IHG Unlocks Major Hospitality Growth in Uttar Pradesh with New voco Vrindavan as Visitor Numbers Continue to Surge

IHG Hotels & Resorts is expanding its premium hospitality footprint in North India with plans to introduce voco Vrindavan, a new 130-room hotel scheduled to open during the first quarter of 2031. The project will be developed under a management agreement with Vrindam Developers Private Limited and will bring the voco brand to one of Uttar Pradesh’s most important pilgrimage and leisure destinations. The development will also represent Vrindam Developers’ first move into the hospitality industry.

The planned hotel reflects growing investment interest in Vrindavan as the religious destination experiences a substantial increase in visitor numbers. Located within the culturally significant Braj region, Vrindavan and neighbouring Mathura attracted more than 90 million visitors in 2024, compared with approximately 79 million in 2023. Visitor volumes are projected to rise further over the coming decade, potentially reaching between 110 million and 140 million annually.

This expanding tourism economy is increasing demand for organised, high-quality accommodation that can serve pilgrims, families, leisure travellers, groups and guests attending social or business events. Vrindavan also benefits from its accessibility to major destinations including Delhi NCR, Agra and Mathura, making it an increasingly important stop within Uttar Pradesh’s wider religious and cultural tourism circuit.

Major infrastructure improvements are expected to reinforce this growth. Projects including the Banke Bihari Corridor, together with improvements to regional road and expressway connectivity, are designed to make travel easier while supporting the destination’s capacity to accommodate rising visitor volumes.

Against this backdrop, voco Vrindavan will introduce a premium internationally branded accommodation option to the city. The voco concept combines the individual personality and relaxed atmosphere associated with independent hotels with the operating standards and consistency of an established international hospitality brand. Its guest experience is built around a welcoming, informal approach while maintaining premium accommodation and service standards.

The upcoming property will be integrated into a larger mixed-use development incorporating both hotel accommodation and serviced apartments. Guests and residents will have access to shared facilities, creating a broader hospitality and lifestyle environment within the development.

The hotel itself will feature 130 guestrooms, including 13 suites. Food and beverage facilities will include three venues, comprising an all-day dining outlet, an additional restaurant and a lobby lounge. These facilities are expected to cater to hotel guests as well as visitors seeking dining and social spaces within the development.

Events will represent another significant component of the property. More than 2,340 square metres of meeting and event facilities will be distributed across six venues. At the centre of this offering will be a 1,400-square-metre ballroom, providing substantial capacity for weddings, celebrations, conferences, meetings and other large gatherings.

This event infrastructure could be particularly relevant in Vrindavan, where religious tourism, family travel and social celebrations generate demand beyond conventional hotel stays. The combination of accommodation, dining and extensive function space positions the property to serve several visitor segments rather than relying exclusively on pilgrimage traffic.

Additional leisure facilities will include a swimming pool and fitness centre, broadening the property’s appeal to travellers seeking longer and more comfortable stays.

The arrival of voco Vrindavan will consequently add a new premium hospitality option to a destination undergoing rapid tourism and infrastructure development. With visitor numbers rising across the Mathura-Vrindavan region and transport connections continuing to improve, the 2031 opening is positioned to respond to increasing demand for branded accommodation, event facilities and modern guest services in one of North India’s most heavily visited pilgrimage destinations.

Commenting on the signing, Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “Vrindavan holds a unique place within India’s tourism landscape, with its deep cultural and spiritual significance attracting visitors from across the country and around the world. As the destination continues to evolve, there is an opportunity to bring more quality branded hospitality to meet the needs of its growing visitor base. The signing of voco Vrindavan reflects our focus on bringing the right brand to the right destination, with voco’s distinctive character and thoughtfully relaxed hospitality well suited to the evolving expectations of today’s traveler. We are delighted to partner with Vrindam Developers Private Limited on their first hospitality venture and look forward to bringing the voco experience to Vrindavan.”

Ankush Kadyan, Director, Vrindam Developers Private Limited, added: “We are pleased to partner with IHG Hotels & Resorts for our first venture into the hospitality sector with voco Vrindavan. Vrindavan’s significance as a pilgrimage destination, coupled with its growing visitor base and improving connectivity, presents an exciting opportunity for a quality international hospitality offering. We look forward to working with IHG to bring voco’s distinctive hospitality experience to the destination and create a hotel that responds to the evolving needs of travelers visiting Vrindavan and the wider Braj region.”

Here’s a fully rewritten, original version with the meaning and figures preserved:

The new development will further expand IHG’s footprint in the region and complement the planned Holiday Inn Express in neighbouring Mathura. Together, these properties will strengthen the hospitality group’s presence across the wider Braj tourism circuit, an important destination for pilgrimage and leisure travel in Uttar Pradesh.

The latest signing also reflects IHG’s broader strategy of growing its premium hotel portfolio in destinations with strong future tourism potential. By introducing voco to this major pilgrimage market, the group aims to combine the brand’s distinctive identity and relaxed hospitality experience with the rising demand for professionally managed, branded accommodation among visitors to the region.

Across India, IHG currently operates 53 hotels spanning seven brands, including Six Senses, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Crowne Plaza, voco Hotels, Holiday Inn Resort and Holiday Inn Express. Its expansion pipeline remains substantial, with another 110 hotels scheduled to open across the country over the next three to five years.