Marriott partners with Concept Hospitality to expand India footprint

Executives of Marriott International and CG Hospitality at the signing of strategic alliance. CG Hospitality owns CHPL which operates Fern hotels in India 

Marriott International is doubling its India footprint to over 80 cities with a strategic alliance with Concept Hospitality Private Ltd(CHPL).

As a part of the partnership, CHPL’s flagship brands — The Fern, The Fern Residency and The Fern Habitat – will affiliate with new regional collection brand – Series by Marriott.

Investment in CHPL

Marriott International will also make a small equity investment in CHPL. CHPL will continue to operate Fern’s portfolio of 115 operating and pipeline hotels in the country.

The alliance gives a boost to Marriott International which is the largest hospitality company in India measured by number of rooms.

“Today, Marriott is present in 42 cities across India. With the Fern portfolio coming in that would expand to 40 more cities,“ said Rajeev Menon, Marriott International’s president for Asia Pacific ( excluding China ).

“We’ve seen India grow enormously in the last two decades and if you think of the next few decades, it’s really going to be an India story. We genuinely believe that we need to be in as many places as we can,” Menon added. 

The tie-up also helps the US-headquartered hotel chain to fill a void in its India portfolio. Menon explained that Marriott did not have a brand in midscale to upscale space. “It was a white space for us. We didn’t really have a brand in that segment,” he added.

Currently, Marriott runs 158 hotels across 17 brands in 42 cities in India. Its operating portfolio consists of nearly 30,000 keys.

IHCL has a larger number of operating hotels in India with room count of around 24,000.

For Fern brand, the deal would bring global visibility as it would become part of Marriott’s portfolio with access to sales, marketing, reservation and loyalty programmes. The collaboration could also bring in cost saving opportunities for the partners.

“We will be in the best position to capture domestic and inbound tourism,” said Param Kannampilly, Chairman, CHPL..

Expansion plan

“Our vision is to unlock the immense potential of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, as well as lesser-known destinations across India that are rich in culture, heritage, and opportunity. This strategic collaboration underscores our commitment to expanding access to quality hospitality, fostering local economies, and meeting the rising demand for sustainable, comfortable, and accessible stays in emerging markets,” Kannampilly added.

Menon said the business in India is bouncing back after initial pressure after the Pahalgam attack and will achieve double digit revenue growth.

Published on May 22, 2025