Juniper Hotels reported a marginal decline in fourth-quarter profit due to exceptional charges, with consolidated net profit falling to ₹50.4 crore from ₹54.9 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. According to latest reports, the profit decline was attributed to exceptional items including ₹23.4 crore in additional property tax payments for its Delhi hotel property following a Delhi High Court ruling on tax framework applicable to star hotels, and costs linked to implementation of new labour codes. Despite the profit impact, the company demonstrated strong operational performance with revenue rising 7.1% year-on-year to ₹300 crore from ₹278 crore in the previous year, with sequential growth of 2.1% from Q3 FY26's ₹295.1 crore. The company's EBITDA grew 12.8% to ₹132 crore with EBITDA margins expanding 195 basis points to 44% from 42.05% in the year-ago period, indicating higher operational efficiency per room.
The revenue growth was driven by strong performance at key properties including Grand Hyatt Mumbai, Andaz Delhi and Hyatt Regency Ahmedabad. As reported by CNBC TV18, the company achieved significant annual milestones with annual revenue crossing ₹1,000 crore and profit after tax nearly doubling to ₹142 crore for FY26. Chairman and Managing Director Arun Kumar Saraf highlighted that key hotels delivered record performance during the year, aided by healthy average room rate growth and sustained travel demand despite global geopolitical uncertainties. The company has formalized its premium branding for the critical Bengaluru expansion project, with The Westin Bengaluru Phase I set to open in 2QFY27, significantly expanding the company's footprint in a high-demand corporate hub and diversifying revenue away from Mumbai and Delhi.
The quarter saw significant exceptional expenses totaling ₹23.4 crore, primarily comprising additional property tax payments for the Delhi hotel and costs related to labour code implementation. The company also recorded ₹6.0 crore in incremental employee benefit obligations during FY26 based on actuarial valuation. Additionally, Juniper Hotels reported a fire-related loss at its Bangalore property, partially offset by insurance proceeds received during the year. Total expenses during the quarter increased to ₹216.6 crore from ₹213.5 crore in the year-ago period, though this was partially offset by a decline in finance costs to ₹22.2 crore from ₹24.3 crore. The margins improved from 42.05% to 44% primarily due to higher room rates and operational efficiencies in the premium hotel segment.
For the full financial year FY26, consolidated revenue from operations increased 11% to ₹1,048 crore from ₹944 crore in FY25, while net profit nearly doubled to ₹142 crore compared with ₹71.3 crore in the previous financial year. The company's profit before tax rose to ₹192 crore from ₹150 crore, demonstrating strong annual performance despite quarterly challenges. Basic and diluted earnings per share for Q4 FY26 stood at ₹2.26 compared with ₹2.47 in Q4 FY25. The company successfully listed on the exchanges in February 2024 following an ₹1,800 crore IPO and has focused on debt reduction to improve its interest coverage ratio, maintaining strong occupancy across its flagship properties. Ahead of the earnings announcement, shares of Juniper Hotels closed 0.24% higher at ₹200.50 on the NSE, reflecting investor confidence in the company's operational performance despite the quarterly profit decline.
