Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) and IHG Hotels & Resorts have signed a managed hotel portfolio agreement to develop five hotels across airport-linked and high-growth urban destinations in India, the companies announced on 14 May. The deal will add close to 1,500 keys across multiple brands and locations, marking a significant expansion of premium hospitality infrastructure tied to India's rapidly growing aviation ecosystem.

What the Deal Covers

The portfolio spans a Kimpton hotel in Jaipur, along with Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties within hospitality-led mixed-use developments at upcoming Adani Airport Cities. These properties are planned across Navi Mumbai, Mangaluru, and Thiruvananthapuram. Notably, the agreement also marks the debut of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in India — the brand's first entry into the Indian market.

What the Two Companies Said

'As the Adani Group expands its presence across hospitality and airport-led urban infrastructure, our vision is to create world-class destinations that seamlessly integrate travel, stay and urban experiences around India's rapidly growing aviation ecosystem,' said Pranav Adani, Director, Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL). He added that the five-hotel collaboration with IHG 'marks an important step in strengthening high-quality hospitality infrastructure aligned with India's long-term travel and economic growth.'

Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said the partnership 'reflects the scale of opportunity we continue to see in India's hospitality sector, particularly across gateway cities and airport-led developments that are witnessing strong demand from business, leisure and transit travellers alike.'

The Airport City Ambition Behind the Deal

AAHL manages eight airports serving nearly 90 million passengers annually, and is developing these facilities as integrated airport cities blending aviation with retail, hospitality, and convention infrastructure. Its Adani Airport City platform spans over 650 acres across key cities including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Guwahati. The first phase is slated to deliver 22 million sq. ft. of mixed-use development comprising branded hotels, experiential retail, dining, convention centres, Grade A offices, and entertainment zones.

Kimpton's India Entry and What It Signals

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is known globally for design-led properties, chef-driven dining, and boutique luxury positioning. Its India debut through the Jaipur property signals growing domestic appetite for premium lifestyle hospitality — a segment that has expanded sharply alongside rising discretionary travel spending and a surge in international tourist arrivals to heritage destinations. This comes amid a broader wave of international hotel brands deepening their India presence as the country targets becoming one of the world's top five travel economies.

What Comes Next

According to the companies, AAHL is in advanced discussions with IHG to further deepen and expand the partnership beyond the current five-property agreement. The trajectory suggests additional signings are likely as Adani Airport City projects across multiple cities move toward their development phases.