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.