- Delhi to host 18th BRICS Summit on September 12-13 with global delegates attending
- Luxury hotel room tariffs in Delhi surge, some charging over Rs 6 lakh per night
- Top hotels like Taj Palace and Oberoi New Delhi show full bookings during the summit
Delhi is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13, but the high-profile gathering is already having an impact beyond diplomatic meetings. Luxury hotel rooms across the capital are seeing a massive surge in room tariffs, with some hotels charging several lakh rupees for a single night.
More than 3,000 rooms have reportedly been booked across Delhi for BRICS delegates, representatives of partner countries and senior officials from international organisations. With demand soaring and rooms at several five-star hotels disappearing from booking websites, tariffs have climbed sharply.
At The Leela Palace New Delhi, a quick search shows rates going as high as Rs 6.2 lakh a night for some rooms. The hotel's website, however, shows the property as closed for September 11.
At ITC Maurya, room rates have risen to around Rs 2.5 lakh a night. The hotel is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin and has reportedly prepared a special luxury thali as an amenity for him.
The Lodhi is showing rooms at around Rs 1.2 lakh, while Le Meridien New Delhi is quoting rates close to Rs 1 lakh a night.
Le Meridien is also accommodating United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the president of the New Development Bank. Delegations from Uganda, Nigeria and Malaysia are also staying at the hotel.
Several of Delhi's best-known luxury hotels are already showing little or no availability. Taj Palace, New Delhi, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to stay, is showing as sold out. The Oberoi New Delhi is also sold out, with officials from Brazil, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Indonesia reportedly staying there.
For those visiting Delhi this weekend, the BRICS Summit could mean not just heavier security and traffic restrictions, but also some of the steepest hotel prices the capital has seen in recent times.
