Polo Hotels Group Launches Chapter, A New Boutique Brand Rooted In The Northeast

The Northeast is having a hotel moment. As travellers look beyond the region’s familiar gateways and start seeking stays that feel more connected to where they are, Polo Hotels Group is betting on a new kind of hospitality: smaller, design-led properties where the destination shapes the experience.

The Shillong-based hospitality group has launched Chapter Hotels & Resorts, an upscale boutique brand aimed at younger, experience-led travellers. The new collection will focus on intimate properties, local food, design, culture and social spaces, with the first hotel set to open in Tripura later this year.

Rather than applying a standard hotel template to every destination, Chapter is being developed around the character of each location. The idea extends to its restaurants, bars, pools, spas and guest experiences, which are intended to be integral to the stay rather than additional amenities. For Polo Hotels Group, which has spent more than three decades operating across the Northeast, the brand also marks a move to present the region from a distinctly local perspective.

A New Chapter Begins

The debut property, Chapter Lakeside, Tripura, will be a 17-key resort on the shores of Rudrasagar Lake, around 90 minutes from Agartala airport. The property will frame the Neermahal Palace from its pool and most of its rooms, putting one of Tripura’s best-known landmarks firmly within the guest experience.

The resort is designed around the lake, with a pool overlooking the water, a poolside bar, all-day dining and boat transfers that allow guests to experience Rudrasagar beyond the shoreline. Its positioning is also intended to make the property a base for discovering more of Tripura, a state that remains outside many conventional Northeast itineraries.

Food will form a substantial part of the Chapter experience. At Chapter Lakeside, the kitchen will draw from Kokborok and Mui Borok traditions, incorporating ingredients and flavours associated with the region, including river fish, bamboo shoots, banana flowers and local herbs. The bar will similarly work with local botanicals and Tripura’s craft beverage culture.

The second property is planned for Upper Shillong, Meghalaya, where Chapter Resort Upper Shillong will have 37 keys and sit amid paddy fields. Built around a pool, the resort is positioned as a leisure-led property that brings a new hotel format to Shillong’s surroundings.

Built Around Place

The launch comes as connectivity and tourism infrastructure continue to improve across the Northeast, bringing destinations that have historically been harder to access into greater focus. Chapter’s expansion strategy is closely tied to this shift, with Polo Hotels Group looking at locations where a strong sense of place can become part of the reason to visit.

The group’s active pipeline spans West Bengal, Nagaland and other destinations across the Northeast, with potential properties ranging from heritage assets and hill stays to cultural towns and leisure circuits. The proposed portfolio will not follow one uniform architectural or experiential formula. Instead, each property is expected to have its own identity while retaining the broader Chapter positioning.

That approach also extends to the brand’s food and beverage concept, Cassette Kitchen & Bar. Inspired by the idea of a mixtape, the all-day format is designed to move from coffee and breakfast through meals and drinks, with menus beginning with ingredients from the surrounding region. Tea garden produce, hill-market ingredients and local growers are expected to feature across properties, depending on the destination.

Scaling The Northeast

Chapter is intended to complement, rather than replace, Polo Hotels Group’s existing portfolio. The group currently operates across three hospitality segments: Polo Hotels & Resorts at the upscale end, Chapter Hotels & Resorts in the boutique space and Max in the midscale category.

The new brand will use a flexible development model, including owned, managed and retrofit properties. The common thread will be upscale amenities, distinctive design, strong food and beverage offerings and a local narrative tailored to each destination.

For a group that began with Hotel Polo Towers in Shillong in 1991, Chapter represents a return to familiar territory with a different lens. Its ambition is to turn the Northeast’s landscapes, food traditions and communities into the starting point for contemporary hotels, while also contributing to local employment and hospitality talent.

With Tripura leading the launch and Meghalaya next in line, Chapter’s early portfolio suggests that Polo Hotels Group is looking at the Northeast not simply as a region to expand into, but as the central character of its next phase of growth.

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