Luxury hotels fully booked in connection with the BRICS summit in Delhi, prices reach 2.33 lakh rupees

Ahead of the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit in India, there is a sharp reduction in the availability of rooms in luxury hotels in the country's capital. Prices in some prestigious establishments have exceeded the mark of 2 lakh rupees per night for the period of September 12 to 13.

This summit, which gathers leaders of the expanded BRICS group in Delhi and marks the twentieth anniversary of the bloc's existence, stimulates high demand for elite accommodation. According to the news agency PTI, several expensive hotels are showing limited or complete unavailability, while others are setting tariffs above 2 lakh rupees per day.

Booking checks revealed that rooms at the Taj Mahal and The Oberoi in New Delhi were unavailable from September 11 to 12, and Taj Palace did not accept bookings for dates from September 10 to 12. Similarly, Leela Palace in New Delhi also did not accept reservations for stays between September 10 and 12.

At the ITC Maurya hotel in New Delhi, rooms available from September 10 to 13 offered rates starting from over 2.3 lakh rupees per night. This surge in demand is due to the expected arrival of delegates and other visitors to the capital before the two-day summit, putting pressure on the hotel sector, especially in central Delhi.

K Kachru, President of the Hotel Association of India (HAI) and Head of South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group, stated that the summit highlights the pressure on India's hospitality infrastructure. He noted: 'India attracts global attention at a defining moment—when the country is preparing to host major international events and strengthening its position as a leading destination for MICE; the world is watching how we scale up to meet our tourism goals.'

According to Kachru, the BRICS summit itself will focus significant attention on room availability, revealing an obvious problem: 'our hotel infrastructure has not kept pace with our tourism ambitions.' He added that India currently has only about 200,000–220,000 branded hotel rooms, which he believes is insufficient to achieve the country's tourism goals.

The demand is not felt only in central Delhi. Rahul Macarius, Market Director at Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, reported that the summit is shaping a specific demand pattern across the entire Delhi-NCR region. He commented: 'At Ramada Encore by Wyndham, Dwarka Expressway, this event-driven demand is reflected in the occupancy rate from September 12 to 15, which is currently at 65 percent, significantly exceeding the overall market demand.'

For tourists, business travelers, and families visiting Delhi during this period, the shortage may result in increased accommodation costs or the need to look for options in hotels outside central areas and in more budget-friendly establishments. It should be noted that hotel rates and availability remain dynamic and can change depending on bookings, cancellations, and new inventory. PTI reported that emails requesting comments from the mentioned hotels remained unanswered at the time of publication.

The approaching BRICS summit, scheduled for September 12th and 13th in Delhi, has significantly impacted the luxury hotel market of the capital. Increased demand for rooms in major five-star hotels occurred even before the arrival of heads of state, high-ranking officials, and foreign delegations from various countries.

The situation is that many premium hotels have no rooms available on September 11th and 12th, and in those with availability, prices have risen substantially. Among Delhi's leading luxury hotels mentioned are Taj Mahal Hotel, Taj Palace, The Oberoi, and The Leela Palace.

According to checks on booking platforms, rooms at Taj Mahal and Taj Palace were unavailable for the period from September 11th to 13th, while certain parts of this period were fully booked at The Oberoi. The Leela Palace also declined bookings for the specified dates.

Thanks to the BRICS summit, there has been a significant increase in hotel room prices. At Taj Mahal Hotel, the cost of some premium rooms reached 20 lakhs per night. Similarly, in hotels like ITC Maurya, where the number of available rooms is limited, the rental fee also reaches hundreds of thousands of rupees per day; according to the report, rates at ITC Maurya were around 2.55 lakhs per night.

Thus, a room that might normally cost only a few tens of thousands of rupees could require a much higher sum during the summit period. Although the BRICS summit is planned for September 12th and 13th, the impact on the hospitality business is felt more broadly, as foreign guests and delegations often arrive in Delhi before the summit and sometimes stay afterward.

This creates increased pressure on room availability between September 11th and 13th, which may affect both regular tourists and business travelers planning a trip to Delhi. They will either have to pay a higher price, change their travel dates, or look for accommodation away from central Delhi.

The situation in Delhi's hotel market demonstrates how strongly a major international event can influence the hospitality sector. Due to limited room capacity and high demand, premium hotels are directly benefiting from the increased demand. Consequently, those who need to stay in Delhi in September should be prepared to pay up to 20 lakhs for some premium rooms, rather than just 2-3 lakhs.