Sapphero Hotels Alibaug Kevadiya Expansion Gains Pace

MUMBAI, June 15, 2026: Sapphero Hotels has signed two new hospitality projects in Western India, a beachside resort near Varsoli Beach in Alibaug, Maharashtra, and a 48-room hotel and villa project near Kevadiya in Gujarat. Both properties are scheduled to open in 2027, extending Sapphero's portfolio into two of the region's most actively developing leisure destinations.

The two signings reflect distinctly different market bets, and understanding what makes them different is the more interesting part of this announcement. Alibaug is a well-established leisure market, the weekend destination of choice for Mumbai's urban professional class, with a long history of demand and a growing inventory of quality stays. Kevadiya is something newer: a destination built around the Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue, that has been developing rapidly as a Gujarat tourism anchor since its inauguration in 2018. Both markets have momentum. They just have different kinds.

Alibaug: a beachside resort at Varsoli Beach

The Alibaug property will be located near Varsoli Beach, one of the cleaner and less crowded stretches along the Alibaug coastline, a positioning detail that matters in a market where beachfront real estate varies considerably in quality and access. The resort will offer contemporary accommodations, an all-day dining restaurant, recreational facilities, and landscaped outdoor spaces.

The target audience is deliberately broad: leisure stays, corporate retreats, and social events are all called out in the brief. That multi-format positioning is well matched to how Alibaug actually generates demand. Mumbai-based families drive weekend occupancy. Corporate groups use the proximity and connectivity, Alibaug is accessible by ferry from the Gateway of India in under an hour, for offsites and leadership retreats. Social events including weddings and milestone celebrations fill weekends through peak season. A resort that can serve all three without compromising on any is the commercial proposition that works best in this market.

Kevadiya: a 48-room hotel with private villas near the Statue of Unity

The Kevadiya project is structured differently. At 48 rooms, it is a more intimate property, and its inclusion of private villas alongside contemporary hotel rooms signals a guest profile that includes families seeking more space, corporate groups requiring separation and privacy, and destination event organisers who need a contained venue rather than a large resort floor.

Kevadiya's hospitality market has been growing since the Statue of Unity drew national and international visitor attention to what was previously a quiet stretch of the Narmada valley in Gujarat. The destination now sits within a broader tourism development zone that includes the Valley of Flowers, Cactus Garden, and the Sardar Sarovar Dam viewpoint, a collection of attractions that converts a single landmark visit into a multi-day itinerary for families and leisure groups. A 48-room hotel-villa property is appropriately scaled for a market at this stage of development: large enough to generate revenue, small enough to fill without oversupplying a destination that is still building its visitor base.

Shamitav Jana on the Western India strategy

Shamitav Jana, CEO, Sapphero Hotels, placed the two signings inside the brand's broader expansion logic for Western India.

"Alibaug and Kevadiya continue to witness strong growth as preferred destinations for leisure and corporate travelers. These signings reflect our commitment to expanding in high-potential markets and strengthening our presence across Maharashtra and Gujarat. We are excited to bring the Sapphero hospitality experience to both destinations with properties that combine comfort, convenience, and strong local appeal."

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— Shamitav Jana, CEO, Sapphero Hotels

The "high-potential markets" framing in Alibaug's case is not speculative, it is backed by a market that has been absorbing new hotel supply consistently and still showing demand growth. In Kevadiya's case it reflects a longer-term read: a destination where the government has invested in infrastructure and the visitor numbers are building, but where branded quality supply remains limited enough that an early mover can establish a strong position before the market matures.

Sapphero's FY26 performance and what it means for expansion momentum

The Alibaug and Kevadiya signings come after a strong financial year for Sapphero Hospitality. In FY26, the group reported average daily rate growth of 10%, occupancy growth of 7%, and RevPAR growth of 5% across its portfolio, a set of numbers that reflects both improving market conditions and operational gains within the group's existing properties.

For a hospitality company using its operating performance to justify expansion, those figures provide a credible foundation. ADR growth of 10% suggests the brand is pricing with confidence. Occupancy growth of 7% alongside that suggests the rate increase has not pushed demand away. RevPAR growth of 5%, lower than the sum of the other two, which is mathematically normal, reflects a portfolio that is growing in both yield and volume simultaneously. It is the profile of a company that has earned the right to grow.