- AVIATION MEETS HOSPITALITY: Indian Hotels Company and Adani Airport Holdings join hands to develop eight hotels across Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Guwahati
- FOUR BRANDS, MULTIPLE TRAVELLER SEGMENTS: Three Taj, two Vivanta, one Gateway and two Ginger hotels to cater to luxury, upscale and midscale guests
- ₹20,000-CRORE AIRPORT CITY AMBITION: Adani Airport City plans phased development of approximately 22 million sq. ft. across six airport locations
- MUMBAI AND AHMEDABAD IN FOCUS: Hotel projects include a Taj at Mumbai airport’s Terminal 2 and Taj and Vivanta properties in Ahmedabad
NE HOSPITALITY BUREAU
MUMBAI, OCT 29
What happens when an airport becomes more than a place to catch a flight—and evolves into a destination for business, leisure, dining, shopping and hospitality? A major new partnership between Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) seeks to turn that vision into reality, with eight hotels comprising more than 2,000 rooms planned across four Indian cities.
The agreement brings together two major players in Indian hospitality and airport infrastructure to develop hotel properties in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Guwahati. The hotels will operate under IHCL’s flagship Taj, Vivanta, Gateway and Ginger brands, spanning luxury, upscale and midscale accommodation.
The partnership also advances AAHL’s ambition to develop integrated Airport Cities, combining aviation infrastructure with hospitality, retail, commercial, entertainment and lifestyle facilities. For travellers, businesses and the tourism industry, the proposed developments could strengthen the hospitality ecosystem around some of India’s important aviation gateways.
Four cities, eight hotels, one expanding hospitality vision
The agreement envisages a portfolio of three Taj hotels, two Vivanta hotels, one Gateway hotel and two Ginger hotels.
The projects are intended to serve a broad spectrum of travellers, from luxury-seeking international visitors and corporate executives to families, transit passengers and cost-conscious business travellers.
Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO of IHCL, said: “As India strengthens its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, airport-centric developments are emerging as important commercial and hospitality hubs. Our partnership with Adani Airport Holdings Limited brings together two leading Indian companies with a shared vision to build India’s travel and tourism sector.”
He added: “Strengthening IHCL’s leading multi-brand presence in India’s key airports, this collaboration will include three Taj hotels, two Vivanta hotels, a Gateway hotel and two Ginger hotels catering to the diverse needs of business and leisure travellers across segments. With these additions, IHCL will have 25 hotels across its brandscape at key airports in India.”
The multi-brand strategy is designed to match different customer expectations while creating a connected hospitality offering around major aviation hubs.
Mumbai and Ahmedabad get key roles in the expansion
The proposed portfolio includes developments at different stages across the four cities.
Mumbai: A Taj hotel under construction at Terminal 2 of Mumbai airport forms part of the agreement, strengthening the proposed luxury hospitality offering at the country’s financial capital’s principal aviation gateway.
Ahmedabad: The city will have a Taj and a Vivanta hotel, both described in the project information as being in advanced stages of construction.
Lucknow: The portfolio will include a Vivanta and a Ginger hotel, serving different accommodation and service requirements.
Guwahati: The city will feature a Taj, a Gateway and a Ginger hotel, providing a mix of luxury, full-service and midscale hospitality.
Together, the eight properties are expected to offer accommodation alongside dining, meetings and events, wellness and recreational facilities. Their development is intended to support business travel, tourism and passenger movement around the respective airports.
₹20,000-crore airport city plan: hospitality at the heart of urban development
AAHL has established Adani Airport City Limited to develop a land bank of more than 655 acres across six airports in five states, including nearly 440 acres in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
In the first phase, Adani Airport City plans to invest more than ₹20,000 crore to develop approximately 22 million sq. ft. across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Guwahati.
The broader concept is to create integrated, hospitality-led mixed-use districts connected with their respective cities. Such developments can bring hotels, offices, retail outlets, leisure facilities and other commercial infrastructure closer to major transport hubs.
Jeet Adani, Director of Adani Airport Holdings Limited, said: “Across the world, leading airports are evolving into integrated destinations that serve as catalysts for commerce, tourism and urban growth. At Adani Airports, our ambition extends beyond operating airports to developing vibrant Airport Cities that bring together hospitality, business, retail and leisure, while enhancing the overall passenger and visitor experience.”
He added: “Our partnership with IHCL is an important step in this journey, bringing together our hospitality-led mixed-use destinations and India’s leading hospitality company to create world-class hotels across key airport cities with its brands including the iconic Taj. Together, we aim to strengthen the hospitality ecosystem within our Airport City developments and contribute to the long-term economic growth of the regions we serve.”
The collaboration reflects a broader shift in airport development, in which commercial real estate and hospitality are being integrated with aviation infrastructure to create additional economic activity.
What the partnership could mean for travellers and cities
Airport-linked hotels can serve passengers seeking convenient accommodation, companies hosting meetings, tourists arriving in new destinations and travellers facing long connections or schedule changes.
For cities, the potential benefits extend to tourism, hospitality employment, local suppliers, food services, transport operators and other businesses that support visitor activity.
The four hotel brands also provide different market propositions within the same portfolio. Taj represents the luxury segment, Vivanta caters to upscale travellers, Gateway offers full-service hospitality, and Ginger serves the midscale market.
However, the longer-term impact will depend on project execution, timely completion, market demand and the ability to integrate the hotels effectively with airport and city infrastructure.
The IHCL-AAHL agreement therefore represents more than a hotel expansion: it is part of a larger effort to position airport-linked developments as commercial and hospitality destinations in their own right.
About the partners
Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) operates eight airports: Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Navi Mumbai. It is part of Adani Enterprises and is developing integrated Airport City destinations around key aviation hubs.
The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is India’s largest hospitality company by market capitalisation. Founded by Jamsetji Tata, the company opened The Taj Mahal Palace in Bombay in 1903. Its portfolio includes brands such as Taj, Claridges Collection, Brij, Atmantan, SeleQtions, Clarks, Gateway, Vivanta, Tree of Life and Ginger. According to the company information supplied, IHCL has a portfolio of 670 hotels, including 280 in the pipeline, across four continents, 15 countries and more than 300 locations.