Hotel room tariffs in Ahmedabad have surged dramatically ahead of the India–New Zealand T20 World Cup final, with prices rising by as much as 300 to 400% as cricket fans from across India and overseas descend on the city for Sunday’s marquee clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The spike in demand has pushed hotel rates far beyond their usual range, according to Narendra Somani, hotelier and president of the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Gujarat.
“There is a 300 per cent to 400 per cent increase in room tariffs due to the high demand in view of the T20 World Cup final. Rooms that were earlier available for ₹5,000 to ₹20,000 are now priced between ₹15,000 and ₹50,000,” Somani was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Online travel portals reflect the sharp surge in tariffs across several prominent hotels in the city.
At Taj Skyline on Sindhu Bhavan Road, a ‘Deluxe Room’ for two is currently listed at around ₹2.01 lakh, plus nearly ₹36,000 in GST, for March 8 night. On regular days, the same room typically costs between ₹9,000 and ₹15,000, marking nearly a 20-fold jump in price.
Similarly, room tariffs at Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels on Ashram Road are showing around ₹20,950 on booking platforms, significantly higher than the usual ₹6,000 to ₹8,000 range.
Rooms at Hyatt Regency Ahmedabad are priced at about ₹30,000 for match night—almost four times the standard rate charged on most days.
Despite the steep rise in prices, Ahmedabad’s hotel capacity is expected to meet most of the demand. The city has around 10,000 hotel rooms across different categories.
“We expect hotels in and around the city to see nearly 80 per cent occupancy on Sunday because of the match,” Somani said.
With accommodation costs soaring, many visitors are choosing alternative arrangements instead of staying overnight in Ahmedabad. Some fans are opting to stay in nearby Gandhinagar, located about 25 kilometres away, while others plan short trips to the city solely for the match.
“What many people do, especially people from Bombay, is leave in the morning by road. They arrive here by four or five o’clock and go straight to the match. They bring a driver and leave at night,” Somani said.
Fans from other parts of Gujarat are adopting a similar strategy.
“They do the same thing; they come in their car and leave in their car—say from Rajkot or Porbandar,” he added.
Apart from domestic travellers, foreign visitors have also begun arriving in Ahmedabad to witness the high-profile final between India and New Zealand.