As the wedding season in India intensifies, hotels are experiencing a surge in bookings, with many properties fully booked or sold out. This season is proving to be a record-breaker, with several hotels reporting their highest-ever business figures post-pandemic and some even witnessing the most successful wedding season in their history.
Record-breaking business for hotels
According to a report by The Economic Times, Ashok Singh Rathore, area director for Rajasthan at IHCL and general manager of Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, highlighted that this year’s wedding bookings have far exceeded expectations.
Post-pandemic, our property has recorded the highest-ever average daily rates and occupancies last month, he stated. According to Rathore, room rates typically hit Rs 1 lakh during peak seasons like Christmas and New Year, but the wedding boom allowed these rates to be achieved even earlier.
Guests are seeking more customisation and prefer iconic properties, and people’s willingness to spend has increased, he said.
Hotel chains see historic revenue growth
The wedding season has also brought significant revenue for hotel chains. Nikhil Sharma, managing director and area senior vice-president for South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group, revealed that the October to December quarter has set a new record for the highest revenue-generating period in the company’s history in South Asia.
He said that Radisson’s resort properties in Mamallapuram, Lonavala, Karjat, and Udaipur are seeing high demand, with several dates already sold out due to the popularity of destination weddings.
Raj Chopra, chairman and managing director of JW Marriott Mussoorie and JW Marriott Goa, echoed similar sentiments, reporting the highest-ever bookings and sales for weddings at his properties. An estimated 450,000 weddings were expected to take place in Delhi alone over three weeks, he said, reflecting the widespread wedding boom.
Increased bookings and customisation demand
Fairmont Jaipur has experienced a 25 per cent rise in bookings this year, according to General Manager Rajat Sethi.
The report quoted Parveen Chander, executive vice-President, commercial at IHCL, as saying that the wedding season, which began in November, is set to significantly boost revenues, thanks to an increased number of auspicious wedding dates in the latter part of the financial year.
Several IHCL hotels in destinations like Jaipur, Udaipur, Goa, Kerala, Tirupati, as well as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, are seeing high demand.
Travel surge driven by wedding demand
The report quoted Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO of ixigo, as saying that the wedding season has had an impact on travel as well across India.
Flight bookings have surged by 70-80 per cent year-on-year for metro cities as well as leisure spots like Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar, Jaipur, and Goa, he said.
The demand is also increasing for Tier-II and Tier-III cities, with flight bookings to Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Patna rising over 70 per cent compared to last year.
At Shangri-La Eros in New Delhi, General Manager Abhishek Sadhoo reported significant revenue growth, driven by both the surge in bookings and an increase in the average pricing per person.
Rathore added that wedding guests are increasingly seeking personalised experiences.
Brides and grooms are now more involved in the planning process. They have a strong influence on curating after-parties and events, demanding greater customisation across the board — whether it’s the venues, décor, or even the choice of crockery and cutlery, he said.
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