All about luxury

The last couple of years have reset the way the world works, without leaving much choice for people but to change and adapt. However, during this period, there has been one hospitality brand that found itself resetting the way it worked and willingly. “These have been resurrection years for us wherein we have completely reset, reimagined and reinvented our brand,” says Ashish Vohra, Founder & CEO, jüSTa Hotels & Resorts, which started as ‘The Residence’ in 2005 with a service apartment initiative but then decided to focus exclusively on offering luxury boutique resorts and retreats across India.

As it began reinventing itself, the first luxury boutique it opened during the pandemic was jüSTa Mukteshwar Retreat & Spa in October 2020. Thereafter, between the second and the third wave of the pandemic, 10 luxury resorts and retreats saw the light of the day under a revenue sharing model, though the brand is open to all formats of business.

Currently operating 20 hotels and resorts with 630 keys across eight states, jüSTa aims to be recognised as an inspirational Indian hospitality brand and to be international in every way, with an Indian identity. On what sets the brand apart, Vohra shares, “jüSTa in Sanskrit means ‘welcome’ and our aim is to provide a luxury experience comprising best-in-class modern amenities and personalised service to guests across all our properties.” At jüSTa hotels, this warm invitation of Indian hospitality meets international standards of luxury. The experience is further enhanced by well-known fashion designer Deepika Govind’s unique handcrafted design for each jüSTa property. 

Setting itself apart

jüSTa is launching properties of enduring value using superior design and finishes, and the brand supports these properties with a deeply instilled ethic of personal service. This, Vohra believes, is what sets the company apart. “Art is another major differentiator for us. Unique art pieces are fully integrated into the jüSTa experience. All artworks at our hotels are original, signed and depicted as per the theme of the hotel. At present, almost 1,000 original artworks by emerging artists of India are displayed across jüSTa hotels,” says Vohra who comes with over 25 years of experience with The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and is a specialist in the field of marketing, sales, strategy and finance.

The brand is of the firm belief that everything comes to life through art. “Art is very fluid, dynamic and has a unique expression. It is always new and leads to a very personal discovery and thought process for each person who looks at it. Unfortunately, very few hotels use original artworks. When hotels use originals, they are appreciating human creativity and original thought process as well as creating a lively space for guests to enjoy. Rather than focussing on trends, it is important for hotels to select artworks that create a lively space and that seamlessly become a part of the entire design DNA of the hotel. Right from design and architecture to furniture, furnishings, flooring and artwork, everything should complement and make each other stand out,” avers Vohra.

Changing landscape

The focus of jüSTa Hotels & Resorts, lately, has been on opening resorts. Now, with leisure tourism gaining momentum and leading hospitality chains coming up with resorts more rapidly than ever in India, the boutique properties could get affected. On this, Vohra says, “If you take the example of Europe, even though all the big brands are present there, many people still choose unique and interesting boutique properties and experiences. In city hotels, the scenario is different due to business travel but in a resort, it is more about comfort, personal preferences, location, budget, experiences being offered and many other criteria. Of course, brand name matters but if people get value for money and a great experience with a lesser-known brand, they are quite receptive to the idea of giving it a try.”

Bringing in sustainability  

For any organisation, choosing sustainable practices has become very important. Without such practices, the environment, and by extension, the brands’ future, is likely to be in jeopardy. jüSTa, too, has a few sustainable measures that it follows. “We are not 100 per cent sustainable yet but are working towards bringing in sustainable solutions wherever possible. We use natural spring water instead of bottled water at most of our properties, a majority of the staff at our hotels are locals, we procure all ingredients locally and we encourage our guests to try local cuisines as well as cultural experiences. We are also working on replacing our disposable toiletries with more sustainable solutions and this will be done across the board within the next few months,” he shares.