Homegrown hospitality company Saltstayz has unveiled ambitious expansion plans to add more than 22 properties during the current financial year, increasing its portfolio to 55 hotels across India. As part of its next growth phase, the company will focus on strengthening its presence in western and southern India while continuing to expand across emerging hospitality markets.
Currently, Saltstayz operates 33 hotels with approximately 1,214 keys in the mid-premium and premium hospitality segments. The Gurugram-based company manages its properties under three brands—Autograph, Select, and Premier—and has established a presence across seven cities in India.
Speaking about the expansion strategy, Saltstayz co-founder Gaurav Gupta said, “We are planning to add another 22 properties this fiscal year, taking the total to 55 hotels this year. Our presence is more in the north, so in our next phase of expansion we will focus more on the south and the west.”
The company follows an asset-light business model that includes lease agreements, revenue-sharing arrangements, and management contracts. This strategy allows Saltstayz to scale rapidly without investing heavily in property ownership. As a result, the company has set an ambitious target of operating 250 hotels across 50 cities with approximately 10,000 to 11,000 keys by FY30.
Furthermore, Gupta emphasized that the company prefers not to own hospitality assets because doing so could slow its growth trajectory. Instead, Saltstayz intends to expand aggressively across both existing markets and new destinations throughout the country.
“We prefer not to own assets because it will slow down our expansion. We want to expand our presence across the country to 50 cities by FY30. This will include both existing cities and new markets. We are also planning to focus on signing properties in religious places; spiritual tourism is the next big thing in India. Basically, we are looking at opportunities in any city that has year-round footfall,” Gupta said.
In addition to geographical expansion, Saltstayz sees significant opportunities in India’s rapidly growing spiritual tourism segment. With increasing domestic travel to religious and pilgrimage destinations, the company plans to sign properties in cities that attract consistent tourist traffic throughout the year.
The expansion is also expected to create substantial employment opportunities. Saltstayz currently employs approximately 670 people and reported revenue of around Rs 1,214 crore in FY26. Looking ahead, the company aims to increase its workforce to between 3,000 and 3,500 employees while targeting revenue of Rs 1,500 crore by FY30.
Notably, Saltstayz has funded its growth entirely through internal resources since its inception. Highlighting the company’s financial approach, Gupta said, “We are totally bootstrapped, funding entirely through our own resources. We have not liquidated any equity in the company as of now, so the expansion is done organically. Till now we have invested Rs 12 crores.”
To support its next phase of expansion, the company plans to invest an additional Rs 18 crore to Rs 20 crore in entering new markets. Thanks to its asset-light operating model, Saltstayz requires relatively limited capital expenditure compared to traditional hotel ownership models.
However, the company also recognizes the need for additional funding to achieve its long-term growth targets. Consequently, Saltstayz is exploring fundraising opportunities that could accelerate its nationwide expansion plans.
Discussing future financing options, Gupta said, “We also realise that to reach the FY30 target, we will require a quick influx of funds. So just to cater to that, we’re also looking to raise some money this year. So far, we have considered mostly debt as a funding option, but I think equity is on the cards as well, though we have not decided on this yet.”
As India’s hospitality sector continues to benefit from rising domestic tourism, business travel, and spiritual tourism, Saltstayz is positioning itself to capture opportunities across multiple travel segments. Through its expansion into new cities, focus on religious destinations, and scalable business model, the company aims to strengthen its position in the country’s growing hotel industry.
