That feather-soft pillow, the plush bathrobe, the mattress you meant to Google before you left the hotel room, you can now either take them home or order in. Hotels across India are turning rooms into retail showrooms, selling everything from the bed you slept on to the scent sprayed in the lobby.
At ITC properties across metros, you can walk into a boutique to buy a pashmina throw, crisp bed linen, sink-in pillows and more. ‘Merchant of the East’ branded Assam, flavoured tea leaves, plucked fresh from the nearby garden, are on sale at The Postcard Hotels & Resorts. Guests can purchase massage oils at Ananda in the Himalayas. And Taj Devi Ratn-Jaipur offers its ceramic tea sets at the spa.
What started as an occasional gift hamper or a spa kit for guests during the pandemic has expanded into curated collections. Hospitality chains are quietly building a business from in-room comforts. The price tags aren’t cheap. Mattresses can range from ₹100,000-225,000, body oils upwards of ₹1,000 a bottle, and designer duvet covers costing as much as ₹30,000.
Also read | The Postcard Hotels and Resorts eye cities with luxury offerings
“These are purposeful brand extensions—built to deepen our brand experience beyond the traveller’s stay. We know our guests want to take a piece of their experience home, and also be able to access some of these things in their own cities,” Akanksha Lamba, co-founder and senior vice president, operations, The Postcard Hotels & Resorts, toldMint.
“Our teas are sourced directly from farmers near our Assam hotel—where we’ve trained them to package loose-leaf tea into pouches, not tea bags, to preserve freshness and cut out the rest of the supply chain to keep things even fresher,” Lamba said. “With tea, speed matters. We’ll soon retail them via quick commerce platforms.”
The Postcard Hotels launched 100% cotton T-shirts, which will also be available on Blinkit. The chain is working on a Postcard-branded wine, crafted specifically for its guests in collaboration with a domestic producer.
The focus on ancillary revenue makes sense given that after three years of double-digit growth, sales in the country’s hospitality sector are expected to grow at a more measured 6-8% in FY26, according to Icra Ltd. The rating firm has revised its outlook for the industry from ‘positive’ to ‘stable’.
Occupancy at premium hotels, however, is likely to remain strong at 72-74%—slightly higher than the past two years—while average room rates are projected to rise to ₹8,200-8,500. With new supply lagging and many hotels still undergoing renovations or upgrades, pricing power is expected to hold. India has about 200,000 organized or branded hotel rooms, which are pegged to grow to 300,000 by FY30.
A business from guest queries
At Ananda in the Himalayas, a luxury wellness retreat in Rishikesh, guests often asked for the handmade massage oils and bath products used in treatments. That demand led to a focused line of Ananda-branded bath and body products, sold only through the hotel’s boutique and website.
“It’s largely about catering to loyal guests who want to take a part of the Ananda experience back with them,” said Aashica Khanna, executive director and owner. So if consumers were wondering if these are just any products since they are made by a third party, the company has all rights to the formulations, and they are exclusive to them, she said.
ITC’s Sleeep Boutique sells bed and bath linen, eye masks, and even infant essentials online.
Luxury sweets
It’s not a booming business yet, but as hotels look to diversify beyond rooms and restaurants, these quiet extensions may prove to be more than just souvenirs. They’re a way to stay present in the guest’s life long after checkout.
Radisson Hotel Group entered the luxury sweets segment in 2021 with the launch of ‘Meetha by Radisson’. The brand, initially launched during the pandemic to create additional revenues, offers everything from rose petal gulkand laddoos to dry fruit tacos and other premium sweets in select hotels. It has grown into a year-round business.
Also read | Lemon Tree Hotels expects strong revenue growth in FY26, lifted by biz travel
Radisson operates six sweet outlets, including in Mumbai and Delhi, and plans to expand further, Nikhil Sharma, managing director and chief operating officer for South Asia at the Radisson Hotel Group, toldMint.
American hotel major Hyatt has been building retail partnerships across its properties to drive both revenue and guest engagement. Park Hyatt Hyderabad has teamed up with French patisserie Ladurée, marking the luxury bakery’s first collaboration with a hotel in India.
Hyatt Regency Dharamshala has adopted a ‘vocal for local’ approach through its partnership with Wah Tea Estates, promoting regional businesses and locally sourced products. Several Hyatt Place hotels also feature in-house retail stores that sell these products.
