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Record jump of 175% in hotel bookingsImage Credit source: ai generated

Valentines Day: Valentine's Day is no longer limited to just giving roses or having dinner in a restaurant. This year, to celebrate this festival of love, Indian couples have opened their pockets and are spending lavishly on travelling. Latest figures from the travel and hotel industry show that this time there has been a huge jump in hotel bookings on Valentine's weekend. According to the report of Cleartrip, there has been an increase of more than 175% in hotel bookings for Valentine's Day this year as compared to last year.

'Destination Break' is the first choice

This time's trend shows that couples are giving preference to long holidays or 'destination style' breaks instead of just one night celebrations. According to RateGain data, hotel bookings have increased by 58% year-on-year. This surge is especially being seen in leisure destinations. Amaruda Nair, founder of Araya Hotels and Resorts, says that bookings in her portfolio have increased from 58% to 110%, which is proof that people now want to spend relaxing moments away from the noise of the city.

According to the report, people are moving not only within the country but also abroad. Places like Guwahati have seen a growth of 60% in bookings and Colombo (Sri Lanka) has seen a growth of more than 65%. According to Hari Ganapathy, founder of Pickyourtrail, the budget for international travel has also increased by 20-33% compared to last year.

Booking is being done as per customization

Hotel industry experts say couples are no longer satisfied with just booking a nice room. They want something different and memorable, and they are willing to pay a premium price for it. Clarissa Group, which operates hotels in places like Jim Corbett and Goa, has seen a 70-80% jump in demand. ITC Hotels is also getting tremendous response for its properties like Agra, Jaipur and Goa.

Abhijeet Singh, director of House of Rohet, says that bookings in Mihir Garh have increased by 25%, but the expenditure per couple has increased by 30%. The main reason for this is 'experience-led choice'. That means couples are now demanding hunting dinners in the forest, bathtubs decorated with rose petals and other personal and romantic arrangements. While last year only 50% of people asked for a customized experience, this year almost every booking includes at least one special romantic experience.

Hotels are filling up more than before

For Leisure Hotels Group, occupancy (room occupancy) on Valentine's weekend in 2025 was around 60%, which is expected to increase to above 80% this year. Despite room prices being almost 10% higher than last year, people are happily paying for hotels with good locations and excellent facilities.