Indian Hospitality – The Stats & Pulse (S&P) Report – FY 2021

The most memorable battles in history have been won not by the strongest, not by the largest, not even by the smartest. The victors of epic wars have been those who fell down and then got back up. Those who were bruised, but not broken. The might it takes in rising after one has been brought to their knees is herculean, and not everyone has the mettle to bounce back. Those who do possess this strength, those rare few, they write history!

The past fifteen months have witnessed a rollercoaster of events, with circumstances never imagined and a plethora of unthinkable situations. The pandemic has very likely left no human being on the planet untouched. From global lockdowns (many of which continue to this day), to multiple waves of mutated virus strains that have already taken almost three million lives, COVID-19 has definitively altered our societies and economies. As a species, we have all experienced shock, awe, despair, helplessness, exasperation, even resignation to the fact that this state of affairs may well last indefinitely. The loss of life has been heartbreaking. The loss of livelihood has been immense. Tens of thousands of enterprises, big & small alike, have folded. Supply chains have been disrupted, currencies impacted, all industries, sectors, professions, and crafts brought to varying degrees of ruin. Among those that plummeted the most are the travel, trade, and tourism industries. Aviation and Hospitality have borne a kick to the shin that was extremely painful and debilitating.

While many businesses in the Indian hotel sector have been pushed to their knees and some have indeed suffered far too much to expect a recoup, efforts by others have not only displayed the true meaning of perseverance but also reinforced the belief that the battle, no matter how impossible it may seem, is not lost until you choose to give up. Malleability, or the presence of mind to acknowledge a change in circumstances and to then alter the game plan swiftly, and decisively, has almost always been key to survival. India’s hospitality sector has, with little to no help from external bodies, worked towards adapting. It was punched in the gut, it got back up and it is continuing the bout.

Through both primary and secondary research, Hotelivate has gathered performance trends for more than 140,000 existing, organized rooms as well as a confirmed supply pipeline for almost 35,000 rooms across the country. This comprehensive publication, a first of its kind, sheds light on the facts that have defined the last four quarters during the pandemic; it compares various trendlines against pre-COVID years and it tables our estimation and objective view on the recovery path ahead. This report provides perspective on how performances varied by positioning as well as by markets. Data-driven analytics form the basis of this publication and we hope to aid the industry’s recovery process by sharing insights that may prove useful in defining the path forward.