Sterling Deepens Spiritual Tourism Strategy with Entry into Varanasi

Sterling Varanasi opens near Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, strengthening the brand’s network across India’s high-intent spiritual destinations.

Chennai,  2026: Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited has announced its entry into Varanasi with the opening of Sterling Varanasi, adding one of India’s most significant spiritual destinations to its growing portfolio.

Located near the revered Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, the 33-room hotel offers convenient access to Assi Ghat, Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University and the ghats of the Ganges, giving guests a well-connected base from which to experience Kashi.

The opening strengthens Sterling’s presence across destinations where faith and spirituality are powerful reasons to travel. With Ayodhya, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Guruvayur, Tiruvannamalai, Pushkar, Madurai and Puri already part of its network, Varanasi adds an important destination to the company’s growing spiritual travel footprint.

For Sterling, the opportunity goes beyond pilgrimage. Faith-led journeys are increasingly intersecting with family travel, culture, cuisine, heritage and discovery, while travellers seek greater comfort, reliability and quality hospitality.

Commenting on the opening, Vikram Lalvani, Managing Director & CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts (SHRL), said:

“Our strategy is to understand why India travels and build around those reasons. Spiritual travel has always been one of India’s most enduring travel motivations; what is changing is the traveller and the experience around the journey.

In Varanasi, the reason to travel may begin with faith, but the journey can extend into family, culture, cuisine, history and discovery. Our role is to make that experience more comfortable, reliable and meaningful. Kashi therefore becomes an important addition to Sterling’s destination-led growth strategy.”

Sterling Varanasi features 33 contemporary rooms, including the unique Premier Rooms with balconies offering views of Kashi.

Its vegetarian restaurant, RASA KASHI, draws inspiration from Varanasi’s food traditions while offering a wider menu for contemporary travellers, bringing together two elements deeply associated with the city—food and faith.

On the fifth floor, KASHI REGALIA, a partially covered glass-roof venue with 180-degree views across Varanasi, offers a distinctive setting for intimate celebrations, family gatherings and special occasions.

Guests can build their stay around the rhythms of the destination—from early-morning boat journeys on the Ganges and the evening Ganga Aarti to temple visits, Sarnath, Banarasi cuisine, silk and local craft traditions.

Mr. Arya Vishwajeet Singh, Aditi Group, Owner of Sterling Varanasi, said:

“Our vision was to create a contemporary hospitality address that understands why people come to Varanasi and makes that journey easier and more comfortable. Sterling brings the brand reach, operating expertise and distribution strength to establish the property as a trusted hospitality address in the city.”

The addition of Varanasi further advances Sterling’s Destination Architect strategy—building its network around why people travel, rather than conventional destination categories alone. A journey may begin with the hills, wildlife, wellness, culture or spirituality.

Sterling Delivers Best Ever Quarter, Marks a Defining Inflection Point.

Record Performance Reflects a Stronger, Scalable & More Resilient Hospitality Platform.

Key Highlights

• Best-ever Quarterly Performance – Revenue at ₹1.7 Billion, PBT grows 30% YoY

• 37% EBITDA Margin – among the top hospitality brands in the country.

• Q1 FY27 marks its 26th consecutive profitable Quarter.

• Operating Excellence – Occupancy rises 700 BPS, ARR grows 10%, RevPAR grows 20%,

• Sterling Kanha only resort in India to win 'Best of the Best' Award four years in succession

Chennai,  August 2026: Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited (SHRL), one of India's leading hospitality companies, today reported its strongest-ever quarterly performance, delivering record Revenue, EBITDA, Profit Before Tax and Operating Free Cash Flow in Q1 FY27. More importantly, the quarter reflects the emergence of a business that has fundamentally transformed itself over the last few years into a scalable, profitable and resilient hospitality platform.

Total Revenue grew 21% year-on-year to ₹1.7 Billion, while EBITDA increased 21% to over ₹620 Million, maintaining an industry-leading 37% EBITDA margin. Profit Before Tax grew even faster, rising 30% year-on-year and expanding PBT margins by 200 basis points, while Operating Free Cash Flow increased 30%, reflecting stronger operating leverage, disciplined cost management and robust cash generation. Sterling remains completely debt-free, with cash reserves exceeding ₹3.7 Billion, providing significant flexibility to invest in expansion, technology and guest experience.

The quality of Sterling's earnings continued to strengthen. Occupancy improved by 700 basis points to 77%, despite a significant increase in available inventory. Average Room Rate reached a record ₹7,809, while TRevPAR increased 20%, supported by strong commercial execution, disciplined revenue management and the growing strength of the Sterling brand. Room Revenue grew 29%, Food & Beverage Revenue increased 15%, and demand continued to outpace supply additions.

Sterling today operates 78 resorts with nearly 3,800 rooms across more than 65 destinations, making it one of the fastest-growing listed hospitality companies in India. The Company has a visible development pipeline of 35+ resorts and over 2,000 additional rooms, supported by its asset-right strategy that balances owned, leased and managed properties while maintaining capital discipline.

Customer excellence remained Sterling's strongest differentiator. Sterling Kanha received Tripadvisor's prestigious "Best of the Best" Award for the fourth consecutive year, placing it among the top 1% of resorts globally and making Sterling one of the very few resort brands in the world to achieve this distinction four years in succession. In addition, 28 Sterling resorts received Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards, with 12 resorts earning the recognition for three consecutive years.

Commenting on the performance, Mr. Vikram Lalvani, Managing Director & CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, said:

"Q1 FY27 represents a defining milestone in Sterling's journey. While it has been our best quarter ever across every key operating and financial metric, its significance extends well beyond the numbers. It reflects the emergence of a business that has fundamentally transformed itself into a scalable, profitable and resilient hospitality platform.

Virtually every growth engine delivered during the quarter. Our balance sheet has never been stronger, our development pipeline provides excellent visibility, and we continue to invest in technology, Artificial Intelligence and leadership as strategic enablers for the next phase of growth. Over the last five years, Sterling has built the foundations of a high-quality hospitality company. Over the next five years, our ambition is to compound that transformation into consistent growth, stronger returns on capital, increasing cash generation and sustained stakeholder value creation. We firmly believe Sterling's journey has only just begun."

About Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited is one of India’s leading hospitality companies with a portfolio of 78 resorts, hotels and retreats across beaches, hills, jungles, heritage destinations, pilgrimage circuits, waterfronts and drive-to destinations across the country. The company operates across more than 65 destinations and caters to leisure travellers, MICE, destination weddings, reunions and group travel.

Sterling has resorts at some of India’s best-loved holiday destinations, including Alleppey, Amritsar, Anaikatti, Athirappilly, Ayodhya, Badami, Bokaro, Chail, Coorg, Corbett, Darjeeling, Dehradun, Dharamshala,  Gangtok, Gir, Goa, Godavari, Guruvayur, Haridwar, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Kalimpong, Kanha, Kasauli, Karwar, Kodaikanal, Kufri, Lansdowne, Lonavala, Madurai, Malampuzha, Manali, Mohali, Mount Abu, Munnar, Mussoorie, Nainital, Ooty, Panchgani, Pench, Puri, Pushkar, Ranthambore, Rishikesh, Rudraprayag, Sakleshpur, Sariska, Srinagar, Thekkady, Tipeshwar, Tiruvannamalai, Udaipur, Vellore, Vythiri, Wayanad, Yelagiri, and Yercaud.

Sterling is a 100% independently managed subsidiary of Thomas Cook (India) Limited and part of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited.

Beyond Expansion: Sterling Signals a Disciplined Blueprint for Destination-Led Growth

LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE NOTE: At HVS HOPE 2026 Conference in Goa, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited outlined its roadmap for future growth and destination development, positioning itself as a purpose-driven brand focused on creating meaningful travel experiences for Indian travellers.

Speaking at the panel on Developments and New Models of Growth, Vikram Lalvani, Managing Director & CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, emphasised that the company’s expansion philosophy is anchored in demand durability, circuit-led development and capital-efficient models, 

“Let me set the context right for Sterling — we survived, revived and are now thriving, underscoring the brand’s resilience through industry disruptions and its evolution into a sharper, more purpose-driven hospitality company” said Lalvani,

“Scale without relevance is noise! Our growth is anchored in structural shifts in Indian travel behaviour — and in building formats that translate those shifts into durable demand and repeat intent. The blueprint of our expansions in the next 2-3 years is about connecting India through circuits and scaling with operational discipline” said Lalvani.

Sterling’s growth strategy begins with consumer purpose rather than geography. The company evaluates markets based on why people travel — faith, wellness, digital detox stays, sleep-focused retreats and nature-based programmes, family bonding, discovery and short drive-to breaks — and builds product formats around these motivations. This purpose-led underwriting has led to the development of interconnected regional circuits that allow travellers to combine leisure, spirituality, culture and nature within a single journey. “What-A-Trip and our circuit strategy are not marketing overlays; they are demand architecture tools. We don’t sell standalone stays — we design journeys that create repeat intent and reduce seasonality,” Lalvani noted.

Complementing this approach is Sterling’s Discoveries & Experiences (D&E) platform, which integrates local cuisine, culture, trails and partnerships into the guest journey. By embedding local DNA into the operating model, Sterling aims to convert emerging destinations into repeatable travel stories rather than one-time weekend escapes.

Backed by over 3,800 keys across 63 destinations spanning beaches, hills, wildlife, pilgrimage circuits and emerging regional markets, Sterling’s strength lies in its diversified portfolio, loyal repeat customer base, established vacation ownership legacy and proven ability to operate consistently across varied micro-markets. This operating depth enables the company to shape demand in new destinations rather than simply participate in it. On development models, Lalvani outlined an asset-right, conversion-led playbook designed to accelerate time-to-market while maintaining capital discipline. “"Conversions help set the velocity for the brands, and we got that with our model of being asset-smart but the phase where we are now focussed is Scale.  Our objective is surely about rapid key addition, but also a risk-adjusted, owner-aligned expansion that strengthens portfolio resilience and long-term returns.”

Sterling’s entry into select city-oriented markets follows the same philosophy. Rather than pursuing pure urban inventory growth, the company targets multi-demand nodes — destinations where pilgrimage, healthcare, education and commerce intersect — while retaining its resort-style positioning and circuit connectivity.  

Lalvani also underscored the importance of de-risking destination bets through structured validation, phased ramp-ups and outcome-linked partnerships. “We measure success as wealth creation for the owner, not just fee maximisation. Growth without discipline weakens both brand equity and long-term value.”

Central to Sterling’s strategy is its people-first culture, which emphasises local hiring, inclusive leadership and community participation. Many properties are managed by local teams, reinforcing authenticity while contributing to regional economic development. The company continues to deploy technology to personalise guest journeys and improve operational efficiency, while maintaining a strong human-centric service ethos.

Sterling Announces Arka Suites Puri, an All-Suite Boutique Addition to Its Flagship Puri Resort

Chennai, 2026: Sterling Holiday Resorts has announced the launch of Sterling Arka Suites, Puri’s first all-suite upscale boutique hotel, marking a refined new chapter in the brand’s coastal journey in Odisha. Although, located within the same precinct as the existing Sterling Puri resort, this new elevated block has been conceived as a distinct, boutique sanctuary—offering enhanced space, privacy and a more indulgent stay experience, while remaining seamlessly connected to the larger destination resort.

With the arrival of Sterling Arka Suites Puri, Sterling now offers the most expansive canvas of stays in the sacred seaside town. Featuring pool facing private balcony in all suites, thoughtfully designed and spacious interiors, walls accented with contemporary interpretations of Odisha’s Pattachitra art, and plush settings in living and bath areas, Arka Suites is crafted for discerning travellers who cherish space, privacy and unhurried luxury—inviting a more intimate way to unwind in Puri.

Commenting on the launch, Vikram Lalvani, Managing Director and CEO of Sterling said,
“Sterling had an early and committed presence in Puri, and over the years we’ve seen the destination evolve into a more layered leisure and cultural hub. Sterling Arka Suites Puri marks the next phase of that journey—introducing Puri’s first all-suite, upscale boutique experience within a destination we’ve helped shape over time. This all-suite addition allows us to offer a more intimate, elevated stay while remaining seamlessly connected to the larger Sterling Puri ecosystem, giving travellers greater choice, space and depth in how they experience the city—whether for leisure, culture or longer, immersive stays.”

Dining at the property is anchored by Solara, a thoughtfully curated restaurant that pairs global flavours with subtle local influences, all delivered with an easy coastal elegance. Guests also enjoy access to Amo Odisha, the award-winning Odiya speciality restaurant at the adjoining Sterling Puri, deepening the destination’s culinary narrative. Beyond the table, curated cultural experiences bring Odisha to life—from Pattachitra art sessions and Odissi performances to sand-art workshops, Chappan Bhog culinary masterclasses, and immersive festival showcases including Rath Yatra and the Konark Dance Festival.

Arka Suites strengthens Sterling’s ability to host celebrations and gatherings in Puri, with versatile event spaces that can be configured to accommodate more than 700 guests, while remaining caters to cultural-learning corners and activity zones designed to engage younger travellers.

Located at driving distance from the revered Jagannath Temple and the city’s golden coastline, the property invites guests to experience the spiritual and cultural essence of Puri while enjoying spacious suite stays and personalised hospitality.

With Sterling Arka Suites Puri, the brand deepens its commitment to destination-led coastal hospitality, cultural events, offering guests the choice of scale and vibrancy at Sterling Puri alongside a more refined, all-suite boutique experience—within a single, integrated destination.

Sterling Wins Dual Honours at the 22nd Future of L&D Summit & Awards 2026

Reinforces its commitment to building a high-performance, future-ready hospitality workforce

Mumbai, February 2026: Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited has been recognised for excellence in people development at the 22nd Edition Future of Learning & Development (L&D) Summit and Awards 2026, winning in two prestigious categories — Best Learning Culture in an Organization and Best Digital Learning Initiative.

This marks the third consecutive year that Sterling has participated in and secured recognition at the platform, reinforcing the company’s sustained commitment to building a strong learning ecosystem and investing in future-ready talent.

The award for Best Learning Culture in an Organization recognises Sterling’s structured approach to nurturing a culture of continuous learning, leadership development, and performance excellence across its properties and corporate teams. The Best Digital Learning Initiative accolade acknowledges the company’s focused investments in digital learning platforms, technology-enabled training modules, and scalable capability-building frameworks designed to empower employees across geographies.

Commenting on the achievement, Harinath M, Sr. Vice President Corporate Communications and Brand, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, said: “At Sterling, our growth is anchored in the strength of our people. Building a learning culture is not episodic — it is institutional. Being recognised for the third consecutive year validates our structured approach to leadership development, digital capability-building, and operational excellence. As we expand, investing in future-ready talent remains central to sustaining service consistency across our growing network.”

Sterling’s learning and development framework integrates structured training programmes, digital learning solutions, leadership development tracks, and operational excellence modules tailored for the hospitality sector. Since January 2025, its employee engagement and recognition platform, SHINE, has achieved a 69% adoption rate and supported a 62% retention rate, reinforcing a culture of accountability, participation, and continuous growth across resorts and corporate functions.

Through the Emerging Leaders Development Program, Sterling has successfully groomed 12 Heads of Department into Resort Managers, many of whom now lead premium properties within the portfolio — strengthening succession planning and operational continuity. Additionally, Sterling University, the company’s digital learning platform, has enabled 475 team members to complete over 18,000 hours of structured SOP-based training, ensuring consistent learning and service alignment across more than 70 resorts nationwide.

With this recognition, Sterling further strengthens its position as an organisation that prioritises employee growth, digital transformation in training, and long-term capability development as key drivers of business excellence.

About Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited is a leading hospitality company in India that has a portfolio across 59 unique destinations, and over 3,700 keys operational, catering to leisure travellers, MICE, destination weddings, reunions, and group travel. The company’s portfolio spans beaches, hills, jungles, heritage destinations, pilgrimage circuits, waterfronts, and drive-to getaways across the country. Sterling has resorts at some of India’s best-loved holiday destinations, including Alleppey, Amritsar, Anaikatti, Athirappilly, Ayodhya, Badami, Bokaro, Chail, Coorg, Corbett, Darjeeling, Dehradun, Dharamshala, Gangtok, Gir, Goa, Godavari, Guruvayur, Haridwar, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Kalimpong, Kanha, Kasauli, Karwar, Kodaikanal, Kufri, Lansdowne, Lonavala, Madurai, Malampuzha, Manali, Mount Abu, Mohali, Munnar, Mussoorie, Nainital, Ooty, Panchgani, Pench, Puri, Pushkar, Ranthambore, Rishikesh, Rudraprayag, Sakleshpur, Sariska, Shimla, Srinagar, Thekkady, Tipeshwar, Tiruvannamalai, Udaipur, Vellore, Vythiri, Wayanad, Yelagiri, and Yercaud. The company is a 100% independently managed subsidiary of Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) and part of the Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited.

Sterling Launches Sterling Saryu Ayodhya, Its Second Hotel in the Holy City

Deepening destination expertise in Ayodhya with a comfort-led retreat rooted in faith, heritage and ease

Chennai, February, 2026: Sterling Holiday Resorts announced the opening of Sterling Saryu Ayodhya, its second resort in Ayodhya, reinforcing its destination-led growth strategy in one of India’s most significant spiritual hubs. The launch advances Sterling’s focus on building high-intent travel circuits across heritage and pilgrimage India—grounded in consistent service, trusted standards, and experiences rooted in place.

Ayodhya has witnessed a sharp rise in visitor movement, supported by improved connectivity, upgraded infrastructure, and a renewed national focus on cultural and faith-led tourism. As pilgrimage travel scales up—with multi-generational families, senior travellers and group movement—comfort, reliability and calm have become as important as proximity. Sterling Saryu Ayodhya responds to this shift by expanding choice and capacity for travellers seeking dependable, well-run stays—especially during peak movement seasons—while keeping the experience centred on ease, care and reassurance.

Inspired by the spiritual identity of the city and named after the sacred River Saryu, Sterling Saryu Ayodhya has been envisioned as a restful retreat for faith-led journeys. The resort offers thoughtfully planned accommodations—from Cocoon Rooms created for deep rest to Junior Suites suited for longer stays—aligned to the rhythm of pilgrimage days where early mornings, temple circuits and long walks make restorative sleep essential.

Located within convenient reach of Ayodhya’s key temples, ghats and transport hubs, the retreat combines access with ease. The all-day dining restaurant, The Saryu Café, serves familiar, wholesome vegetarian flavours, while calm common areas and a well-appointed banquet hall make the property equally suited for spiritual group travel, family gatherings and focused meetings.

Speaking on the launch, Vikram Lalvani, Managing Director & CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts, said: “Ayodhya is a defining chapter in India’s pilgrimage landscape—where faith-led travel is being shaped by stronger infrastructure and rising demand. With Sterling Saryu Ayodhya—our second resort in the city—we are deepening destination depth to serve travellers with comfort, calm and reliability, delivered with warmth. At Sterling, we believe hospitality is not just about a stay—it’s about how you make people feel, especially in a destination where the journey is as emotional as it is spiritual.”

 Mr. Rishi Uppal, Director, Kalyan KK Hotels India Pvt Ltd, added:

“Ayodhya is among India’s most important spiritual destinations, and demand for organised, comfort-led hospitality is growing rapidly. We wanted to create a retreat that supports this evolving travel behaviour, and Sterling’s leadership in heritage and pilgrimage destinations—combined with its proven operating expertise—made them the right partner for this vision.”

 Well connected by road and rail, Sterling Saryu Ayodhya also serves as a convenient base for extended heritage journeys across North India, with access to key regional hubs including Lucknow (~135 km / ~3.5 hrs), Prayagraj (~170 km / ~4 hrs) and Varanasi (~200 km / ~4.5–5 hrs)—enabling guests to build meaningful travel circuits with Ayodhya at the centre.

About Sterling Holiday Resorts Ltd.

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited is a leading hospitality company in India that has a portfolio across 58 unique destinations, and over 3,700 keys operational. 

Sterling has resorts at some of India’s best-loved holiday destinations, including Alleppey, Amritsar, Anaikatti, Athirappilly, Ayodhya, Badami, Bokaro, Chail, Coorg, Corbett, Darjeeling, Dehradun, Dharamshala,  Gangtok, Gir, Goa, Godavari, Guruvayur, Haridwar, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Kalimpong, Kanha, Kasauli, Karwar, Kodaikanal, Kufri, Lansdowne, Lonavala, Madurai, Malampuzha, Manali, Mount Abu, Munnar, Mussoorie, Nainital, Ooty, Panchgani, Pench, Puri, Pushkar, Ranthambore, Rishikesh, Rudraprayag, Sakleshpur, Sariska, Shimla, Srinagar, Thekkady, Tipeshwar, Tiruvannamalai, Udaipur, Vellore, Vythiri, Wayanad, Yelagiri, and Yercaud.

The company is a 100% independently managed subsidiary of Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) and part of the Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited.