Weekends turn busy for city hotels
New Delhi: Weekend bookings at Indian hotels are on the rise, marking a shift in the country's hospitality market. Historically, these bookings were low, unlike more global cities. However, recent trends show a growing interest in weekend travel, leading to a more mature hotel sector. Karan Mahesh, regional director of STR, noted that Friday-Saturday occupancy in India reached nearly 67% from January to August 2026, the highest since 2023.
Mumbai saw the biggest increase, with weekend occupancy rising by 2.9 percentage points to 77.2%, while New Delhi's weekend occupancy climbed by 3.9 points to 77.4%. The ability of a business destination to attract weekend demand is a key sign of market maturity. Ibis and Ibis Styles properties in September reported weekend occupancies increasing by 5-7%, and average daily rates up by 16-18% on weekends.
Even in Q1 2026, revenue per available room for Sayaji Hotels grew by 14.3% year on year on weekends. The shift seems to be driven by staycations, short breaks, and local experiences, expanding the customer base for city hotels post-Covid-19.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
