Saltstayz To Expand Portfolio With 22 Properties This Financial Year

Homegrown hospitality company Saltstayz plans to add over 22 properties, taking the total portfolio to 55 by the end of this financial year, focusing on the western and southern regions of the country, a senior executive said.

The company currently has 33 operational hotels with around 1,214 keys in the mid-premium to premium segments.

"We are planning to add another 22 properties this fiscal year taking the total to 55 hotels this year. Our presence is more in the north, so in our next phase of expansion we will focus more on the south and the west," Saltstayz co-founder Gaurav Gupta told PTI.

The Gurugram-based hospitality company is present across key Indian destinations in seven cities under its three brands: Autograph, Select and Premier.

Following an asset-light model, including lease, revenue sharing and management contracts, the company plans to expand aggressively with a target of 250 hotels in 50 cities, totalling around 10,000-11,000 keys, said Gupta.

"We prefer not to own assets because it will slow down our expansion. We want to expand our presence across the country to 50 cities by FY30. This will include both existing cities and new markets. We are also planning to focus on signing properties in religious places, spiritual tourism is the next big thing in India.

"Basically, we are looking at opportunities in any city that has year-round footfall," he added.

With this expansion, the company, which currently employs around 670 people and reached a revenue of around Rs 1,214 crores in 2025-26, is targeting over 3,000-3,500 workforce and Rs 1,500 crores in FY30, he said.

When asked about the financing of its existing hotels, Gupta said, "We are totally bootstrapped, funding entirely through our own resources. We have not liquidated any equity in the company as of now, so the expansion is done organically. Till now we have invested Rs 12 crores." For the expansion, he said that the company's business model does not require a lot of capex and the company is planning to invest Rs 18-20 crores in new cities.

"We also realise that to reach the FY30 target, we will require a quick influx of funds. So just to cater to that, we're also looking to raise some money this year. So far, we have considered mostly debt as a funding option, but I think equity is on the cards as well, though we have not decided on this yet," he added.