Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani.NurPhoto via Getty ImagesAdani Airport Holdings Ltd.—controlled by ports-to-energy billionaire Gautam Adani—has inked an agreement with IHG Hotels & Resorts to build hotels across India, tapping on the country’s booming travel demand.The five hotels, which will have close to 1,500 rooms, will be built in key airport-linked and high-growth urban destinations in India, the companies said in a joint statement.“Our collaboration with IHG Hotels, and the development of five hotels across key gateway destinations, marks an important step in strengthening high-quality hospitality infrastructure aligned with India’s long-term travel and economic growth,” said Pranav Adani, director of Adani Enterprises and nephew of Gautam Adani, chairman of the Ahmedabad-based Adani Group.The partners’ initial portfolio will include a Kimpton hotel in Jaipur—a UNESCO World Heritage site in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan—as well as Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels within the mixed-used projects being developed by Adani Group as part of their so-called airport cities in Mumbai, Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram. “Our vision is to create world-class destinations that seamlessly integrate travel, stay and urban experiences around India’s rapidly growing aviation ecosystem,” Pranav Adani said, adding that the airport operator and IHG are in advanced talks to further deepen and expand their partnership. MORE FOR YOUAdani Airport, which serves over 70 million passengers annually across its network of eight airports in India including in Ahmedabad and Lucknow, is developing airport cities covering 268 hectares. The company aims to make airports as integrated urban ecosystems, combining aviation with hospitality, retail, commercial and social infrastructure to enhance travel experiences and long-term economic and urban growth.“The partnership with Adani Airport reflects the scale of opportunity we continue to see in India’s hospitality sector, particularly across gateway cities and airport-led developments that are witnessing strong demand,” says Sudeep Jain, IHG’s managing director for south west Asia. “With a mix of luxury, premium and essential brands, this portfolio allows us to meaningfully strengthen our presence across high-growth markets across the country.” IHG, which currently operates 52 hotels across six brands in India, plans to open 98 additional hotels over the next three to five years.With an estimated net worth of $92 billion, Adani and his family are India’s second-wealthiest in the country, according to the list of India’s 100 richest published by Forbes Asia in October last year. The Adani Group has interests in airports, cement manufacturing, energy, logistics, media, mining, ports and real estate.