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Sarovar sees 500% growth in revenue from direct bookings

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Avianna Group Achieves 3x Direct Revenue Growth And 418% Organic Traffic Increase

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How This Northeast-Based Group Scaled Its Digital Footprint And Grew Direct Revenue By Over 3x With Simplotel

Most of us do not take the road less traveled. But then you have Sarovar Hotels and Resorts who did, and they became trailblazers in the Indian hospitality industry.

Sarovar operates 96 hotels across 55 destinations worldwide. One of the leading hotel chains in India, Sarovar was founded by Anil Madhok (Executive Chairman) and Ajay Bakaya (Managing Director) nearly a quarter of a century ago. Sarovar Hotels was the first mover in India to adopt the asset-light model, where it manages and services other hotel properties through strategic alliances with other chains.

Sarovar started operations when it took franchises of Park Plaza and Park Inn brands for India. A decade later (circa 2005), Sarovar began promoting its own brands: Portico, Hometel and Premiere. Fast-forward to another decade and the Louvre Hotels Group, one of Europe’s leading hospitality brands, purchased a stake in Sarovar in 2017. Another milestone in this impressive growth story.

About Avianna Group

Avianna Group of Hotels & Resorts was born just two years ago when a group of passionate hoteliers came together with one vision—to elevate hospitality in Northeast India. What began as a collaboration rooted in local expertise has grown into a thriving portfolio of eight properties (six currently operational) spread across scenic destinations in Sikkim, Assam, and Meghalaya.

The name 'Avianna' represents grace, flight, and freedom—values that mirror the group’s commitment to personalised experiences and heartfelt hospitality. Led by Sales Director Pratish Chetri, Avianna is building a guest-first brand anchored in community, culture, and now, technology.

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The Challenge

Operating in the unique terrain of Northeast India brings with it logistical challenges, seasonal fluctuations, and evolving guest expectations. While the brand had built a strong B2B and offline base, digital visibility was limited, and direct bookings accounted for less than 5% of the business.

Pratish shared, “Our reliance on offline channels was around 80%. We knew the shift to digital was necessary—not just for visibility, but to reach the right kind of customer who would value our offerings and return.”

Shatabdi Dutta, General Manager (Marketing) at Sarovar, believes that Simplotel’s USP is its digital marketing service. “Simplotel helped us rank in terms of traffic generation across online channels and drive conversions. We received great technical support from the team, which we lacked earlier. The website design is great and user friendly. We have received positive feedback from guests that the booking journey does not take much time, is hassle free, and most importantly, the mobile site is responsive!”

The Simplotel Solution

In 2024, Avianna partnered with Simplotel to build a high-converting hotel website and implement a seamless booking engine across its properties. The goal was simple:

Increase online visibility
Improve direct booking contribution
Reduce dependence on OTAs

What stood out to the Avianna team was Simplotel’s ability to not only deliver a strong digital platform, but also collaborate on marketing strategy, positioning, and content to attract the right audience.

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The Impact

Within months, the results spoke for themselves:

257.52% increase in overall website traffic (May '25 vs. Jul '24)
418.44% increase in organic traffic during the same period
100% growth in room nights (May '25 vs. Aug '24)
429.05% rise in pre-tax revenue (May '25 vs. Aug '24)

This shift not only boosted revenue but also brought in higher-quality guests who resonated with the Avianna brand and stayed longer, returned often, and explored multiple properties.

What They Say

“Simplotel is more than a tech vendor—they’re our growth partner. From the creative inputs to the marketing direction, their team is always pushing us to think bigger. The results are visible in our numbers and in the type of guests we now attract.”

— Pratish Chetri, Sales Director, Avianna Group of Hotels & Resorts

Looking Ahead

With a firm foothold in Northeast India and a strong digital foundation, Avianna is set to scale further. The focus is now on expanding its portfolio strategically and shifting more of its business online, with a goal of reaching at least 50% online contribution.

Key Takeaways

3x increase in direct revenue
4x growth in organic traffic
Better quality, repeat guests acquired via website
Direct bookings grew to 15% of total occupancy

Within a year of onboarding Simplotel, Sarovar had hit over 3x growth in revenue from direct bookings. In another year, this growth doubled to 6x since it went live with Simplotel. “We were able to use Simplotel’s technology to begin promotions and campaigns that gave us a major boost”, says Khan. The average monthly organic traffic also nearly doubled for The Louvre Hotels-backed hospitality chain. However, this was only possible as Sarovar had managed to put their vision into action and achieve the almost impossible in such a short span of time.

On personal learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic, both Khan and Dutta agree that they have learned to live life more passionately and prioritize family. On the professional front, they have learned to think out of the box to jumpstart Sarovar’s operations and forge deeper connections with their partners.