RARE India
RARE India is a curated experiential hospitality platform aggregating 67 heritage hotels and retreats across India, Nepal, and Bhutan, serving experience-driven travelers through a bookable platform and Marriott Bonvoy Outdoor Collection distribution following its 2026 acquisition by SAMHI Hotels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersHaryana, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What RARE India does
RARE India operates a curated experiential hospitality platform aggregating 67 heritage hotels, retreats, and experiential stays with 990 rooms across 15 Indian states, Nepal, and Bhutan. Founded in 2003 as one of India's earliest boutique hospitality curation networks, the company originally ran a B2B membership model serving travel agents and resellers, and is now transitioning to a consumer-facing bookable platform to capture direct demand from experience-driven travelers seeking non-standardized, heritage-focused accommodations.
The company's product surface includes the core RARE India booking platform, themed sub-brands such as the Wildlife Collection (owner-run wildlife lodges with sustainability-focused architecture), and a Marriott Bonvoy Outdoor Collection brand affiliation providing global distribution and loyalty program access across India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. Technology infrastructure modernization is planned as part of capital deployment from the March 2026 SAMHI Hotels investment.
RARE India generates revenue through transaction fees on bookings processed via its platform, with additional distribution reach provided by Marriott International and MakeMyTrip integrations. The company was majority-acquired (70%) by SAMHI Hotels Limited in March 2026 for approximately ₹470 million (₹47 crore), marking SAMHI's asset-light entry into experiential leisure hospitality. RARE India continues to operate independently under existing leadership within the SAMHI portfolio.
RARE India firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RARE India
- Legal name
- RARE India
- Website
- https://rareindia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RARE India is a curated experiential hospitality platform aggregating 67 heritage hotels and retreats across India, Nepal, and Bhutan, serving experience-driven travelers through a bookable platform and Marriott Bonvoy Outdoor Collection distribution following its 2026 acquisition by SAMHI Hotels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RARE India industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Boutique Hospitality Platform
- NAICS
- All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199), Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Boutique Resorts (Small-Scale Resorts) (THAGADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury Eco-Resorts (THAGACAK), Private Adventure & Expedition Experiences (Custom Hikes, Safaris, Backcountry) (THAJALAG), Remote/Alternative Accommodation Management (Cabins, Tiny Homes, Glamping) (BPAJAIAG)
Keywords
Where RARE India is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Haryana
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
RARE India business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hotel/Stay Bookings: RARE India operates a curated platform of 67 heritage hotels, retreats, and experiential stays. Revenue is generated through booking transactions from travelers seeking authentic, experience-driven hospitality across India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
RARE India product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RARE India operates a curated experiential hospitality platform aggregating 67 heritage hotels, retreats, and experiential stays (990 rooms) across 15 Indian states, Nepal, and Bhutan. The company transitioned from a B2B membership model to a consumer-facing bookable platform, organizing properties into themed collections such as the Wildlife Collection. Distribution and global reach are supported through an affiliation with Marriott International's Marriott Bonvoy Outdoor Collection brand and integration with MakeMyTrip.
Product overview
RARE India operates as a curated experiential hospitality platform offering heritage hotels, retreats, and experiential stays. The platform consists of the core RARE India booking platform for curated boutique properties, the Wildlife Collection sub-brand featuring owner-run wildlife lodges with sustainability-focused experiences, and a Marriott Bonvoy Outdoor Collection brand affiliation providing global distribution reach. The company previously operated a B2B membership model and is transitioning to a consumer-facing bookable platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- RARE India Platform A curated online booking platform aggregating 67 heritage hotels, retreats, and experiential stays across 15 Indian states, Nepal, and Bhutan for individual leisure travelers.
- Wildlife Collection A themed sub-brand collection of owner-run wildlife lodges and retreats featuring sustainability-focused architecture and locally sourced experiences, including properties such as Tipai Wildlife Luxuries.
Quantifiable outcome
- Portfolio expanded to approximately 100 hotels with Marriott affiliation
Companies that use RARE India
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
RARE India technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature2 records
RARE India partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Marriott InternationalcoreRARE India entered into an affiliation agreement with Marriott International to operate its portfolio under the Outdoor Collection brand by Marriott Bonvoy across India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. This gives RARE access to Marriott's global distribution channels and loyalty program, while expanding SAMHI's combined portfolio to approximately 100 hotels.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RARE India competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Booking.com: Global OTA with deep Indian and South Asian inventory across boutique and experiential categories; a broad incumbent competing for the same end-traveler demand as RARE India's B2C platform.
- Soneva: Luxury experiential resort brand operating curated, sustainability-led boutique resorts; comparable to RARE's experiential positioning but owner-operator at premium price points and primarily outside South Asia.
- MakeMyTrip: India's largest OTA; RARE India properties are already listed on MakeMyTrip's platform. A broader incumbent that competes with RARE for demand acquisition and supply relationships across the same experiential inventory.
- Airbnb: Global experiential-stay platform with a large supply of unique and boutique listings in India and South Asia; a much larger incumbent competing for the same experience-driven traveler segment that RARE curates.
- The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts: Indian luxury hotel group with strong experiential and heritage properties; a broader incumbent in the same South Asian premium hospitality category that RARE India's curated platform targets.
Regional players
- SOTC Travel: India-focused tour operator and experiential travel package provider; comparable as a curator of Indian and regional travel experiences but focused on packaged tours rather than boutique accommodation curation.
Direct peers
- CGH Earth: Indian experiential hospitality operator running curated owner-run boutique and wildlife properties across India with a strong experiential and sustainability focus, directly comparable to RARE India's curated heritage/experiential positioning.
- Tree of Life Resorts: Boutique Indian resort chain operating small-scale experiential properties in heritage and nature destinations, directly comparable to RARE India's boutique curation focus.
- Brij Hotels (Tata Group): Curated boutique hospitality brand in India focused on heritage and experience-led stays, directly comparable to RARE India's boutique curation model in the same South Asian market.
- AMã Stays & Trails (Mahindra Holidays): Curated portfolio of boutique and homestay properties across India operated by Mahindra Holidays, competing for the same experience-driven traveler and heritage-property-owner segments as RARE India.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
RARE India social profiles
Digital presenceRARE India financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RARE India leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
RARE India funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RARE India M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RARE India
What does RARE India do?
RARE India operates a curated experiential hospitality platform aggregating 67 heritage hotels, retreats, and experiential stays (990 rooms) across 15 Indian states, Nepal, and Bhutan. The company transitioned from a B2B membership model to a consumer-facing bookable platform, organizing properties into themed collections such as the Wildlife Collection. Distribution and global reach are supported through an affiliation with Marriott International's Marriott Bonvoy Outdoor Collection brand and integration with MakeMyTrip.
Is RARE India a public or private company?
RARE India is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was RARE India founded?
RARE India was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RARE India based?
RARE India is headquartered in Haryana, India, in the Asia region.
How does RARE India make money?
One revenue line is on record: hotel/Stay Bookings.
Who are RARE India's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Booking.com, Soneva, MakeMyTrip, Airbnb and The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts. SOTC Travel is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are CGH Earth, Tree of Life Resorts, Brij Hotels (Tata Group) and AMã Stays & Trails (Mahindra Holidays).
Does RARE India have an API?
No public API is recorded for RARE India.
What industry is RARE India in?
RARE India's product category is Boutique Hospitality Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAGADAJ, Boutique Resorts (Small-Scale Resorts), with a secondary code of THAGACAK, Luxury Eco-Resorts. Its NAICS code is 721199 and its SIC code is 7990.