If you are looking for luxury hotels that elevate indulgence to unmatched levels, your search will stop in India. Given the imagination, scale, aesthetics, and services offered by the country’s hotel chains, this is hardly surprising. Home-grown Indian hotel brands have been winning awards and getting the approval of travel experts year after year, firmly establishing Indian hospitality as a well-recognised global industry.
It is well known that India’s outstanding home-grown chains, which uphold the tradition of Atithi Devo Bhava, can hold their own in any elite line-up. The evidence is there for all to see, with brands receiving meritorious and well-deserved recognition. From the iconic Taj, rated as the world’s strongest hotel brand, a dozen properties, including Taj, Oberoi, ITC, and Leela hotels, have made it to the global rankings in a survey by one of the most prestigious travel magazines.
The passion for creating experiences surpassing even the extraordinary has seen Indian hotel brands seamlessly marry eastern emotional intelligence with western efficiency, creating a unique style of hospitality that is renowned worldwide. And this has been brought to life by those who form the heart of the sector — the well-trained people whose polite, helpful and incredible service cannot be rivalled anywhere else in the world.
Even as people continue to be torchbearers of Indian hospitality, the industry keeps in step with international standards on service excellence and business practices. Moreover, as sustainability becomes the overriding theme of the era, many top hotel chains are leading by example. From doing away with plastics, investing in green energy, championing the cause of cleanliness and indigenising campaigns, to preserving biodiversity by keeping hills and beaches debris-free to showcasing local handicrafts and skills and expanding livelihood opportunities to local communities, responsible tourism is carving out the future of Indian hospitality.
{{/usCountry}}Even as people continue to be torchbearers of Indian hospitality, the industry keeps in step with international standards on service excellence and business practices. Moreover, as sustainability becomes the overriding theme of the era, many top hotel chains are leading by example. From doing away with plastics, investing in green energy, championing the cause of cleanliness and indigenising campaigns, to preserving biodiversity by keeping hills and beaches debris-free to showcasing local handicrafts and skills and expanding livelihood opportunities to local communities, responsible tourism is carving out the future of Indian hospitality.
{{/usCountry}}ITC Hotels have made their mark in pursuing globally recognised certification for green buildings. With its ESG+ framework, the Indian Hotels Company Limited takes a holistic look at people, the planet, and profits, as do the many initiatives of the Oberoi Group. Other Indian Brands such as Lemon Tree, Park, and The Lalit hotels have become benchmarks for their strong, inclusive policies embedded into their business models. In a country which is home to one out of six people on this planet, it says a lot about the contribution of a single sector that has successfully battled misconceptions of being elitist.
Today, hotel chains are procuring from small farmers, and roping in local talent. Such farm-to-fork and community employment concepts go a long way in enhancing the experience for tourists looking for glocal hospitality. At the same time, hotels are seen as brands with a heart, building relationships and sustainability capital. With its unique geographical diversity, rich cultural heritage, and ancient knowledge of the arts and sciences, India is on the cusp of transformation as an essential travel and tourism destination. Worldwide, the growth of travel and tourism continues to outpace the global economy, with the industry having a considerable multiplier impact on economic development and employment. For a country like India, with its vast potential, there is tremendous opportunity for the tourism and hospitality sector, if developed strategically, to help boost the nation’s journey to becoming one of the world’s top three economies.
This journey can be successful if we continue to collaborate forward with a common goal: To take the hotel sector to new heights. And what better way to enter the 75th year of Independence than by celebrating with pride the many Indian hotel brands that have shone a light on our industry through international honours, thereby elevating India’s position on the travel and tourism map.
Puneet Chhatwal is president, Hotel Association of India. MP Bezbaruah is secretary-general of the association The views expressed are personal