Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) will open a Taj hotel in Frankfurt this week, strengthening its overseas footprint.

The 134-key Taj Hessischer Hof hotel in Frankfurt is IHCL’s first in continental Europe and its 25th international hotel overall. Thirteen other properties are in the pipeline in Bahrain, Bhutan, Egypt, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.

Over 85 per cent of IHCL’s revenue comes from its domestic business but the chain is keen to expand overseas with its luxury Taj brand using an asset-light model.

International expansion with the iconic Taj brand remains an important strategic pillar for IHCL and reflects the growing global relevance of Indian hospitality, said its managing director and CEO Puneet Chhatwal.

He said IHCL owns and operates one of the largest luxury portfolios globally with the Taj brand spanning 150 hotels in 15 countries. Chhatwal said the company will continue to expand the brand overseas through a combination of management contracts and strategic partnerships across gateway cities and culturally significant destinations with strong demand from global travellers, business communities and the Indian diaspora.

In January IHCL opened Taj Gangtey Resort and Spa in Bhutan and last week it launched the six-key Taj Bush Lodge in Kruger National Park in South Africa.

In September 2023 IHCL had announced the signing of its Frankfurt hotel on an operating lease model. The hotel was built in 1952 on a former city palace site owned and operated by the Prince of Hesse, a German state. It was acquired by Peakside Capital Advisors from a foundation belonging to the House of Hesse in 2022. It is being opened after extensive renovation under the Taj brand.

Signs of recovery

Germany is among the most visited destinations in Europe but it showed weaker growth in overnight stays compared to Spain, Italy and France. The absence of big-ticket events in 2025 (like Euro 2024) is cited as a reason for the muted performance.

Average daily rates of hotels in Germany declined 2.4 per cent to 107.11 euros between January and April on a year-on-year basis, according to CoStar, a global provider of real estate data. In the case of Frankfurt hotels, the average daily rate was up 0.5 per cent to 113.74 euros in the same period, it said.

There are signs of recovery as international arrivals in Germany increased 2.7 per cent in early 2026, the European Travel Commission said in May.

Chhatwal is optimistic about the German travel market. “Frankfurt remains one of Europe’s leading financial and commercial centres with strong demand across corporate travel, MICE (meetings, incentives, exhibitions and conferences) and international business communities,” he said.

He added that the scale and character of the Frankfurt hotel aligns with the iconic Hessischer Hof (Court of Hesse) and reflects Taj’s timeless approach to luxury hospitality.

Published on May 31, 2026