Lemon Tree Hotels has announced the signing of Lemon Tree Premier, Visakhapatnam, a new 110-key upscale hotel that will expand the group's presence in Andhra Pradesh.

The property will be managed by Carnation Hotels Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lemon Tree Hotels Limited. The signing takes the group's Andhra Pradesh portfolio to six operational hotels and seven upcoming properties.

The new hotel will complement Lemon Tree Hotels' existing presence in Visakhapatnam, which currently includes Keys Select by Lemon Tree Hotels in Daba Gardens and Keys Lite by Lemon Tree Hotels in Gajuwaka.

Located in Visakhapatnam, a major commercial, industrial and leisure destination in Andhra Pradesh, Lemon Tree Premier will feature 110 well-appointed rooms along with a restaurant, banquet hall and meeting/conference room.

The property will also offer a fitness centre, swimming pool and spa, positioning it to cater to both business and leisure travellers as well as meetings, events and MICE demand.

Commenting on the signing, Vishvapreet Singh Cheema, President, Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd., said that Visakhapatnam is an important economic and tourism centre, generating demand across corporate, leisure and MICE segments.

He added that the group's existing hotels in the city operate in the midscale and economy segments under the KEYS portfolio, while the new Lemon Tree Premier will allow the company to address a broader range of demand and strengthen its presence in the market.

The hotel is expected to benefit from connectivity to key transportation infrastructure. Visakhapatnam International Airport is approximately 39 km from the property, with the journey taking around one hour and 25 minutes. The destination is also connected by road with major cities across India through public and private transportation.

The signing forms part of Lemon Tree Hotels' continued expansion across emerging Indian markets, with the company strengthening its portfolio across different hospitality segments.

IHG Hotels & Resorts is seeing strong booking momentum across its India portfolio ahead of the Independence Day long weekend, with bookings currently tracking 16–20% higher year-on-year.

According to the hospitality group, several major Indian markets are recording healthy demand as travellers prepare for the August 15 long weekend, with New Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Mumbai and Gurugram emerging as some of the strongest-performing markets.

Pune, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, New Delhi and Mumbai are currently leading on both occupancy and average daily rate (ADR) growth, indicating stronger demand as well as improved pricing performance across these markets.

Sharing the booking outlook, Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said the company's India portfolio is witnessing encouraging momentum for the Independence Day weekend, with bookings currently tracking 16–20% above the corresponding period last year.

A notable trend this year is a shorter booking window, with travellers increasingly making their plans closer to the travel date. IHG said this behaviour is consistent with the booking patterns typically seen around long weekends.

City hotels are currently leading demand, supported by a combination of leisure, group and corporate business. The trend highlights continued demand for urban destinations during the holiday period, particularly as travellers combine leisure plans with shorter breaks.

At the same time, IHG expects resorts and leisure destinations to gain further pace as the weekend approaches, suggesting that last-minute bookings could play a greater role in shaping demand across leisure markets.

The booking trends come as India's domestic travel market continues to benefit from increased short-break travel, with long weekends providing opportunities for travellers to plan quick getaways as well as city-based leisure experiences.

With Independence Day falling on Saturday, August 15, 2026, hotels across major Indian markets are preparing for increased demand across both leisure and business-linked segments during the extended holiday period.

India’s branded residences market is entering a new phase, with the sector’s estimated ₹1 lakh crore (about USD 10.5 billion) gross development value set to take centre stage at TBRS 2.0, The Branded Residences Summit, in Mumbai.

The second edition of the summit will take place on 7 and 8 October 2026 at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, bringing together 250 curated delegates, 50+ Indian and global speakers and 19 sessions. The event will also feature the inaugural Branded Residences Awards and the launch of the third edition of the NOESIS branded residences market report.

According to NOESIS, India's branded residences market map currently includes 43 directly brand-licensed projects. Of these, 7 have been delivered, 19 are under construction and 17 have been announced. Further announcements are expected during 2026, while more than 20 additional projects are currently in early feasibility, product planning or brand selection. The category has also moved beyond traditional markets such as Mumbai and NCR. Tier-1 and tier-2 cities and leisure destinations including Goa, Alibaug, Karjat, Igatpuri, Kasauli, Coorg and Rishikesh are now part of the growing branded residences landscape.

“Developers across India are seeing what the right brand does for visibility, buyer confidence and sales momentum,” said Nandivardhan Jain, Founder & CEO, NOESIS Hotel Advisors, the owner-focused advisory firm behind the summit. “The opportunity is not in adding a name to a project. It is in choosing a brand that fits the location and the buyer and keeping the financial model, the product promise and the resident experience aligned.”

The growing interest is also being seen among institutional investors and organised funds. Well-planned branded developments can offer stronger price realisation, faster sales and more predictable cash flows when the product, pricing and positioning are properly aligned. At the same time, investors continue to assess fundamentals such as buyer depth, achievable pricing and delivery capability.

Another important area is the long-term relationship between developers, brands and residents. The licence relationship generally covers development, marketing and sales, while the operating relationship can later move to the residents’ association and continue for several years. This makes decisions around fees, service standards, renewal and exit terms important from the beginning rather than after handover. A well-structured arrangement can help the brand continue adding value to the resident experience and resale positioning even after the final unit is sold.

TBRS was established in 2025 as India’s first dedicated platform for branded residences. Its first edition was held at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai on 26 September 2025, bringing developers, global hospitality and lifestyle brands, investors, family offices and advisors together. TBRS 2.0 will expand into a two-day programme with a developer-first approach covering feasibility, underwriting, brand selection, legal structure, sales and operations in the order a project typically develops. The programme will also include a closed-door developers’ masterclass, an expanded global speaker faculty and the inaugural Branded Residences Awards.

Among the international speakers travelling to Mumbai from Singapore, the UAE and the United Kingdom are Daniel von Barloewen (Senior Vice President, Accor One Living & Head of Global Mixed-Use Development, Accor), Gabriel Gn (Global Development Head, Banyan Group), Ramzy Fenianos (Chief Development Officer, Asia Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group), James Snelgar and Jagdish Johal (YOO, London) and Fabio Calorio (Senior Vice President – Brand, Pininfarina).

They will be joined by Indian hospitality and real estate leaders including Anil Chadha (Managing Director, ITC Hotels Limited), Atul Chordia (Chairman, Panchshil Realty), Suma Venkatesh (EVP – Real Estate & Development, IHCL), Zubin Saxena (Senior Vice President, Regional Head South Asia, Hilton), Nikhil Sharma (Managing Director & COO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group), Jaideep Dang (Head of Development, IHG Hotels & Resorts), Kalpesh Mehta (Founder & Managing Director, Tribeca Developers), Navdeep Sardana (Chairman, Whiteland Corporation) and Yukti Nagpal (Director, Gulshan Group), along with further leaders from Oberoi, IHCL–Taj, Marriott International, Hyatt, Olive Hospitality, Sarovar and Mahindra Holidays.

“I said at last year’s summit that India was a key market to watch. Twelve months on, it is one of the key markets to be in. The depth of developer interest, buyer demand, the quality of projects coming forward and the seriousness of the conversations at TBRS convinced me to return. India is a focus area for us as we look at the next decade of branded living,” said Daniel von Barloewen, who is returning to the summit for the second consecutive year.

The summit comes at a time when branded residences are bringing together real estate, hospitality and capital, with each stakeholder having different priorities. Developers are focused on returns and sales velocity, brands on product quality and protecting their names, buyers on delivery and long-term value, while investors look for predictable cash flows.

TBRS 2.0 will focus on these areas through discussions around feasibility, underwriting, legal structures and operating plans that can continue to work after handover.

“It took India close to a decade to deliver its first seven branded residences. Thirty-six more are already under construction or announced,” said Jain. “The sector can learn fast, from global experience and from the projects taking shape here. The time to settle product, brand, capital and contracts is at the planning table, while every decision can still be changed.”

NOESIS is also encouraging developers to attend with cross-functional leadership teams rather than sending a single representative. Since a branded residences project can affect apartment planning, construction costs, common areas, service charges and contractual commitments, promoters, finance, sales, design, projects and legal teams all play a role.

With the sector expanding across established cities as well as emerging and leisure destinations, TBRS 2.0 aims to bring these different stakeholders together around the decisions that can shape the next phase of branded residences in India.