Luxe Russian hotels tap Indian firms to manage properties

Russia’s top luxury hotels, once managed by Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons and Park Hyatt, are looking at leading Indian hospitality firms to run these properties, after the international brands checked out of the country following its invasion of Ukraine.

- Varuni Khosla

Russian officials have sounded out Tata group’s Indian Hotels Co. Ltd (IHCL), which operates Taj luxury hotels; and East India Hotels (EIH), which operates The Oberoi hotels, a person aware of the matter said on condition of anonymity. Neither company is keen to pursue the offer, the person added.

Queries emailed to IHCL and EIH remained unanswered till press time.

Once Western hospitality chains like Marriott International and Hyatt Hotel Corp. left Russia in the wake of sanctions, the luxury properties in Moscow and St. Petersburg disappeared from their international networks, cutting out the hotels' global distribution system or online booking reach and management expertise.

There are also other luxury hotels under construction, which now need branding and global distribution. A third category of mid-scale properties in other parts of the country also need hotel operators.