HVS ANAROCK HOPE 2026 was held on 26th & 27th February 2026 at Taj Cidade de Goa, in Goa, bringing together policymakers, visionaries, and leading global and domestic industry leaders from across hospitality, travel, aviation, technology, real estate, and allied sectors for the fourth edition of HVS ANAROCK’s flagship hospitality summit, HOPE (Hospitality Overview Presentation & Exchange). The summit once again served as a platform for industry dialogue, strategic insights, and forward-looking perspectives on the future of travel and hospitality.
Day One
The first day began with two exclusive sessions curated for focused engagement ahead of the main HOPE proceedings. ECHO (Exclusive Conference for Hotel Owners), presented in association with Jaquar, brought together leading hotel owners and investors for closed-door discussions on capital strategy, investment trends, and development opportunities. Running in parallel was EDGE (Excellence Development for Global Executives), an exclusive master class for General Managers organized in association with NYU, which explored “Blue Ocean Strategies in the Lifestyle Hotel Segment: The Case of citizenM.”
HOPE 2026 commenced with the Inauguration and Welcome Address by Mandeep S. Lamba, President & CEO (South Asia), HVS ANAROCK, who set the stage for two days of dialogue on the future of hospitality and travel.
Delivering the Inaugural & Vision Address, Dr. Srivatsa Krishna, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, shared the government’s perspective on tourism-led economic growth, destination development, and India’s evolving role in the global travel ecosystem.
This was followed by a keynote by Karan Singh, Chairman, Bain & Company India, who outlined the macroeconomic and structural forces shaping hospitality growth in India and globally.
One of the highlights of the day was The Hospitality Pulse: Leadership Views From The Frontline, moderated by Mandeep S. Lamba, President & CEO (South Asia), HVS ANAROCK, featuring Alan Watts, President, Asia Pacific, Hilton; Dimitris Manikis, President for Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA), Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Marriott International; and Ron Pohl, President, WorldHotels & President, International Operations, BWH Hotels. The panel discussed global demand trends, expansion strategies, and evolving owner-operator dynamics.
In India On The Move: The Economics Powering Travel’s Next Decade, moderated by Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, panelists Patanjali (Patu) G. Keswani, Executive Chairman, Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd.; Sandeep Ghosh, Group Country Manager – India and South Asia, Visa; and Vinay Dube, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Akasa Air examined the macroeconomic drivers shaping India’s travel and aviation growth.
The discussion on ownership and capital dynamics continued with From Asset Owners To Capital Strategists, moderated by Anuj Puri, Chairman & Founder, ANAROCK, featuring Aditya Pande, Group Chief Executive Officer, InterGlobe Enterprises; Ashank Kothari, Managing Director – Investments, Real Estate, Brookfield Asset Management; Atul Dangayach, Managing Director, Dangayach Group; Christopher Jones, Co-founder and Managing Director, Junobo Hotels; and Sanjeev Jaiswal, IAS, Vice President & CEO, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), who explored evolving ownership models and institutional capital participation in the hotel sector.
In Beyond The Playbook: Real Lessons From Real Stalwarts, moderated by Vijay Thacker, Managing Director, Horwath HTL India, industry stalwarts Ajay K. Bakaya, Chairman, Sarovar Hotels & Director, Louvre Hotels India; K.B. Kachru, Chairman – South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group; and Vijay Dewan, Managing Director, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited reflected on leadership journeys and industry evolution.
A major highlight of the day was LeaderSpeak@HOPE, where Anthony Capuano, President and CEO, Marriott International, joined Mandeep Lamba for a conversation on global expansion priorities and Marriott’s long-term outlook for India.
The day also featured Tales From Heads – Stories That Inspire, where Ashish Jakhanwala, Chairman & CEO, SAMHI Hotels, spoke with Dilip Puri, Founder & Executive Chairman, Indian School of Hospitality, sharing insights from entrepreneurial journeys in the hospitality sector.
Day One concluded with the HVS ANAROCK #HASHTAG Awards, celebrating excellence across hospitality and travel. The evening continued with a networking reception and dinner, providing delegates an opportunity to extend discussions and strengthen industry connections.
Day Two
The second day of HOPE 2026 continued the momentum with discussions spanning luxury travel, hotel development, technology, capital markets, and the evolving competitive landscape of Indian hospitality.
The day opened with LeaderSpeak@HOPE, featuring Elie Maalouf, Chief Executive Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts, in conversation with Mandeep Lamba, who shared perspectives on global brand growth and IHG’s priorities in high-growth markets such as India. (This was a pre-recorded session)
The premium segment came into focus with Luxury Reimagined – Catering To The Evolved, Empowered, and Ever-connected Guest, moderated by Mohit Nirula (Chief Operating Officer, The Oberoi Group). Panelists Anuraag Bhatnagar (Chief Executive Officer, The Leela Palaces, Hotels And Resorts), Gaurav Bhushan (CEO, Lifestyle & Leisure Brands, Accor; Chairman, Accor India; Group CEO, Ennismore), Neil George (Strategic Advisor, Rosewood Hotel Group), and Stephen Ho (President – Greater China and Growth, Asia Pacific, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts) discussed the evolution of luxury hospitality and shifting guest expectations.
One of the most anticipated sessions of the day was LeaderSpeak@HOPE featuring Mark S. Hoplamazian, President and CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, in conversation with Mandeep Lamba, where he shared perspectives on Hyatt’s global strategy and India’s increasing importance within the company’s development pipeline.
Industry leaders then explored expansion strategies in Will What Brought Us Here, Take Us There, moderated by Akash Datta (Managing Director (South Asia), HVS ANAROCK), featuring Nikhil Sharma (Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer – South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group), Ranju Alex (Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Accor), Sudeep Jain (Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG), Sunjae Sharma (Managing Director – India & Southwest Asia, Hyatt India Consultancy Private Limited), and Zubin Saxena (SVP, Region Head, South Asia, Hilton).
The broader industry outlook was discussed in India’s Hospitality Moment: From Cyclical Upswing to Structural Supercycle, moderated by Nikunj Dalmia (Partner, Shepherd’s Hill Group), featuring Puneet Chhatwal (Managing Director & CEO, IHCL) and Shaleen Kumar (Executive Director & Head, Investment Research for Emerging Companies, UBS Securities India).
Development opportunities across emerging markets were examined in Hotel Development Reloaded, moderated by Akash Datta (Managing Director (South Asia), HVS ANAROCK), with panelists Clarence Tan (Senior Vice President, Development, APAC, Hilton), Omar Romero (Chief Development and Luxury Officer, Minor Hotels), Sameer Nayar ( Executive Vice President – Strategic Development, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts), Suma Venkatesh (Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development, IHCL), and Vikram Lalvani (MD & CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts).
Post-lunch discussions addressed the evolving design landscape in Same Building, New Guests – Will Hotel Design Catch Up?, where architects and design experts examined how changing traveler expectations are influencing the future of hotel design. This session was moderated by Ar. Khozema Chitalwala, Founder & Principal Architect, Designers Group; and the panelists were Ar. Amit Gehlot, Partner, ASA Design; Mrinal Sharma, Co-founder, Flipspaces; Rashna Kapadi, Director, Design & Technical Services – South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.
This was followed by Is Midscale The New Battleground?, moderated by Swati Arora (Vice President – Consulting & Valuation, HVS ANAROCK), featuring Deepika Rao, Executive Vice President – New Businesses, Hotel Openings and Corporate Communications, IHCL; Jatin Khanna, CEO, Sarovar Hotels; Kahraman Yigit, Co-Founder, Olive by Embassy; Neeraj Jain, Chief Business Officer, Bloom Hotels; and Rahool Macarius, Market Managing Director, Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The session explored consolidation trends, brand differentiation, and the increasing competitive intensity within India’s rapidly expanding midscale segment.
Technology and innovation themes also featured prominently during the day. Future of Hotel Discovery — Powered by GenAI, a presentation by Abhishek Logani, Chief Business Officer, Hotels, MakeMyTrip & Ankit Khanna, Chief Product Officer – Hotel, Growth & Emerging Businesses, MakeMyTrip, offered an informative perspective on how artificial intelligence is reshaping travel discovery, search behavior, and booking experiences.
This was followed by Tech, Trends and Transformation, which brought together next-generation founders and operators to share their perspectives on emerging trends, innovation-led growth, and the future direction of the hospitality sector. The session was moderated by Anant Apurv Kumar, Co-Founder, Brij Hotels, and featured Amruda Nair, Founder, Araiya Hotels and Resorts; Arjun Baljee, President, Royal Orchid Hotels, Founder, ICONIQA Hotels & Resorts; Shruti Shibulal, Executive Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Tamara Leisure Experiences; and Suhail Kannampilly, Managing Director, Concept Hospitality.
The growing influence of digital narratives was explored in Influencer Marketing and Storytelling for the New Age Traveller, moderated by Madhulika Joshi Pallod, CEO & Chief Creative Officer, Martist, and featuring, Joanna Lobo, Travel & Lifestyle Journalist & Editor; Malini Agarwal, Co-Founder, MissMalini Entertainment / The Idea Factory; and Ragini Chopra, Group Head, Corporate Affairs, InterGlobe Enterprises.
Next up was When Algorithms Decide – Is AI Now the Real Power Broker in Travel and Hospitality examined how data, distribution platforms, and AI are reshaping hotel decision-making. Moderated by Ravish Swarup, Founder & CEO – Praxis Services & Onefinerate.com, this session featured . Bhanu Chopra, Chairman & Managing Director, RateGain; Santosh Kumar, Country Head, Indian sub-continent & Indonesia, Booking.com; Sidharth Gupta, Co-founder and CEO, Treebo Hospitality Ventures; and Stephen Rushmore, Jr., MAI, FRICS, President & CEO, HVS.
Capital markets and public hospitality platforms took center stage in Listed, Liquid and Restless, featuring Neelendra Singh, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd.; Raghu Sapra, Head Hospitality, Embassy REIT; Rahul Pandit, Managing Director & CEO, Advent Hotels International Limited; Shwetank Singh, Managing Director & CEO, Chalet Hotels Limited and moderated by Dr. Sanjay Sethi, Non-Executive Director, Chalet Hotels Limited.
Rewriting the Playbook: New Paths into India’s Hotel Market, moderated by Amit Ranjan, AVP – Transaction Advisory (South Asia), HVS ANAROCK, and featuring Nicholas Smith, Vice President of Operations – Asia, Minor Hotels; Rohit Dar, Vice President and Head of South Asia, The Ascott Limited; and Santhosh Raman Kutty, Chief Business Officer – Development, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India explored alternative entry strategies for domestic and global operators.
The summit culminated in a special edition of Showtime@HOPE, featuring Kapil Dev, Legendary Indian Cricketer, in conversation with Prakash Iyer. In a deeply engaging and inspiring dialogue, Kapil Dev reflected on leadership under pressure, resilience in the face of uncertainty, and the power of belief in building winning teams. Drawing powerful parallels between sport and business, the session offered timeless lessons that resonated strongly with the audience, bringing HOPE 2026 to a memorable close.
With participation from over 600 delegates and more than 90 speakers, including policymakers, global and domestic industry leaders, investors, and innovators, HVS ANAROCK HOPE 2026 once again reinforced its position as India’s most influential hospitality & travel conference. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the summit continues to drive conversations not only on hospitality and travel, but also on the economic, technological, and policy forces that are shaping the future of the industry.
