Shahpura Hotels and Resorts
A Tale of Royalty, Sustainability, and Community Involvement
Shahpura Hotels and Resorts is a luxury hotel chain that specialises in heritage properties, with a growing portfolio of 15 hotels in India and plans to cover the entire country by 2024. In an interview with Travel Trade Journal, Digraj Singh Shahpura, Director, Shahpura Hotels and Resorts, spoke about the company’s focus on creating products that meet the market’s demand for culture and heritage.
Journey from Heritage to Luxury Properties
Offering a wide range of properties, Shahpura Hotels has an inventory of palaces, city hotels, resorts, and luxury boutiques. The company’s heritage properties, including forts and palaces in Rajasthan, are the core of the business, and the company has renovated and maintained them to meet the market’s luxury standards. The group is focused on creating a product that meets the demand of the market and is consistently renovating its heritage properties.
Shahpura Hotels’ flagship hotel, Shahpura House, was opened in 1990, and the company has since expanded to include more properties. Their commitment to providing luxurious and sustainable tourism experiences while also being actively involved in community development sets them apart in the industry.
Expansion and Renovation Strategies for Royal Heritage Tourism
The company has also expanded its business by entering into management contracts. The company has a team that analyses tier 1 and tier 2 cities to determine where to focus its expansion. The company has plans to open hotels in Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Himachal, and Kerala, with a 28-room resort in Munnar and a property in Goa set to open soon. In an attempt to stand out from other heritage properties, Shahpura Hotels consistently renovates its heritage properties and is able to maintain them to luxury standards. “Our focus has been renovating all the heritage to heritage products in our portfolio and making them up to the standards of,” said Digraj Singh Shahpura. The company’s passion for changing things and improving heritage properties has helped it grow from a single hotel to a portfolio of 15 properties in India.
Efforts Towards Sustainable and Responsible Tourism
Apart from providing luxurious tourism experiences, Shahpura Hotels is also dedicated to sustainability and responsible tourism. Since their inception, they have been using solar plants for electricity and engaging in water harvesting. They also work towards eco-tourism and have built eco-friendly resorts that offer a unique experience of living in nature. To further their sustainability efforts, Shahpura Hotels has been planting trees and building solar plants in areas surrounding their hotels.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shahpura Hotels also demonstrated their commitment to community involvement by offering free accommodation to doctors and airport authorities at their Shahpura Residency hotel. This effort was recognised by the government, and Shahpura Hotels received a certificate of appreciation for their contribution. In addition to their sustainable practices, Shahpura Hotels is also actively involved in community development. The company has an NGO that focuses on women’s empowerment, children’s education, skilled labor, and heritage restoration. “The group also has been associated with an NGO since 2015. The focus is on women empowerment, children's education, skilled labor, and heritage restoration,” added Digraj Singh Shahpura. They use their private funding to support these initiatives and have been actively involved in community development since 2015.
Sub-brands for Tailored Hospitality Experiences
Shahpura Hotels and Resorts has introduced seven sub-brands that are designed to cater to specific travel requirements and experiences, making it easier for customers to choose their preferred property.
Each sub-brand caters to a specific segment. For instance, Shahpura Residency offers business hotels, Shahpura Wilderness features properties situated in wildlife areas, Shahpura Wellness offers spa properties, and Shahpura Heritage provides heritage properties. Shahpura Nomadic will cater to offbeat destinations, while Shahpura D-Divine will focus on religious tourism with properties located in Varanasi, Shirdi, Katra, and Ayodhya. The company is also in the process of developing Shahpura Boutique, which will showcase several boutique properties for regional tourism.
Shahpura Hotels is launching their own loyalty program. The first 500 members will receive exclusive offers and vouchers, and the launch event will be attended by trade partners and those who have been associated with the company.