Wedding bells to the rescue of five-star hotel chains amid pandemic

But the celebrations remain scaled down owing to pandemic-related restrictions

Five-star hotel chains in India are counting on weddings to see them through in a pandemic-hit market. Though on a smaller scale, most hotels are seeing a recovery in bookings and enquiries for the wedding season in November and December. They are also relying on couples who had earlier planned destination weddings but are now considering options within the country.  

Take, for instance, the Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL). Since hotels re-opened in June, the Tata Group’s hospitality arm has seen bookings touch 70-80 per cent of pre-Covid days. The months ahead look promising, with the booking register running busy