Ahead of BRICS Summit 2026, Luxury Hotels in Delhi See Scarcity and Steep Tariff Hikes

New Delhi: For visitors hoping to stay in luxury hotels in New Delhi during the upcoming BRICS Summit 2026, finding a room may be difficult enough, but paying for one could prove an even more daunting task. With demand for premium accommodation surging ahead of the high-profile international gathering, hotel tariffs in Delhi have spiked or pre-booked situation, with some luxury and presidential suites commanding prices running into lakhs of rupees.

The BRICS Summit 2026, scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, is expected to bring a large number of international and national dignitaries, policymakers, business leaders and official delegations to the capital. Industry stakeholders attribute the steep increase primarily to the sudden imbalance between demand and supply.

Explaining the mechanism behind the surge in hotel tariffs, a hospitality industry expert, Garish Oberoi, honorary secretary of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India, told ETV Bharat that hotels increasingly follow a dynamic pricing model, particularly when major events drive up demand.

“Whenever there is a major event and the available inventory is limited, hotels use dynamic pricing, much like airlines. For instance, once 50 per cent of the rooms are booked, the hotel may move to a higher pricing slab. When occupancy reaches 70 per cent, the rates may increase further. As the available inventory keeps declining, tariffs gradually rise,” he explained.

Oberoi, however, clarified that a rise in tariffs should not automatically be attributed to a particular event. “It does not necessarily mean that the increase is because of one particular event. There could be two or three events taking place simultaneously, resulting in higher demand and reduced inventory. The pricing then responds to the overall demand situation,” he said.

“The hotels also have to consider that if the tariff is set too high and the inventory remains unsold, the room becomes a lost opportunity for that particular day. So hotels would not unnecessarily make rooms expensive. However, the system itself is designed in such a way that as the available inventory decreases, the tariff gradually increases,” he added.

Explaining the hotel prices, Rajan Sehgal, chairman (Public Relations Council), Travel Agents Association of India, told ETV Bharat, “The impact of the BRICS Summit on hotel demand is not expected to be as significant as that of some previous major events like G20 and AI Summit.” “The increase is not that high because this is not the peak season. At present, there are no other major events taking place simultaneously, so there has not been any exceptional crowding of hotels,” Sehgal said.

He pointed out that some previous major events had created a much stronger impact on hotel occupancy because they coincided with a period of higher demand. “In this case, the situation is different because it is only a two-day event and the season is not at its peak. Several other major summits have also been spread across different cities. For instance, tourism-related events have been held in Jaipur, Lucknow and Varanasi, rather than being concentrated in Delhi,” he said.

A check of the official websites of several luxury hotels in Delhi also reflects the pressure on room availability ahead of the BRICS Summit-2026. Many properties are already showing limited availability or fully booked rooms for September 12-13, while others are quoting significantly higher tariffs for the summit period.

For the two-night period, some hotels are listing a Deluxe Room (King) at around Rs 1,74,994, while a One-Bedroom Executive Suite is priced at approximately Rs 1,81,750. Other properties are quoting around Rs 83,750 for a Queen Guest Room, with another hotel listing a similar room at Rs 99,412.

In the premium segment, one luxury property is quoting as much as Rs 2,71,872 for accommodation during the summit period. Several other five-star hotels are displaying limited availability or pre-booked inventory, indicating the heightened demand for rooms around the two-day international event.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Pranay Aneja, a Delhi-based hotelier and industry expert, said hotel tariffs during the BRICS Summit are largely in line with prevailing demand and supply conditions, with no direct government intervention in room pricing.

“The hotel rates are within expectations this time, as pricing is determined by demand and supply. The government does not intervene in hotel room pricing,” Aneja said. “The hotel rates are within expectations this time, as pricing is determined by demand and supply. The government does not intervene in hotel room pricing,” he added.

Read more

1. BRICS Tourism Meetings Begin In Jaipur, Focus On Cooperation And Sustainable Travel