EkoStay Accelerates Expansion with Premium Villas Across India

EkoStay, the vacation home brand known for its professionally managed private villas, has announced a major expansion milestone, strengthening its footprint across India’s most sought-after leisure destinations. With rising demand for private, experience-led stays, the company is strategically scaling its portfolio to cater to evolving traveler preferences.

Expanding Across Maharashtra’s Getaway Corridors

In the past two months, EkoStay has added eight new villas in Maharashtra, including:

• Three in Panchgani

• One in Igatpuri

• One in Dahanu

• Three in Alibaug

These additions reinforce the brand’s strong presence in Maharashtra’s popular holiday markets.

New Villas in Goa, Kodaikanal, and Palghar

Building on this momentum, EkoStay is set to launch five more villas this month:

• One in Palghar

• Two in Kodaikanal

• Two in Goa

This marks a strategic move into both emerging coastal destinations and established luxury leisure hubs.

Luxe Villas in Ooty

Further accelerating its premium category growth, EkoStay has secured three Luxe category villas in Ooty, featuring expansive 4, 5, and 6 BHK configurations. These properties are undergoing final readiness and are expected to go live next month.

Leadership Insights

• Varun Arora, CEO & Co-Founder: “India’s travel behavior has shifted towards private, curated stays. Our expansion reflects growing consumer demand and homeowner confidence in vacation rentals.”

• Husain Khatumdi, MD & Co-Founder: “Every property onboarding represents a partnership built on trust. Professionally managed homestays are becoming a strong alternate income stream for second-home owners.”

• Zishan Khan, Chief Acquisition Officer & Co-Founder: “Our acquisition strategy prioritizes quality inventory. The Luxe villas in Ooty represent curated expansion where design, location, and experiential value converge.”

• Sohail Mirchandani, COO & Co-Founder: “Operational excellence is key. Each property undergoes structured integration to ensure consistent guest experiences across destinations.”

The Bigger Picture

EkoStay’s expansion highlights the growing appetite for private villa stays in India, driven by travelers seeking space, flexibility, and personalized hospitality. By focusing on curated acquisitions and operational consistency, the brand is positioning itself as a leader in the premium vacation rental space.

EkoStay Accelerates National Expansion with Strategic Villa Onboarding Across Emerging Leisure Destinations

Adds 8 New Villas Across Panchgani, Igatpuri, Dahanu and Alibaug; Announces 5 Upcoming Launches in Palghar, Kodaikanal and Goa with Luxe Category Expansion in Ooty

Mumbai, India | March 2026: Professionally managed vacation home brand EkoStay, one of India’s fast growing alternative accommodation platforms, has announced a significant expansion milestone with the onboarding and launch of multiple premium villas across key leisure markets, further strengthening its footprint across high demand holiday destinations nationwide.

Over the past two months, the company has added eight new villas to its growing portfolio, including three in Panchgani, one in Igatpuri, one in Dahanu and three in Alibaug, reinforcing its presence across Maharashtra’s most sought after getaway corridors. Building on this momentum, EkoStay is set to launch five additional villas this month, including one in Palghar, two in Kodaikanal and two in Goa, marking a strategic move into both emerging coastal markets and established luxury leisure destinations.

Further accelerating its premium category growth, the brand has also successfully closed three Luxe category villas in Ooty, comprising expansive 4, 5 and 6 BHK configurations. These properties are currently undergoing final readiness processes and are expected to go live next month.

Founded in 2018 by hospitality entrepreneurs Husain Khatumdi, Sohail Mirchandani, Varun Arora and Zishan Khan, EkoStay has rapidly evolved into one of India’s prominent professionally managed homestay platforms, offering curated villa experiences designed around privacy, comfort and personalised hospitality. With a portfolio now spanning over 150 villas across 12 cities, the company continues to redefine the alternative accommodation ecosystem through a homeowner partnership driven model.

Speaking on the expansion, Varun Arora, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, EkoStay, said: “India’s travel behaviour has fundamentally shifted towards private, experience led stays where travellers seek space, flexibility and curated hospitality. Our recent expansion reflects both growing consumer demand and strong homeowner confidence in professionally managed vacation rentals. We are focused on building depth within high performing micro markets while simultaneously unlocking new leisure destinations that show strong long-term potential.”

The expansion strategy reflects EkoStay’s dual focus on strengthening established markets such as Alibaug and Goa while entering emerging lifestyle driven destinations including Dahanu and Palghar, which are witnessing increasing interest from urban travellers seeking short drive getaways.

Husain Khatumdi, Managing Director and Co-Founder, EkoStay, added: “Our vision has always been to simplify hosting for homeowners while delivering consistent guest experiences. Every new property onboarding represents a partnership built on trust. As more second home owners look at structured asset monetisation, professionally managed homestays are becoming a strong alternate income stream, and we see tremendous opportunity ahead.”

The upcoming Luxe category villas in Ooty mark another step towards premiumisation for the brand, catering to evolving consumer expectations around larger group travel, celebrations and destination led experiences.

Commenting on acquisitions and market growth, Zishan Khan, Chief Acquisition Officer and Co Founder, EkoStay, said: “We are seeing accelerated interest from homeowners across destinations that were previously considered niche leisure markets. Our acquisition strategy is focused on quality inventory rather than scale alone. The Luxe villas in Ooty represent the next phase of curated expansion where design, location and experiential value come together.”

Operational excellence continues to remain central to the company’s growth approach, supported by regional market leadership teams across locations including Goa, Lonavala, Karjat, Panchgani and Ooty.

Sohail Mirchandani, Chief Operating Officer and Co Founder, EkoStay, said: “As we expand, maintaining standardisation alongside personalisation remains critical. Each property undergoes a structured operational and guest experience integration process before going live. Our goal is to ensure that regardless of destination, guests experience the same reliability and service quality that defines EkoStay.”

With increasing domestic tourism, remote work flexibility and group travel trends continuing to fuel demand for private villa stays, EkoStay remains focused on sustainable expansion, homeowner partnerships and destination diversification as it scales its national presence.

About EkoStay 

EkoStay is a professionally managed vacation home platform offering curated villa stays across India. Founded in 2018, the company collaborates with homeowners to transform private properties into hospitality ready vacation homes, delivering standardised yet personalised guest experiences. With a portfolio spanning over 150 villas across 12 cities, EkoStay combines technology, operational expertise and customer centric design to redefine India’s alternative accommodation landscape.

EkoStay Unveils New Guest Experience & Hospitality Innovations, Championing Wellness and Mental Well-Being in Villa Travel

Launch of Work-from-Villa packages, Petcation Collection, and wellness-led retreats marks a new era of restorative and experiential travel in India

India, Mumbai | October 2025: As the world arrives at World Mental Wellness Day on 10 October, EkoStay, one of India’s leading names in the alternative hospitality space, is spotlighting the growing role of travel, space, and restorative experiences in supporting mental well-being. The brand has announced a series of guest experience and hospitality innovations designed to enhance and personalize villa stays for modern travellers. These initiatives focus on digital nomads, pet parents, and wellness-focused guests, while reinforcing EkoStay’s commitment to operational excellence and hospitality innovation at scale.

As India’s travel landscape evolves, travellers are no longer looking at villas merely as accommodation, but as immersive, lifestyle-led spaces where work, leisure, wellness, and personal well-being converge. With World Mental Wellness Day approaching on 10 October, EkoStay’s new offerings reflect the growing desire for travel that restores, recharges, and supports mental well-being, setting a fresh benchmark for villa hospitality in India.

Work-from-Villa: The New Way to Work and Travel

With the rise of digital nomads and remote professionals, EkoStay has introduced dedicated Work-from-Villa packages across all properties. These packages combine high-speed internet, smart TVs with multiple streaming platforms, and wellness and food add-ons, making it seamless for guests to work efficiently while enjoying a vacation lifestyle.

According to a 2025 report by NASSCOM & FICCI on the Future of Work, over 28% of India’s urban workforce now works remotely for at least part of the year, fuelling the rise of “workcations” and hybrid travel models. EkoStay’s villas are strategically positioned to cater to this new wave of mobile professionals who seek comfort, connectivity, and flexibility.

Zeeshan Khan, Chief Acquisition Officer & Co-founder, EkoStay, said: “As work patterns evolve, we saw a clear opportunity to reimagine how second homes can serve as inspiring, functional workspaces. Our Work-from-Villa model is designed to offer professionals all the infrastructure they need, without compromising on the experience of living in a beautiful, private space.”

India’s First Structured Petcation Collection

EkoStay has launched India’s first structured “Petcation Collection”, a curated selection of pet-friendly vacation homes across its portfolio.

According to Euromonitor’s India Pet Care Market Outlook 2025, pet ownership in urban India has grown by 66% over the last decade, with millennials and Gen Z driving the trend of travelling with pets. However, only a small fraction of hospitality providers offer truly pet-accommodative services. EkoStay’s collection fills this gap with thoughtfully designed spaces, including open lawns, pet-friendly dining setups, and curated pet experiences ensuring that pets are not just welcome, but celebrated guests.

Varun Arora, CEO & Co-founder, EkoStay, added: “We’re witnessing a cultural shift where pets are becoming central to how families plan their holidays. Our Petcation Collection brings structure, comfort, and joy to pet-friendly travel, ensuring that both owners and their pets have an equally memorable stay.”

Wellness + Stay Crossover: Retreats that Restore

As part of its commitment to holistic and mentally restorative travel experiences, EkoStay has initiated tie-ups with yoga and meditation practitioners to host wellness-led villa retreats. Guests can now elevate their stay with private yoga sessions, guided meditations, or rejuvenation therapies by connecting with their respective Stay Experience Manager. This transforms a villa holiday into a restorative, soul-nourishing experience supporting not just physical relaxation but mental well-being too.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, India’s wellness tourism market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 10%, reaching USD 27 billion by the end of 2025. Wellness-focused travellers are increasingly seeking intimate, experiential formats over large resort settings a space where EkoStay’s villas offer the ideal blend of privacy, authenticity, and curated experiences.

Additionally, EkoStay’s Dedicated Stay Experience Managers curate bespoke experiences from decorations for parties, DJ setups, and live musicians, to wellness add-ons like yoga instructors and massage therapists tailoring every stay to the guest’s personal vision.

Husain Khatumdi, Managing Director & Co-founder, EkoStay, shared: “Wellness is no longer a niche it’s becoming a core reason why people travel. Our retreats are designed to bring mindful experiences into private villa settings, giving guests a sense of restoration without the rigidity of a traditional retreat.”

Operational Excellence as the Foundation

Behind these guest-facing innovations is a robust operational backbone, which ensures that every villa meets EkoStay’s hospitality standards:

• Villa Readiness SOPs designed to maximize guest satisfaction.

• High-speed internet & smart TVs installed across all villas.

• Curated food programs, with professional kitchen setups offering diverse packages veg, non-veg, Jain, seafood, and local cuisine catering to every type of traveller.

• A Dedicated Stay Experience Manager at every property, ensuring seamless logistics and personalized service.

Sohail Mirchandani, COO & Co-founder, EkoStay, emphasized: “Innovation only works when backed by strong systems. Our focus has always been on building an operational backbone that delivers consistently across hundreds of properties. That’s what allows us to scale experiences without diluting quality.”