September is turning out to be a busy month for hotels across key markets in India, with higher demand coming from corporate travel, government movement, MICE activity and major events. The increase is being seen not only in Delhi but also across metros and large tier-two cities.
Bookings through the platform of RateGain Travel Technologies rose 36 percent by numbers and 82 percent by value in the first eight days of September compared with the same period in August, according to Bhanu Chopra, Founder and Managing Director, RateGain’s booking engine powers direct bookings on hotel websites.
Chopra said each booking was worth more than it was in August, with the shift towards larger and longer bookings reflecting conference and exhibition demand.
For CoTrav, a travel and hospitality management company serving companies and events, corporate events, MICE and travel activity from existing clients increased by 20-30% through the year into September, said cofounder and chief technology officer Vinod Kumar Sah. Activity from new clients has increased 50 percent this month. “Overall, our September business is up by over 70 percent compared to September 2025,” he said.
Hotels are also reporting higher occupancies and room rates. Occupancies in the first ten days of September for Ibis and Ibis Styles properties in India were up 8-10%, while average daily rates increased by 16-18% over the same period last year, said commercial head Animesh Kumar.
The increase is being seen in markets with a strong business and events calendar. “Mumbai has been one of the stronger markets, with the Global Fintech Fest 2026 from September 8 to 11 adding to room demand. Delhi is also expected to see a similar increase around Semicon India 2026 from September 17 to 19,” he added.
Delhi has seen a particularly sharp increase in hotel rates around the BRICS Summit. According to online travel agency Cleartrip, luxury hotel rates in Delhi have climbed 59% year-on-year, while rates for four-star properties have increased by about 113%. Pallavi Saxena, chief marketing and revenue officer at the company, said even budget bookings in the national capital are up by 138 percent from a year earlier.
Bharatt Malik, senior VP, air and hotel business at Yatra Online, said commercial expos and MICE events in Mumbai were driving demand, with core hotels witnessing an around 5 percent increase in booking volumes.
MICE demand is also pushing rates higher across several Indian destinations. Gajesh Girdhar, chairman, governing council and founder member of the Network of Indian MICE Agents, said overall MICE rates in India were up by 10-15 percent year-on-year. “A lot of events have stayed in India as people are less interested in hosting events overseas. Destinations such as Udaipur, Jaipur, Srinagar, Mumbai and Bhubaneshwar and even Goa are likely to see an uptick in rates due to greater MICE demand,” he added.
Hotels in Delhi are also expecting strong performance through the month. The LaLiT New Delhi is looking at a sold-out situation during the peak BRICS Summit period, but the impact is not limited to event dates, said general manager Vishal Sharma. “Compared to several other months, September is expected to perform strongly in terms of occupancies and rates supported by international business travel, government and corporate movement and the overall calendar of events in the capital,” he said.
With corporate travel, exhibitions, conferences and government activity contributing to demand, September is emerging as a strong month for hotel markets across India.
