IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Entry Point Hotels & Resorts Private Limited to develop Holiday Inn Raipur in Naya Raipur, strengthening its presence in Chhattisgarh's growing administrative and commercial market. The hotel is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2031.

The signing reflects IHG's strategy of expanding its portfolio across India's emerging business and travel destinations, where growing commercial activity, infrastructure development and institutional demand are creating opportunities for branded hospitality.

Naya Raipur, also known as Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, is Chhattisgarh's planned capital and an emerging administrative and commercial centre. The city's development is supported by government institutions, public sector organisations, educational establishments and expanding commercial infrastructure.

Holiday Inn Raipur will be located in Sector 24, Naya Raipur, with access to key government complexes, including Mantralaya and Vidhan Sabha. Its proximity to Swami Vivekananda Airport is expected to support travel by government delegations, corporate guests and other visitors.

The wider Raipur market is also evolving beyond its traditional industrial base, with activity across education, information technology, infrastructure and lifestyle developments contributing to its growth as a commercial destination. These developments are expected to support demand for quality accommodation across business, government, events and leisure segments.

156 Rooms and Dedicated Meeting Facilities

Holiday Inn Raipur will feature 156 rooms and suites, including 16 suites, alongside three dining venues. The planned food and beverage facilities comprise a 117-seat all-day dining restaurant, a 40-seat bar and a 40-seat lobby lounge.

The hotel will also offer approximately 942 square metres of meeting and event space across four venues. The facilities will include a divisible ballroom spanning 715 square metres, positioning the property to accommodate conferences, corporate meetings, social gatherings and other events.

Additional amenities are planned to include a swimming pool, fitness centre and parking. IHG noted that the proposed facilities remain indicative and will be subject to design development and brand standards.

Commenting on the signing, Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said, “We are delighted to partner with Entry Point Hotels & Resorts Private Limited to bring Holiday Inn to Naya Raipur. As the city continues to develop as a key administrative and commercial centre, the signing presents an opportunity to introduce one of our most recognised brands to a market with diverse travel needs. Holiday Inn Raipur adds to our growing presence across India and reflects our focus on taking our brands to destinations where we see long-term potential.”

Arun Kumar Goyal of Entry Point Hotels & Resorts Private Limited said the partnership combines Holiday Inn's global brand recognition with IHG's hospitality expertise. He added that the project aims to introduce an international hospitality experience while responding to the needs of Naya Raipur's expanding visitor base.

Holiday Inn's Global Hospitality Platform

The hotel will incorporate Holiday Inn's Open Lobby concept, providing spaces where guests can work, meet and relax alongside the property's dining, meeting and leisure facilities.

As part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, the property is also expected to benefit from the group's global distribution network, digital platforms and IHG One Rewards loyalty programme, connecting it with a wider international customer base.

The signing adds to IHG's expansion across India, where the company continues to pursue opportunities in destinations with long-term potential for corporate travel, government activity, events and leisure demand.

With its planned 2031 opening, Holiday Inn Raipur is set to add internationally branded accommodation and meeting infrastructure to Naya Raipur's developing hospitality landscape.

Black Rock Hotels & Resorts has announced an expansion pipeline of approximately 900 rooms, marking its entry into hotel ownership with a 241-key property in Udaipur and extending its development footprint into Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

The Rajasthan-based hospitality group currently operates seven hotels with approximately 950 rooms and is targeting six additional hotel openings through 2027. The proposed additions are expected to take its total inventory close to 2,000 rooms, subject to development progress and opening schedules.

The centrepiece of the expansion is Kingsbury, a 241-room hotel under development in Udaipur. The project will mark Black Rock's transition from third-party hotel management into hotel ownership, introducing an asset-led growth model alongside its existing management partnerships.

Located alongside a lake and surrounded by hills, Kingsbury is scheduled to begin operations in March 2027, initially with approximately 160 rooms. The property is being developed with substantial infrastructure for destination weddings, conferences and large social gatherings.

Planned facilities include two ballrooms measuring approximately 4,000 sq. ft. and 14,000 sq. ft., an 11,000 sq. ft. courtyard, a 6,000 sq. ft. pool deck and a 10,000 sq. ft. rooftop event space. Three lakeside venues and five garden spaces ranging from approximately 10,000 to 50,000 sq. ft. will further expand its event-hosting capabilities.

Beyond Rajasthan, Black Rock has signed two hotel projects in Jim Corbett, Uttarakhand, comprising 115 and 135 rooms, respectively. Both properties have indicated opening timelines of October 2027. The company has also signed a hotel project in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, extending its presence into another leisure and pilgrimage destination.

Commenting on the expansion, Anshul Bhargava, Founder and Chairman, Black Rock Hotels & Resorts, said, “We have built our business around operating hotels where weddings, conferences and leisure contribute substantially to revenue. Our next phase is about taking that experience into new markets while also developing assets of our own. Udaipur will be an important milestone because we have been able to plan the property around the operational requirements of these segments. With a sizeable pipeline ahead, we are moving towards a larger, geographically diversified portfolio while remaining focused on commercial viability and operating performance.”

Black Rock's existing business model is based on revenue-sharing arrangements with property owners. Under this approach, the company manages staffing, operating expenditure and day-to-day hotel operations, while property owners receive an agreed share of revenue.

The addition of owned assets introduces a second growth model, enabling the group to participate directly in hotel development while continuing to expand through partnerships with independent property owners.

With its upcoming projects spanning Udaipur, Jim Corbett and Vrindavan, Black Rock is positioning itself for a broader role as a hospitality owner-operator, with a focus on destination resorts, weddings, meetings and conferences, and leisure-led markets.

Ganpati Group has announced a planned investment of approximately ₹250 crore in a proposed 200-key hotel in Lucknow, in partnership with Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, marking a strategic move into branded hospitality for the diversified business group.

Located in Vibhuti Khand, the proposed development will combine Ganpati Group's real estate development capabilities with Sheraton's established international hospitality brand and management expertise. The project is part of the Group's broader strategy to expand its hospitality portfolio across key urban markets.

Ganpati Group is targeting the addition of approximately 800–1,000 hotel keys over the next three to five years. Hospitality is also a component of its upcoming development portfolio, valued at approximately ₹2,000 crore across residential, commercial and hospitality projects. Lucknow and Visakhapatnam are among its immediate focus markets.

Commenting on the announcement, Nikhil Agarwal, Managing Director, Ganpati Group, said, “Hospitality is an important pillar of our long-term growth strategy, and our planned ₹250 crore investment in Lucknow, in partnership with Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, reflects our conviction in the potential of India's evolving hospitality market. We believe markets that combine a growing business ecosystem, infrastructure development and tourism potential offer compelling opportunities for quality hospitality assets. Lucknow brings these fundamentals together, making it an important market for our expansion. By combining our real estate development capabilities with Sheraton Hotels and Resorts' established global hospitality expertise, we aim to contribute to the city's evolving hospitality infrastructure while building a stronger, more diversified portfolio for Ganpati Group.”

The partnership reflects the Group's approach of combining strategically positioned real estate investments with established international hospitality brands. Branded hotels are expected to play a growing role in diversifying its business and supporting long-term expansion across business and leisure destinations.

Lucknow's position as Uttar Pradesh's capital, along with its expanding business ecosystem, infrastructure development and tourism potential, underpins the investment. The proposed hotel is intended to contribute to the city's hospitality infrastructure as demand evolves across business, administrative and leisure travel segments.

The announcement also aligns with Ganpati Group's wider development plans across residential, commercial and hospitality real estate, with the Group looking to build a broader presence in markets offering opportunities for long-term growth.

About Ganpati Group

Founded in 1972 as a family business, Ganpati Group is a diversified conglomerate headquartered in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, with interests in real estate, hospitality and healthcare. Its flagship real estate arm, Ganpati Infrastructure Development Company Limited, has delivered more than 20 residential and commercial projects across Agra, Vrindavan and other markets.

Its portfolio includes developments such as Ganpati Wonder City, Ganpati Classique and Ganpati World, alongside ongoing projects including Ganpati Smart City, Ganpati Upvana and Ganpati Capital Court in Lucknow. The Group is led by Chairman Anil Agrawal and Managing Director Nikhil Agarwal