Taj introduces branded villas with Mount Kusur Resort in Lonavala.
Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) launched Taj Mount Kusur Resort and Villas in Lonavala, Maharashtra, the Taj brand’s first luxury villa. In conjunction with hospitality-backed real estate firm Amavi, the integrated development is underway.
The 34-acre Western Ghats estate will feature 32 branded villas and a 100-key Taj resort with lake and valley vistas.
IHCL Managing Director and CEO Puneet Chhatwal stated, “Taj has defined luxury hospitality through its grand palaces, landmark city hotels, safaris and residences for over a century. Taj, the World’s Strongest Luxury Hotel Brand and India’s Strongest Brand, remains a luxury hospitality leader. Taj Mount Kusur Resort & Villas expands our portfolio to meet changing consumer tastes and brings the brand’s confidence, service excellence, and tradition to a new luxury real estate category.”
The villas’ glass façades and large verandahs will blend with the scenery, inspired by modern barn-style architecture.
A two-acre Wabi-Sabi Central Park, inspired by Japanese simplicity and harmony with nature, will be built. Miyawaki forests, nature trails, zen gardens, stargazing terraces, golf putting greens, fitness lawns, and multi-purpose sports courts will be available. Club Amavi will provide fitness, recreation, and banquet and eating facilities.
Branded villas will be sold and leased back into the resort inventory. The Taj resort’s leisure and health amenities, concierge services, and housekeeping and maintenance are available to villa owners.
Clarks Group of Hotels Managing Director and Amavi Founder Apurv Kumar remarked, “Second homes are bought to create more time, time with family, time in nature and time for oneself. They become another duty too often. Our goal at Amavi is to change that. Taj Mount Kusur Resort and Villas combines home comforts with Taj hospitality. Based in the Western Ghats, it embodies our view that effective development must respect the earth and benefit local populations. Mount Kusur should be a place people return to, belong to, and visit, not just a property.”
“With Taj Mount Kusur Resort and Villas, Amavi has sought to create a residential offering that combines design, nature and hospitality,” said founders Sachin Agrawal and Bajrang Bararia. Luxury consumers now want the solitude of a second home with the amenities and assurance of a hospitality brand. The project’s low-density planning, integrated amenities, and professionally managed services offer villa owners the solitude and convenience of a luxury resort. Amavi is thrilled to work with IHCL to realise this ambition under the Taj brand.
Lonavala, between Mumbai and Pune, is a popular tourism destination in Maharashtra due to its valleys, lakes, waterfalls, and proximity to the two major urban centers.
