolio by adding landmark properties. “We added some hallmark hotels into our portfolio. We opened Fairmont Udaipur and Fairmont Mumbai, which have established themselves very well in the market. Our aim is to reach the five-digit mark in signings this year,” Alex stated.
In addition, Accor expanded its footprint in key metro markets such as Delhi and Chennai. Alex noted that while earlier growth focused on premium and mid-scale hotels, luxury signings have now accelerated sharply. The group has signed an ultra-luxury property under Sofitel Legend in Jaipur, along with a Sofitel hotel in Rishikesh and three additional Sofitel properties in Mumbai.
Looking ahead, Alex said, “We are looking forward to launching the Raffles hotel in Ranthambore and the Fairmont Agra. The cherry on the cake has been the opening of the Roswyn, A Morgans Originals hotel in Mumbai.”
Elaborating further, she added, “It is a hotel that India has never seen, and it is targeting only the creme de la creme customer base. It’s our first Ennismore hotel in India. The next one, called The Hoxton, a popular brand in Europe, is coming to Bengaluru and should open by the end of the year.”
For context, Ennismore is a joint venture formed in 2021 between Accor and the original Ennismore hospitality platform, with Accor as the controlling shareholder. “We are excited about the debut of Ennismore in India. Ennismore has been a highly successful business model in the US, parts of Europe, and the Middle East. I am glad it is coming to India,” Alex said.
Meanwhile, Accor is also doubling down on food and beverage innovation. “We are extremely robust in our food and beverage offerings. Ennismore and our food and beverage offerings are going to give India that edge. We have a team of 300-plus people only working on F&B brands. We are also exploring opportunities in the standalone restaurant space,” she added.
Summing up the broader market, Alex said India’s strong economic momentum is benefiting the entire hospitality sector. “But, our path is very different. We will invest and build and run hotels, and we have far more offerings than others. We are all going for growth, but our growth is about sustainable, value-led growth and not just about signing rooms,” she concluded.
Accor and InterGlobe’s evolving strategy signals a major shift in India’s hospitality landscape. By combining asset ownership, luxury expansion, lifestyle brands, and a potential public listing, the partnership aims to build a scalable, value-driven hospitality platform that goes beyond traditional hotel management—positioning India as a central pillar in Accor’s global growth story.
