If you were planning a quiet mid-February getaway to the national capital, your wallet might be in for a shock. On Tuesday, travel portals like MakeMyTrip and Ixigo revealed an astronomical spike in Delhi’s hospitality market. For the first time in recent memory, room rates at premier 5-star properties have breached the ₹10 lakh per night mark, with some ultra-luxury suites even touching ₹32 lakh including taxes.
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This isn’t a glitch in the algorithm. Instead, it is the direct result of “event-based inflation” triggered by one of the most significant technology gatherings in India’s history.
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The Seven-Figure Stay: Delhi’s New Luxury Reality
As of the morning of February 10, 2026, the pricing landscape for Delhi’s “Diplomatic Enclave” has been completely rewritten.
The Imperial, New Delhi: A luxury suite was listed at roughly ₹11.64 lakh for a single night stay on February 15.
Taj Palace: Reports indicate the ‘Garden Luxury Suite’ reached a staggering ₹25 lakh to ₹32 lakh (including taxes) for peak dates.
The Oberoi & The Leela: These flagship properties are listing standard rooms at ₹5 lakh+, while Maharaja suites are being held for diplomatic delegations at premium tiers.
Aloke Bajpai, CEO of Ixigo, confirmed the trend on X, noting that several 5-star hotels are easily clearing the ₹1 lakh threshold for basic rooms between February 16 and 20.
Why the India–AI Impact Summit 2026 is a Game Changer
The catalyst for this surge is the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to take place at Bharat Mandapam. Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the France AI Action Summit, this event is being positioned as the largest AI gathering ever hosted in the Global South.
Massive Scale: With over 35,000 registrations and delegates from 100+ countries, the sheer volume of high-net-worth visitors has exhausted the city’s limited luxury inventory.
The Tech Elite: Rumored attendees include Silicon Valley heavyweights like Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman, alongside 20+ heads of government and 50+ international ministers.
Strategic Weight: The summit’s theme—People, Planet, and Progress—aims to move AI discussions from “technical debates” to real-world outcomes for developing nations.
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A “Bad Name” for India? The Industry Backlash
While hotels are enjoying a pricing windfall, the trend has drawn sharp criticism from industry veterans. Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai slammed the pricing on social media, calling it “absurd” and warning that it gives a “bad name to India” by suggesting overseas visitors are being “fleeced.”
Pai pointed out a deeper structural issue: India currently has only about 185,000 luxury rooms, a fraction of what cities like New York, Shanghai, or Dubai offer. When a global-scale event arrives, the lack of capacity leads to these temporary, yet extreme, price bubbles.
The Global South’s AI Milestone
Despite the “sticker shock,” the summit represents a pivotal moment for India. By hosting this event at Bharat Mandapam, India is signaling its intent to lead the Global South in AI governance and ethical adoption. The summit will feature over 400 exhibitors and showcase AI applications in agriculture, healthcare, and rural economies—sectors often overlooked by Western tech hubs.
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[DELHI HOTEL RATE COMPARISON: FEB 2026]
| Hotel Property | Typical Rate (Per Night) | Summit Rate (Feb 16-20) | Increase (%) |
| Taj Palace (Luxury Suite) | ₹90,000 | ₹25,00,000 | ~2,670% |
| The Imperial (Heritage Suite) | ₹35,000 | ₹1,76,000 | ~400% |
| The Leela (Maharaja Suite) | ₹1,50,000 | ₹7,34,000 | ~390% |
| The Oberoi (Standard Room) | ₹25,000 | ₹5,84,000 | ~2,230% |
Next Steps
If you are a business traveler with non-essential meetings in Delhi next week, you should consider rescheduling for late February or looking for accommodation in Gurugram or Noida, where the “summit surcharge” is slightly less aggressive. Furthermore, if you are interested in the policy outcomes of the event, you can follow the IndiaAI portal for live updates on the “AI for All” Global Impact Challenge.
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