Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, has announced the launch of Taj Mount Kusur Resort & Villas in Lonavala, Maharashtra, marking Taj’s entry into the luxury branded villa segment.
Developed in partnership with Amavi, India’s hospitality-backed real estate brand, the project combines a 100-key Taj resort with 32 branded villas spread across a 34-acre estate in the Western Ghats.
Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, said, “For over a century, Taj has defined luxury hospitality through its grand palaces, landmark city hotels, safaris and residences. Recognised as the World’s Strongest Luxury Hotel Brand and India’s Strongest Brand, Taj continues to strengthen its position at the forefront of the luxury hospitality sector. The launch of Taj Mount Kusur Resort & Villas marks our entry into the branded villa segment, broadening our portfolio to address evolving consumer preferences while bringing the trust, service excellence and legacy of the brand to a new category of luxury real estate.”
The development offers views of the surrounding lake and valley and draws on contemporary barn-style architecture, with expansive glass façades and spacious verandahs designed to integrate the villas with the natural landscape.
A two-acre Wabi-Sabi Central Park, inspired by the Japanese philosophy of simplicity and harmony with nature, forms part of the development. Other features include a Miyawaki forest, nature trails, zen gardens, stargazing decks, golf putting greens, a fitness lawn and multi-purpose sports courts. The project will also include Club Amavi, with wellness and recreational facilities, along with banquet and dining spaces.
The villas will be sold as part of the resort inventory under a lease-back programme, allowing owners to access Taj’s hospitality services, including concierge, housekeeping and maintenance, as well as the resort’s leisure and wellness facilities.
Apurv Kumar, Managing Director, Clarks Group of Hotels and Founder, Amavi, said, “Second homes are bought to create more time — time with family, time in nature and time for oneself. Yet too often, they become another responsibility. At Amavi, our purpose is to change that. Taj Mount Kusur Resort and Villas brings together the privacy and permanence of a home with the care and service of Taj hospitality.”
Sachin Agrawal and Bajrang Bararia, Founders, Amavi, said the project was conceived to bring together design, nature and hospitality, responding to growing demand for second homes that offer the privacy of villa ownership alongside professionally managed luxury hospitality services.
Located between Mumbai and Pune, Lonavala remains one of Maharashtra’s established leisure destinations, attracting leisure travellers, wellness seekers and second-home buyers with its valleys, lakes and waterfalls.
