Reported by Roopak Goswami
Guwahati: Assam-based hospitality brand Hotel Palacio has announced an ambitious Rs 800 crore expansion roadmap to strengthen its footprint across the Northeast, signalling growing investor confidence in the region’s tourism and business sectors.
The company, on Wednesday, launched its second Guwahati property at Paltan Bazar and said it plans to develop 10 hotels over the next decade, with the Northeast remaining its primary growth market even as it explores opportunities elsewhere in India.
With the launch, Palacio Hospitality now operates three properties, two in Guwahati and one in Alipurduar, West Bengal.
The expansion comes at a time when hospitality investment is increasingly shifting towards emerging regional cities, driven by better connectivity, rising domestic tourism, and growing demand for business travel infrastructure across the Northeast.
Speaking at the launch, Poddar Group Chairman Anup Poddar said the company sees the Northeast entering a new phase of economic and tourism growth.
“Hotel Palacio is a brand that has been built in Assam, and that is something we take great pride in,” he said.
“Over the years, we have seen the Northeast evolve significantly, with rising aspirations, better connectivity, and increasing demand for quality hospitality experiences. Our focus has been to grow alongside this change thoughtfully and consistently.”
He said Guwahati has played a central role in the brand’s journey and described Paltan Bazar as a strategic location capable of serving both transit and destination travellers.
The company’s next major Northeast project includes the Hyatt Regency Gangtok, currently under development in Sikkim.
Managing Director and COO Ankit Poddar said the company plans to adopt a flexible expansion strategy combining owned properties, lease models, and hotel management agreements.
“Our Rs 800 crore expansion roadmap reflects a long-term, disciplined approach to growth. While the Northeast continues to be our primary focus area, we are also open to opportunities across other parts of India where we see the right alignment,” he said.
Industry observers say the announcement reflects the Northeast’s growing importance in India’s hospitality sector as improved airports, highways, and tourism circuits draw rising visitor numbers to cities such as Guwahati, Shillong, Gangtok, and emerging destinations in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
The newly launched Paltan Bazar hotel has 83 rooms, over 6,000 sq ft of banquet space, conference facilities, and a 7,000 sq ft rooftop venue, positioning itself to target the region’s growing corporate events and social gatherings market.
The property also introduces “Omara”, a restaurant developed with chef Vikey Ratnani, along with what the company describes as Guwahati’s first cocktail bar-cum-listening room, part of a broader push towards experience-led hospitality offerings.
Founded in 2015, Hotel Palacio has emerged as one of the few hospitality brands originating from Assam to pursue large-scale regional expansion, reflecting broader changes underway in the Northeast’s tourism and urban economy.