BRICS Summit triggers Delhi luxury hotel shortage and soaring room rates

A scan of hotel booking platforms indicates that flagship Delhi hotels—including Taj Mahal, The Oberoi, Taj Palace and Leela Palace—have no rooms left for September 10-12 surrounding the BRICS summit, and the limited inventory at venues like ITC Maurya starts at more than Rs 2.3 lakh per night. K B Kachru, president of the Hotel Association of India, said the event places India under global scrutiny, likely forcing tourists and business travelers to absorb higher premiums, relocate to peripheral hotels, adjust travel dates, or choose lower-priced options.

Rahool Macarius of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts highlighted a distinct demand spike in Delhi-NCR, with occupancy at Ramada Encore on the Dwarka Expressway already at 65 % for September 12-15, outpacing the broader market. The LaLiT New Delhi is gearing up to host delegations from nations such as South Africa, Burundi and the UAE. Nikhil Sharma of Radisson noted a 25 % year-on-year rise in average room rates, driven by the summit’s concentrated demand, especially in the luxury and MICE segments where supply is tight.