Lease or management contract with a hotel brand

Lease your hotel to a leading brand, or sign a management contract, on terms you understand.

Own or building a five-star hotel? We take it to brands such as Marriott International, IHG, IHCL, Hilton, Hyatt and Accor, compare their management contract, franchise and lease proposals, and stay with you from the first conversation to opening day.

586

Hotels signed by brands in India in 2025, totalling 64,118 keys

84%

Share of 2025 signings structured as management contracts

71%

Share of 2025 signings located in Tier 2 and 3 cities

Source: published industry research, 2025.

What the research says

Most Indian owners assume a brand will lease the hotel and pay rent. In practice, industry research shows that 84% of 2025 signings were management contracts and 14% were franchises. Fixed leases are the exception, so choosing the structure matters as much as choosing the brand.

How brands signed hotels in 2025

Management contracts84%

Franchise agreements14%

Other structures2%

Brands we approach for you

Marriott InternationalIHG Hotels & ResortsIHCL (Taj)HiltonHyattAccorRadisson Hotel GroupITC HotelsThe Oberoi GroupThe LeelaFour SeasonsShangri-La

Brand names belong to their owners and are listed as examples of operators we approach for hotel owners. Zelo is an independent advisor and is not affiliated with any hotel brand.

Three ways to work with a brand

Management contract

Who operates: The brand runs the hotel in your name
How money flows: You pay a base fee on revenue and an incentive fee on operating profit
Suits: Owners who want a luxury brand to operate the hotel fully

Franchise

Who operates: You or a third-party operator runs the hotel under the brand
How money flows: You pay franchise and reservation-system fees
Suits: Owners with their own hotel management capability

Lease or revenue share

Who operates: The operator runs the hotel on its own account
How money flows: You receive fixed rent, a share of revenue, or both
Suits: Owners who want predictable income and less operating risk

Our process

360-degree support, signing to opening

Step 1
Project review
Location, land, planned keys, facilities and budget, and which brand tiers the site can realistically support.
Step 2
Operator outreach
We present the project to suitable operators and collect written proposals rather than verbal interest.
Step 3
Term comparison
Fees, contract length, performance tests, owner approval rights and exit clauses, set side by side in plain language.
Step 4
Signing through to opening
We stay involved through brand technical reviews, pre-opening budgets and handover, so the opening date holds.

Terms we negotiate on your behalf

Base and incentive fee levels
Contract length and renewal rights
Performance test and your right to end the contract
Brand contribution to pre-opening cost, where available
Area protection against the same brand opening nearby
What happens to the contract if you sell the hotel

Market figures are drawn from published industry research for 2025 and early 2026. Studies use different city sets and definitions, so totals can differ between them. This is general information, not investment advice.