Boutique resorts with celebrity chefs: For the uber-rich bored with luxury stays
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In the sleepy village of Dawra in Solan district, often overlooked as the poorer cousin of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, a new resort for the uber-rich opened earlier this year. This property, Amaya, spread over 20 acres, has just 15 villa rooms or chalets.
It also has a luxury restaurant that only serves plated locally sourced food and seats just 16 guests at a time, like a Michelin-starred restaurant would. This boutique luxury resort charges a minimum of about ₹40,000 per night. And yet, Amaya, about two hours by road from Chandigarh, finds more than enough guests.
Today’s ultra-rich holidayers are not averse to splurging on intimate, high-end boutique resorts, where exclusivity meets luxury with fewer than 50 rooms and meals curated by high-profile chefs. Deepak Gupta, who owns Amaya Homes, worked in the corporate sector in senior consulting roles before embarking on his dream project. Amaya’s villa rentals are steep, starting at ₹37,000 and going up to ₹75,000 per night (not including taxes).
A private villa for a group of six people will leave you dearer by ₹1.23 lakh. Such properties are redefining luxury vacationing in India. The allure? Small-scale investments with high returns.
New-age hoteliers such as Gupta are looking to capitalise on the growing demand for bespoke experiences. A 12-villa hideaway on Goa’s Varca beach fits the same bill. What started as a redevelopment project for the Binani Cement family in Varca on a family-owned land spread over three acres with access to the beach is scheduled to launch on 1 November.
Room rates are upwards of ₹50,000 per night. Shradha Binani, one of the business’ founders, is not in any hurry to reap profits. The 12-room Amaraanth
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