Three more luxury hotels set to add 450+ room keys in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar

AHMEDABAD: As Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar's business and industry landscape expands with growing investments and tourist footfalls, their hospitality sector is also thriving. The twin cities' five-star hotel basket is set to get three new properties as major hospitality brands like the IHCL Group and Marriott International sign up for more properties here.
The new properties are expected to add 450-500 more keys to the existing 5,500+ room inventory in the two cities.
American hospitality major Marriott International is in talks for signing a new property deal at Adani Shantigram campus along SG Road in Ahmedabad. Sources privy to the development confirmed the property is expected to be run under Marriott's classic luxury brand - JW Marriott Hotels.
'Property likely to be operational after five years'
The 275-room property is likely to be operational after five years, i.e., by 2028," said a source privy to the development. In response to TOI's email query, spokespersons of Marriott International refused to comment.
The company, which operates about 30 brands internationally, has aggressively expanded in Gujarat over the past five years, with another property under its classic premium brand, Sheraton, expected to come up along SP Ring Road, say industry sources.
Rising and consistent occupancy levels in Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar's hospitality market and growing demand with increased commercial and industrial activity have led to aggressive expansions by major players.
Recently, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) signed a Taj branded resort and spa in Gandhinagar. "The 118-room resort is slated to open early in 2023. With the expanding wellness travel market, this resort is well-positioned to cater to the growing needs around the circle of wellness," said Puneet Chhatwal, MD and CEO, IHCL.
IHCL Group recently inaugurated Vivanta by Taj after having taken over an existing property along SG Road in Ahmedabad. The group already has four more hotels under development in the state.
"After Covid, the average occupancy levels have gone up to 85% across most hotels. This is especially true for 2022, when most restrictions related to Covid were lifted and business and commercial activity assumed normalcy. Moreover, players across the globe setting foot into India's first financial services centre - GIFT-IFSC - in addition to expansions on the cards in industrial clusters, it is only natural for more hospitality players to come in. The inventory of rooms in the twin cities is buoyed to grow over the next decade," said Narendra Somani, president, Hotels and Restaurants' Association (HRA) - Gujarat.
Since Covid year of 2020, at least four new hotel properties were launched in Ahmedabad, including Taj Skyline along Sindhu Bhavan Road (SBR), ITC Narmada, Courtyard by Marriott SBR and Leela in Gandhinagar, adding nearly 700 room keys to the existing inventory.