Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has signed a new Gateway hotel in Somajiguda, Hyderabad – the brand’s first property in the city and the signing that takes the Gateway portfolio to 50 hotels. The announcement marks a significant point in one of Indian hospitality’s more deliberate brand-building exercises, with IHCL having relaunched Gateway less than two years ago from what its own CEO once described as “cold storage.”
The property, a conversion project developed in partnership with D. Siva Rama Raju and DVS. Soma Raju, adds Hyderabad to a brand that has been expanding systematically across state capitals, commercial centres and high-potential regional markets since its relaunch in mid-2024.
A property built for Hyderabad’s corporate core
The Gateway Somajiguda will offer 225 keys alongside an all-day dining restaurant, specialty restaurant, bar and lounge. Recreational facilities will include a gym, health club, swimming pool and treatment rooms.
The conference offering is notably substantial: 11 banquet halls, with the largest spanning approximately 10,000 sq ft, supported by multiple meeting rooms. That scale of event infrastructure points squarely at Hyderabad’s well-established MICE market, which has been reinforced by the city’s growth as a major technology and pharmaceutical hub.
Somajiguda itself is well-positioned for this purpose. The precinct is one of Hyderabad’s most active commercial and residential districts, known for its density of corporate offices, retail establishments and healthcare institutions. It sits close to the city’s political and administrative quarter, giving it dual appeal for business and government travel.
The Gateway brand’s rapid ascent
The Hyderabad signing is a milestone in a carefully structured relaunch. IHCL first opened a reimagined Gateway property in Bekal, Kerala, in August 2024, simultaneously migrating four existing properties in Nashik, Coonoor, Madurai and Chikkamagaluru into the brand. From that base of 17 hotels, Gateway has reached 50 in under two years.
The brand occupies a distinct position in IHCL’s portfolio architecture – full-service and upscale, positioned to capture demand in markets where Taj and Vivanta may be over-specified and Ginger is under-specified. IHCL’s ‘Accelerate 2030’ strategy envisages Gateway reaching 100 hotels by the end of the decade, making it one of the primary engines of the group’s mid-market volume growth.
Leah Tata, Vice President and Brand Leader for Gateway Hotels & Resorts at IHCL, articulated the brand philosophy clearly: ‘The re-imagined Gateway’s ethos is centred on the idea of creating a “Gateway to a Destination”, with hotels that are closely connected to the cultural fabric of the location. This strength of the brand has enabled it to rapidly scale to a 50-hotel portfolio, capturing the growth in business and leisure markets across metropolitan cities, state capitals and commercial centres.’
Deepening roots in Telangana
With the Somajiguda signing, IHCL will have eight hotels across Telangana, including three currently under development. That depth of presence in a single state reflects the company’s strategy of building critical mass in high-growth markets rather than distributing properties thinly across geographies.
Hyderabad’s hospitality sector has been a beneficiary of the city’s sustained economic momentum. The expansion of its pharmaceutical corridor, the continued growth of its technology industry and its status as a major domestic aviation hub have collectively driven consistent demand for quality accommodation across business, leisure and events segments.
The conversion model used for Gateway Somajiguda is also worth noting. Rather than commissioning a greenfield build, IHCL and its development partners are repositioning an existing asset – an approach that accelerates time to market, reduces capital exposure and aligns with IHCL’s stated preference for asset-light growth. More than 95% of IHCL’s recent signings have been capital-light arrangements.
Scale in sight
The Hyderabad signing comes as IHCL’s broader ‘Accelerate 2030’ strategy continues to gather pace. The group holds a portfolio of 620 hotels globally, with 255 in the pipeline across four continents, 14 countries and more than 250 locations. The overarching target remains a 700-hotel portfolio by 2030.
Gateway’s 50th signing, in one of India’s most commercially significant cities, confirms that the brand’s trajectory is on track – and that IHCL intends Hyderabad to be a meaningful chapter in that story.
