Ginger, the midscale brand of The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), has reached 100 operating hotels in India. IHCL announced the milestone on 29 September and described Ginger as the first brand in India to have 100 hotels in operation.
The larger number is the one behind it. IHCL puts Ginger’s total portfolio at 250 hotels, made up of the 100 now trading, 95 under development and 55 under brand migration. The company expects the migrating hotels to be rebranded by 31 March 2027.
Airport hotels lead the pipeline
IHCL highlighted four airport projects, all considerably larger than the 85-room Lucknow hotel that was the brand’s 100th signing in November 2024.
- Bengaluru International Airport: 325 keys
- Manohar International Airport, Goa: 300 keys
- Mumbai Terminal 2: more than 200 keys
- Kolkata Airport: 200 keys
The release says the Bengaluru hotel will open soon but gives no opening dates for any of the four. Ginger hotels include Qmin, IHCL’s all-day diner, which the company says also works as a workspace.
What IHCL says
Deepika Rao, executive vice president of IHCL’s select service business, described the 100-hotel mark as a significant moment on the way to the company’s Accelerate 2030 goals, and said demand for midscale hotels is strong in both established and emerging markets.
Suma Venkatesh, executive vice president for real estate and development, called Ginger a key growth engine for IHCL. She said the brand is expanding through operating leases, selective investments and partnerships across India.
Ms Rao leads a select service business that brings Ginger, Tree of Life, ama Stays & Trails and Qmin under one structure, according to Asian Hospitality.
From 100 signed to 100 open
In November 2024 IHCL announced that it had signed its 100th Ginger hotel, in Lucknow. Less than two years later the brand has 100 hotels open and a portfolio two and a half times that size on IHCL’s count.
Ginger is not growing alone. Asian Hospitality, citing a report by Hotelogix, notes that larger groups are using partnerships, acquisitions and franchise agreements to build midscale networks in India, including in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and that the segment is consolidating. Examples given include IHCL’s investments in ANK Hotels and Pride Hospitality and Marriott International’s investment in Concept Hospitality.
THD’s reading
This is THD’s analysis, not a statement from IHCL.
- The 55 brand migrations are the fastest route to scale. Converting existing hotels adds rooms without waiting for construction, and a deadline of 31 March 2027 means that work is under way now. IHCL has not said in this release which hotels are migrating or where they come from. If the conversions complete on time, Ginger would have around 155 operating hotels before any new-build opens.
- Conversions test brand standards. Suppliers of signage, furniture, technology and Qmin kitchen fit-outs have a defined window of work, and IHCL will need consistent product across hotels it did not design.
- The airport hotels change the brand’s shape. At 200 to 325 keys they are several times the size of a property such as Lucknow, and they depend on transit demand and airport concession terms more than on local corporate travel.
- Ms Venkatesh’s reference to operating leases and selective investments matters for owners. Ginger is not a pure management or franchise play, and IHCL is prepared to take lease and capital exposure where it sees the return.
For competing midscale operators, the message is that the largest Indian hotel company is treating the segment as a core growth business with its own leadership, and is willing to lease, invest and convert to get there.
