SAMHI Hotels Limited has announced that its board has approved the acquisition of a 70% majority stake in RARE India, one of India’s earliest and largest platforms focused on heritage hotels, retreats, and experiential stays. The company expects to finalize definitive agreements by May 2026, and this move will mark SAMHI’s entry into the experiential leisure hospitality segment through an asset-light platform investment.
At the same time, SAMHI and RARE India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish an affiliation with Marriott International in order to leverage the company’s global distribution network and loyalty ecosystem. Under this proposed collaboration, RARE India will gain exclusive rights to operate its portfolio of hotels under the Outdoor Collection brand by Marriott Bonvoy across India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, while Marriott will distribute the portfolio across its global channels. SAMHI expects to enter definitive agreements with Marriott once the acquisition process concludes.
Furthermore, this partnership will allow RARE India to transform from a representation platform into a fully integrated business-to-consumer distribution and experiential hospitality brand platform. Meanwhile, RARE India will continue operating independently under the leadership of its founder and existing management team, who remain committed to curating and nurturing the platform’s unique community of heritage and experiential property owners. As a result, the collaboration will also enable SAMHI to expand beyond its traditional business hotel segment and increase its overall portfolio to nearly 100 hotels through a mix of owned and affiliated properties.
RARE India was founded in 2003 by Shobha Rudra, and the platform has established itself as one of India’s earliest curated experiential hospitality networks. Currently, the company manages a portfolio of 67 hotels comprising approximately 990 rooms across more than 15 states in India, while it also maintains an international presence in Nepal and Bhutan.
Over the past two decades, the platform has developed a strong reputation for responsible tourism, local employment generation, and authentic travel experiences. Additionally, the company has carefully curated a portfolio that includes heritage palaces, wildlife lodges, retreats, and boutique hospitality properties. Moreover, it has built a strong community of hospitality entrepreneurs and travellers who value immersive and responsible tourism experiences.
In contrast to the increasingly crowded homestay and villa aggregator market, RARE India differentiates itself through its long-standing legacy, disciplined curation strategy, and philosophy-driven growth model. Consequently, this partnership will allow the company to accelerate expansion while maintaining its selective standards and strong community ethos. The platform believes that a significant community of property owners and travellers is willing to pay a premium for unique and authentic experiences, and therefore they will continue to choose RARE as their preferred platform, creating significant long-term growth opportunities.
As part of the investment, SAMHI Hotels plans to commit approximately ₹470 million, which will include a primary capital infusion into RARE India along with a smaller allocation toward purchasing shares from existing shareholders. The company will use the primary capital to strengthen management capabilities, upgrade technology and distribution systems, and expand marketing and brand visibility in order to support RARE’s next phase of growth.
Consistent with its established investment philosophy, SAMHI Hotels has identified long-term value in an underappreciated operating platform that holds strong brand equity and significant growth potential. Moreover, the company noted that the investment valuation significantly diverges from typical asset-light platform investments globally and within India. This investment will also represent SAMHI’s first asset-light platform investment in the leisure hospitality segment, thereby allowing the company to participate in a rapidly expanding market without altering its core balance sheet strategy focused on scaling business hotels in key office and gateway markets across India.
Additionally, the structure of the deal ensures limited capital exposure while offering asymmetrical return potential. Since the model remains asset-light, SAMHI expects significant long-term upside driven by improved distribution networks, technology integration, and stronger brand positioning.
Commenting on the development, Ashish Jakhanwala, Chairman & Managing Director, SAMHI Hotels Ltd., said, “This investment in RARE India is a strategic adjacency that strengthens our platform without distracting from our core focus on business and gateway markets. RARE represents a combination of legacy, credibility, and scalable asset-light potential. With a strong proven founding team, an irreplaceable community of owners, and the proposed affiliation with Marriott, we believe RARE can emerge as a leading B2C brand in experience-led tourism. Importantly, this is a small financial investment but with asymmetrical return potential—consistent with our philosophy of discovering value in underappreciated opportunities.”
Shobha Rudra, Founder, RARE India, said, “RARE India has always been built on relationships, trust, and a shared commitment to responsible tourism. This partnership with SAMHI allows us to remain true to our philosophy and continue to preserve and build the RARE community of hotel owners and discerning travellers. Together, we aim to strengthen the foundation of the RARE community and scale our impact.”
Additionally, Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific excluding China, Marriott International, stated, “India’s experiential and heritage-led hospitality segment represents a significant long-term opportunity. RARE has built a distinctive portfolio rooted in authenticity and responsible tourism. Through this collaboration, we look forward to extending our global distribution platform and Marriott Bonvoy ecosystem to a highly curated collection of unique stays. Together with SAMHI and RARE, we aim to unlock incremental demand and broaden access to immersive travel experiences across India and the region.”
SAMHI Hotels’ strategic investment in RARE India marks an important step into the fast-growing experiential tourism segment. By combining RARE’s heritage hospitality expertise with Marriott’s global distribution network, the partnership aims to strengthen India’s experiential travel ecosystem. As demand for immersive travel experiences continues to grow, this collaboration could significantly expand access to curated heritage stays while creating long-term value for travellers, property owners, and the hospitality industry.
