Prepare to shell out more money for your year-end holidays in India as hotel rates have seen a significant increase across various locations. This ongoing surge trend in 2023 can be attributed to a rise in corporate bookings, the G20 summit, and the ICC World Cup, as shared with ET by hoteliers familiar with the matter. Additionally, the ongoing wedding season and a higher demand from domestic travelers have further escalated rates for the Christmas-New Year period.In fact, some hotels have already reached full capacity.
For instance, if you plan to stay at The Leela Palace Udaipur on Christmas night, be prepared to spend Rs 1,06,200, the report said quoting Booking.com rates. Similarly, a night’s stay at Six Senses Fort Barwara on the same date will cost you Rs 1,64,919.
Akhil Arora, CEO of Espire Hospitality Group, which manages the Fort Barwara property, confirmed the surge in demand. He mentioned that the demand this year for the festive season is much higher compared to last year, resulting in a rate increase of about 10-15%. Arora advises potential guests to book early and remain flexible with their choice of location to save on packages.
Rajesh Namby, the general manager of Accor’s luxury hotel Raffles Udaipur, revealed that the average daily rates have gone up by 24% compared to last year. Similarly, Gaurav Shrivastava, the director of revenue at the Fairmont hotel in Jaipur, highlighted that an increase in pricing of about 12-15%, particularly during December, which is considered a period of peak demand would lead to higher costs for guests.

When it comes to Goa, room rates at Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa and Taj Fort Aguada Resort and Spa for December 31 are not available on Booking.com. However, rooms at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa and The Grand Hyatt Goa are Rs 53,100 and Rs 88,500, respectively.
These price hikes are not limited to specific cities but are evident in both business and leisure destinations across the country. Nikhil Sharma, the market managing director, Eurasia, at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, states that the current room rates in both segments are demonstrating sustained growth, with a significant double-digit rise expected in 2024. Sharma attributes this to factors such as increased business activities and higher demand for leisure properties.
Nilesh Shah, president of the Travel & Tourism Association of Goa, noted that the wedding season started late this year, contributing to the high rates in Goa hotels. Shah also mentioned that more people are traveling within India, and airfares have also increased, resulting in an overall higher cost of a holiday.
Read From ET | Hotel rates sky-rocket in India
With both Christmas and New Year falling on a Monday, travelers are eager to take advantage of the long weekends and are planning their year-end travel well in advance, as shared by Santosh Kumar, country manager for India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Indonesia at Booking.com.
Noshir A Marfatia, senior vice president for sales and marketing at The Fern Hotels & Resorts, predicts that leisure hotel rates for December will surpass those of the previous year. He attributes this to larger and more opulent celebrations during the wedding season. Marfatia also mentions that with the reopening of international travel, rates abroad have skyrocketed, making the rate increase in India widely acceptable.