IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with AR Infra Consultancy to develop Crowne Plaza Hyderabad Shamshabad Airport Road, marking the Crowne Plaza brand's debut in Hyderabad. Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2031, the 250-key hotel will strengthen IHG's presence in the city while targeting demand from airport transit, corporate travel, meetings and events.

The upcoming property will be located adjacent to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and the 3.5 million sq. ft. World Trade Centre, positioning it within one of Hyderabad's emerging commercial and infrastructure corridors.

Shamshabad is witnessing development across commercial, industrial and logistics sectors, with aerospace facilities and mixed-use projects expected to support further business activity. The airport handled approximately 31 million passengers in 2025, while the development of the World Trade Centre and the expanding Aeronautical Park could add to the area's corporate travel potential.

For IHG, the signing reflects an opportunity to establish its premium Crowne Plaza brand in a location that combines airport connectivity with access to emerging business infrastructure. The hotel is expected to serve corporate travellers, event organisers, long-stay guests and professionals associated with industrial and infrastructure projects.

Commenting on the signing, Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said Shamshabad presents a compelling growth opportunity given its proximity to the airport and the development of commercial infrastructure. He added that the property could address growing corporate, meetings and airport-related demand while strengthening IHG's premium portfolio in India.

P. Revanth Reddy of AR Infra Consultancy described the project as the company's first venture into the hospitality sector, building on its experience in real estate and infrastructure across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He said the partnership with IHG would support the development of a landmark hospitality destination and establish a foundation for the company's long-term presence in the sector.

Hotel Facilities and Key Features

Once operational, Crowne Plaza Hyderabad Shamshabad Airport Road will feature 250 keys, including 37 suites, alongside a range of dining, business and leisure facilities.

The planned food and beverage offering includes five outlets:

• All-day dining restaurant: 187 seats

• Bar: 65 seats

• Specialty restaurant: 65 seats

• Pool bar: 65 seats

• Lobby lounge: 55 seats

The hotel will also feature 1,170 sq. m. of meeting and event space across five venues, including an 800 sq. m. ballroom. Additional facilities will include a club lounge, swimming pool, fitness centre, spa and parking spaces.

The combination of meeting facilities, multiple dining venues and leisure amenities is intended to position the property for corporate gatherings, conferences, social events and airport-linked stays.

IHG Expands Its Hyderabad and India Portfolio

The signing further expands IHG's presence in Hyderabad, where its existing portfolio includes two operational Holiday Inn Express hotels and an InterContinental hotel under development. The new Crowne Plaza will add a premium offering focused on business travel and MICE demand.

Across India, IHG currently operates 53 hotels across seven brands and has a pipeline of 110 hotels expected to open over the next three to five years. Its portfolio includes Six Senses, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Crowne Plaza, voco Hotels, Holiday Inn Resort and Holiday Inn Express.

The planned Crowne Plaza Hyderabad Shamshabad Airport Road adds to this expansion strategy, with the location offering access to airport traffic and the commercial developments expected to shape the region's growth over the coming years.

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited (SHRL) has expanded its wildlife portfolio with the opening of Sterling Vanyatara Tadoba in Maharashtra's Chimur region. The new wilderness retreat adds Tadoba to the company's growing presence across India's leading wildlife destinations.

Sterling is developing wildlife and nature-based holidays as a distinct leisure category, with resorts across several forest destinations in India. The addition of Tadoba strengthens its presence in Maharashtra and creates more opportunities for travellers to explore different forests, local cultures, regional cuisines and natural landscapes.

The new retreat also brings a wider choice for families looking beyond traditional safari holidays. Along with wildlife experiences, guests can enjoy comfortable stays, nature-led activities, local food and experiences that bring different generations together.

Vikram Lalvani, Managing Director & CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited (SHRL), said, “India’s forests offer far more than wildlife sightings. Each has its own landscape, ecology, culture and cuisine and therefore a different reason to travel. At Sterling, we see wildlife and nature-led holidays as an increasingly important part of our hospitality portfolio, and we are deliberately building depth in this category.

As Destination Architects, our ambition is to make the forest the experience, not just the safari. Sterling Vanyatara Tadoba strengthens that proposition while creating opportunities to connect destinations such as Pench, Tadoba and Tipeshwar into richer journeys for families and wildlife enthusiasts. Our ambition is not simply to take travellers on more safaris. It is to give them more of India's wilderness to discover.”

Located with access to five safari gates of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Sterling Vanyatara Tadoba is designed as an intimate 18-key wilderness retreat. Its accommodation options include Indulge Rooms with Sit-out, Forest Villas with private lawns and Two-Bedroom Villas offering a mix of shared and private spaces. Guests can also unwind at the swimming pool, spa and outdoor areas between excursions.

The retreat plans to offer experiences beyond safaris through weekly evening storytelling sessions with naturalists, cultural performances by Gond tribe artists and Saoji cuisine showcases by rural communities. These activities aim to introduce guests to the region's cultural traditions alongside its wildlife.

At The Jungle Table, guests can explore Vidarbha's traditional Saoji cuisine, known for its bold and fiery flavours. The menu also features popular street food inspired by Nagpur and Shedgaon, including Zunka Bhakar with Thecha and Pitla sourced from Gond tribal hamlets, alongside Indian and international favourites. Post-safari high teas and private dinners under the stars add to the dining experience.

Guests can plan safari excursions through the Alizanza, Madnapur, Shirkheda, Belara and Shedegaon safari gates, subject to permits.

Ashok L Bhaiyya and Gaurav Bhaiyya, Partners, Sterling Vanyatara Tadoba, said, “What attracted us to Tadoba was the power of the wilderness and the opportunity to create a retreat where the experience continues after guests return from the forest. We wanted space, privacy and a strong sense of place to define the stay. Sterling’s understanding of Indian leisure travel and its ability to build richer journeys especially around the wildlife destinations makes it a natural partner for that vision.”

With existing resorts in Pench and Tipeshwar, Sterling plans to connect these destinations with Tadoba through a Pench–Tadoba–Tipeshwar forest circuit. The initiative will give travellers an opportunity to explore three different wilderness landscapes as part of one journey. Through this expansion, SHRL aims to offer more choices for wildlife enthusiasts and families while strengthening its presence in India's nature-based tourism market.

Omaxe Ltd. has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Carnation Hotels Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lemon Tree Hotels, to operate 10 hotel projects comprising 4,000 keys across India. The arrangement marks another step in Omaxe's ₹6,200 crore hospitality expansion announced in June 2026, which envisages the development of 19 hotels across five states.

The 10 projects involve an estimated investment of approximately ₹4,000 crore and span Lucknow, Vrindavan, Amausi, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Amritsar, Kaushambi and Faridabad. The portfolio covers transit hubs, pilgrimage destinations and commercial locations, reflecting Omaxe's strategy of integrating hospitality with its wider real estate and urban development portfolio.

The properties will operate under Lemon Tree Hotels' brand portfolio and cater to different hospitality segments. Development and commissioning timelines are expected to range from nine months to five years, depending on the individual project.

Commenting on the partnership, Mohit Goel, Managing Director of Omaxe Ltd., said, "India's hospitality opportunity is expanding beyond established metropolitan markets, with Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities emerging as important destinations for business, leisure and pilgrimage travel. Temple towns, growing commercial centres and transit hubs each have distinct accommodation needs, creating an opportunity to develop hospitality assets that are aligned with the demand drivers of their respective markets. Our arrangement with Lemon Tree Hotels brings established operating expertise to this strategy, while our sale-led development model enables us to pursue this expansion with a disciplined approach to capital deployment."

Neelendra Singh, Managing Director of Lemon Tree Hotels Limited, highlighted the importance of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to the company's expansion strategy. He said the arrangement would support growth across diverse markets, from transit hubs in Lucknow to pilgrimage destinations such as Vrindavan.

Singh also noted that the partnership combines Omaxe's nearly four decades of real estate development experience with Lemon Tree Hotels' more than two decades of hospitality expertise. He added that the arrangement would accelerate Lemon Tree Hotels' asset-light growth strategy by expanding its managed portfolio across different markets and property formats.

The projects will follow a sale-led development model, with Omaxe expecting to fund completion through sales proceeds without requiring loan funding. The proposed portfolio includes two bus terminal developments in Lucknow: Jankipuram with 500 keys and Vrindavan Yojna with 330 keys. The Omaxe BeTogether Centre Point project in Amausi, near the airport, will have 693 keys.

In Vrindavan, the portfolio includes Omaxe Eternity-II with 501 keys and Omaxe BeTogether Courtyard with 81 keys. Other projects comprise Omaxe BeTogether Centre Point on Ambedkar Road in Ghaziabad with 215 keys, Omaxe Connaught Place in Greater Noida with 150 keys, service apartments in Amritsar with 745 keys, Omaxe BeTogether Centre Point, Tower 1, in Kaushambi with 350 keys, and World Mall in Sector 79, Faridabad, with 435 keys.

Through this arrangement, Omaxe aims to extend its real estate development capabilities into hospitality while complementing its existing townships, commercial destinations and mixed-use developments. For Lemon Tree Hotels, the partnership provides an opportunity to expand its operating portfolio across a wider range of Indian markets, with a focus on locations supported by business, leisure, pilgrimage and transit demand.