Saltstayz plans to add 22 properties to take its portfolio to 55 hotels by the end of the financial year, focusing growth on western and southern India. The company currently operates 33 hotels with around 1,214 keys in the mid-premium to premium segments.

The Gurugram-based hospitality group is present across key destinations in seven cities under three brands, Autograph, Select and Premier. It follows an asset-light model that includes lease, revenue-sharing and management contracts and is pursuing aggressive expansion toward a target of 250 hotels in 50 cities, totalling around 10,000-11,000 keys.

The co-founder said the group intended to concentrate its next phase of expansion on the south and the west because its presence was stronger in the north, and that spiritual tourism and properties in religious destinations formed part of the strategy. Management prefers not to own assets as ownership would slow the roll-out and the group is targeting any city with year-round footfall.

The company currently employs around 670 people and reported revenue of Rs 12,140 mn in 2025-26, and it is targeting a workforce of over 3,000-3,500 and revenue of Rs 15,000 mn by FY30. The expansion plan is expected to increase staffing needs and operational scale across new and existing markets.

Management said the business has so far been bootstrapped and funded entirely through internal resources, without equity dilution, and that Rs 120 mn had been invested to date. The model is intended to limit capex, and the group plans to invest around Rs 180-200 mn in new cities to support the roll-out.

To reach the FY30 objective, the company acknowledged a likely requirement for a quick influx of funds and said it would seek external financing this year, with debt viewed as the primary option so far and equity under consideration though no final decision had been made. The group will continue to sign properties using asset-light arrangements to scale rapidly.