Brands
Staah names India’s top hotel booking channels of 2025
MUMBAI: If hotel bookings were a popularity contest, online travel agencies would still be walking away with the crown. Staah’s latest Top 10 Booking Channels report for 2025 shows familiar giants holding firm, a few nimble climbers gaining ground, and hoteliers quietly sharpening their direct sales game.
Drawing on booking data from thousands of partner properties across India between January and December 2025, the report offers a snapshot of how travellers really book their stays. The picture is lively. Domestic travel is booming, price-conscious consumers are shopping smart, and mobile-first platforms are winning thumbs and taps.
GoMMT continues its long reign at the top, powered by scale, sharp pricing and an ability to appeal to everyone from road-tripping families to midweek business travellers. Close behind, Agoda’s mobile-first approach and loyalty perks have helped it climb confidently into second place. Booking.com holds steady at number three, proving that consistency still counts.
Cleartrip has made one of the more interesting moves this year, jumping two spots as travellers respond to its value-led positioning and strong flight-plus-hotel combinations. Meanwhile, direct bookings through Staah SwiftBook land in fifth place, a clear sign that hotels are nudging guests away from commission-heavy platforms and back to their own digital front doors.
The rest of the top 10 reflects a market in motion. New entrants such as Travelguru, EaseMyTrip and HyperGuest underline the depth and diversity of India’s travel ecosystem, where fresh ideas and niche offerings can still find room to grow.
“2025 has been a big year for travel, with Indian consumers relying on digital platforms at every step of the journey,” said Staah India Ltd national sales head Shoaib Ali. “OTAs remain vital for visibility and demand, but hotels are equally focused on building strong direct channels. The winners are those that balance reach with relationships.”
The wider backdrop is just as upbeat. India continues to rank among the world’s fastest-growing travel markets, fuelled by rising disposable incomes, better connectivity and a growing taste for personalised experiences. Domestic tourism shows no signs of slowing, while international interest in India is gathering pace.
In short, the booking battlefield is busy, competitive and full of opportunity. OTAs may still dominate the skyline, but direct bookings are no longer content to stay in the shadows.
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
