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India News
www.asianhospitality.com
July 2025 | Issue 238
itesh Agarwal, CEO of OYO,
announced a contest to rename
parent firm Oravel Stays, with a prize
of ₹3 lakh or nearly $3,500. The new name
must be one word, global and suitable for
use beyond hospitality.
Agarwal, who also serves as chairman of
G6 Hospitality, parent company of Motel
6 and Studio 6, shared on Instagram that
entries are open but will close soon. He
said the name should be one word, bold,
global, and not tied to any single culture
or language. It should feel tech-forward,
human and memorable, with potential
to grow beyond hospitality. Availability
of a “.com” domain related to the name is
preferred. He’s also offering a chance to
meet him.
“We're renaming the corporate brand
behind it all. Not the hotel chain, not
a consumer product — but the parent
company powering a global ecosystem of
urban innovation and modern living," Ritesh
wrote on Instagram. "We believe it's time
the world had a new kind of global brand
— born in India, but built for the world.
We’re inviting brand thinkers, creatives,
entrepreneurs, and curious minds to help
us craft this new identity — one that reflects
our evolution and opens doors to where we
go next.”
OYO is reportedly planning a separate
app for its premium and mid-to-premium
company-serviced hotels, following growth
in this segment in India and global markets.
“There is a strong possibility that the
name chosen through this exercise could
become the name of the premium hotels app
OYO is planning to launch soon,” PTI quoted
people familiar with the development as
saying.
OYO has also arranged for five investment
banks to present to key shareholder
SoftBank in June at its Grosvenor Street
office in London, PTI reported. The meeting
could assess OYO’s path to a public listing,
as the company targets an IPO in the last
quarter of the current fiscal year.
The company aims to increase booking
revenue from company-serviced hotels to
44 percent, up from 22 percent, by year-
end.
OYO launches naming
contest for parent firm
The new name must be one word, global and fit for use
beyond hospitality
ndia’s hospitality industry is
expected to attract $1 billion in
investments by 2028, up from $340
million in hotel transactions last year,
according to JLL India. RevPAR rose
16.3 percent from January to March
compared to the same period last year.
It also rose 8 percent from the fourth
quarter of 2024.
Around 79 hotels with 9,478 keys
were signed during the quarter, while
31 branded hotels with 3,253 keys
opened, the report said.
“The pipeline of 79 new hotel
signings, representing 9,478 keys this
quarter, reflects investor confidence in
India’s hospitality fundamentals,” said
Jaideep Dang, JLL India’s managing
director for hotels and hospitality
group. “With JLL projecting $1 billion
in investments by 2028, we are seeing
a market shift that balances short-
term performance gains with strategic
long-term positioning across all tiers
and segments. This growth follows $340
million in hotel transactions last year.”
The report showed Bengaluru led
with 38.3 percent year-on-year RevPAR
growth, driven by the Aero India 2025
event, which boosted occupancy and
ADR, JLL said. Delhi and Mumbai
followed with RevPAR growth of 26.2
percent and 21.3 percent, supported by
occupancy levels.
Chennai recorded 18.7 percent RevPAR
growth, driven by increased corporate
travel, the Annual Leather Fair and the
USICON event at Chennai Trade Centre.
Hyderabad posted 15.1 percent RevPAR
growth despite a slight occupancy decline,
showing strength in rate growth.
The pipeline remained active with
31 new branded hotels and 3,253 keys
opening in the first quarter.
The upscale and midscale segments
had the most openings and signings.
During the quarter, 10 upscale hotels
with 843 keys opened and 21 hotels with
2,734 keys were signed. The midscale
segment had 12 openings with 934 keys
and 29 signings with 2,821 keys. Upper
upscale and luxury followed, while the
economy segment had one opening
and six signings.
Most branded hotel openings and
signings were in tier 2 markets. During
the quarter, 15 hotels with 1,307 keys
opened and 50 hotels with 5,904 keys
were signed in tier 2 cities, exceeding the
combined total in tier 1 and tier 3 markets.
Transaction activity included Chalet
Hotels Ltd acquiring the 141-key Westin
Resort & Spa, Rishikesh, for about ₹530
crore, approximately $62 million. The
quarter also saw Hilton partner with NILE
Hospitality to launch 75 Hampton hotels
starting in 2026.
Report: India’s hospitality sector to attract $1B by 2028
RevPAR rose 16.3 percent in January-March year-on-year
India’s hospitality industry is expected to attract $1
billion in investments by 2028, up from $340 million in
hotel transactions last year, according to JLL India.
OYO CEO Ritesh Agarwal recently announced
a contest to rename parent firm Oravel Stays,
offering a prize of about $3,500.