Twenty years ago, when Hyderabad was still growing into its identity as a global business destination, the idea of a large-scale international convention centre attached to a hotel felt ambitious.
Today, the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) and Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre have become woven into the city's business, hospitality and social fabric, from global summits and political gatherings to extravagant Telugu weddings and high-profile exhibitions.
Rubin Cherian
As the property marks its 20th anniversary this month, General Manager Rubin Cherian reflects on how the venue evolved alongside the city itself.
"When this started, it was built as a hardcore MICE hotel," Rubin says, referring to Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions. "Twenty years back, the thought was mainly conferences and exhibitions. There wasn't even a full-fledged kitchen designed for the scale we see today."
Back then, the venue stood out because it was among the country's first purpose-built international convention centres. Long before India saw massive integrated event destinations emerge elsewhere, Hyderabad had HICC.
"For years, anything big that happened in the country, international conferences, major summits, global events, happened here," he says. "We have hosted everyone from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to Sunita Williams. Till about five or seven years ago, this was the address for large-format international events."
Over the years, the venue expanded beyond boardrooms and business delegations. Today, it is equally associated with fashion exhibitions, destination weddings, food festivals and social celebrations.
Rubin recalls how the property slowly adapted to changing demands. "Then came the large Indian weddings. Marwadi weddings, Gujarati weddings, Telugu socials, everything became food-centric and experience-centric. We started converting pantry spaces and back areas into kitchens. Now, it's a full-fledged international production kitchen because there are days we cater to 8,000 to 10,000 people."
That evolution mirrors Hyderabad itself. Once seen primarily as an IT and pharmaceutical hub, the city has steadily emerged as a luxury events and lifestyle destination.
Few events showcase that transformation better than the exhibitions that routinely fill the convention centre. High Life exhibitions, for instance, draw thousands of shoppers every day.
He points out that social events have become just as significant as corporate ones. "Over 20 years, it has become an auspicious venue for many families. We now see repeat clientele across generations. Somebody's engagement happened here, then their wedding, then a baby shower, then a 60th birthday celebration."
Over the years, the venue has also built a strong reputation for hosting high-profile political and international events that require extensive coordination and security planning. From global summits to visits by national leaders, the property has regularly handled events of significant scale and importance. "When Prime Minister Modi visited recently, there were about 1,500 police personnel deployed," Rubin says. "Hosting such large government events requires meticulous planning and coordination across teams." He adds that the venue's experience in managing complex logistics and high-security protocols has helped position it as a trusted destination for major national and international gatherings.
Yet, even after two decades, the venue continues to reinvent itself. A large-scale phased renovation is now underway, one that Rubin believes will prepare the property for the next decade. "We have stretched the renovation over 13 months so we can continue operations."
The redesign includes upgraded event spaces, refurbished banquet halls and a new specialty restaurant. Interestingly, after exploring niche concepts like Korean and Japanese cuisine, the team eventually settled on a broader modern Pan-Asian approach. "Hyderabad is experimenting more with food now," Rubin says.
The city's dining culture, he believes, has changed dramatically in recent years. "There's suddenly this huge love for Telugu cuisine too. Places serving Andhra food are packed. At the same time, coffee culture is exploding among younger crowds." Hence Novotel is offering Aku Bhojanam. Served under the Mango Tree, Aku Bhojanam recreates the warmth of a traditional Telugu meal where food is as much about emotion as it is about flavour. Served on fresh banana leaves, the experience brings together recipes and rituals that have travelled through generations, from tangy rasam and hearty dals to comforting payasam at the end of the meal. At a time when diners are rediscovering regional cuisine, experiences like these offer a slower, more rooted way of eating that celebrates both community and culture.
Beyond hospitality and events, sustainability has quietly become another important chapter in the property's story.
Across the campus, the hotel has introduced several environmentally conscious initiatives over the years, solar-powered water heating systems producing nearly 3,600 litres of hot water daily, rainwater harvesting systems with a 3,000-kilolitre capacity, electric vehicle charging stations and atmospheric water generation technology designed to reduce dependency on traditional water sources.
The property has also worked toward reducing single-use plastic consumption, reportedly cutting down nearly 14,000 plastic bottles per month. Food waste is converted into compost for an in-house vegetable garden maintained using recycled water.
Rubin says these changes are no longer optional for hospitality businesses. "Sustainability cannot just be a buzzword anymore. Large hotels consume enormous resources every single day. So every small system matters."
Despite changing travel trends post-pandemic, the convention business continues to remain resilient. What has changed, however, is how people plan events.
"Before COVID, we used to get bookings six or seven years in advance for some international conferences," Rubin says. "Now people plan much shorter, six months to one year maximum."
Still, the flow of events hasn't slowed. Corporate summits, weddings, exhibitions and cultural gatherings continue to keep the venue buzzing through the year.
And somewhere between the massive business conferences, political summits, celebrity weddings and luxury exhibitions, the property has quietly become a reflection of Hyderabad itself, ambitious, constantly expanding and unapologetically larger-than-life.