EkoStay has announced a major expansion of its South India footprint with a targeted 40-villa boutique cluster project across the Nilgiris region for 2026, covering Ooty, Coonoor and Kotagiri.
The expansion marks one of the company’s most ambitious regional growth developments to date and further strengthens its presence in India’s fast-growing alternative accommodation and experiential travel segment.
As part of the larger cluster development, EkoStay currently has 11 villas in the immediate pipeline across the Nilgiris, including a mix of 2, 3, 4 and 5 BHK private luxury villas. Out of these, four villas are already live and operational, while the remaining properties are expected to go live by mid to end June 2026.
The newly launched and upcoming properties include Under the Pines, Dusk Villa and Dawn Villa, each designed around the region’s scenic landscape, misty tea estates, pine-covered roads and old-world hill station charm. While Under the Pines offers a luxurious 5BHK mountain retreat surrounded by towering pine forests and valley views, Dawn Villa and Dusk Villa are positioned as intimate boutique stays overlooking Ooty’s tea estates and lush greenery. Interestingly, Dawn and Dusk are located adjacent to each other and can also function as a combined stay experience for larger groups and family travellers.
The Nilgiris expansion reflects EkoStay’s broader strategy of identifying high-potential leisure destinations and transforming independent homes into professionally managed, design-forward hospitality experiences. Several of the villas underwent extensive aesthetic and operational upgrades before launch, with the EkoStay team actively redesigning spaces to align with the brand’s boutique hospitality standards.
The company also revealed that it has begun integrating AI-assisted visualisation tools during the interior planning and design process. For the Nilgiris properties, the team experimented with English pastel palettes, wooden textures, fireplace concepts, layout combinations and hospitality-focused design elements using AI-supported visual references before final execution.
Speaking about the expansion, Zishan Khan, Chief Acquisition Officer & Co-Founder, EkoStay, said, “The Nilgiris has always held a very timeless and emotional appeal for travellers because the experience here goes far beyond tourism. It is about slowing down, reconnecting with nature and experiencing a kind of old-world mountain charm that is becoming increasingly rare today. For us, this expansion was never just about adding more villas to the portfolio. We wanted to build a carefully curated hospitality cluster that feels experiential, design-led and deeply rooted in the character of the region itself.
What makes this project especially exciting is the transformation journey behind every property. We are actively identifying villas with strong architectural character, scenic value and long-term hospitality potential, and then working closely with homeowners to completely redesign, upgrade and operationally standardise these homes while still preserving their original warmth and identity. From interiors and guest flow planning to landscaping, operational logistics and experience design in hill terrains, every detail is being approached very thoughtfully.
The targeted 40-villa Nilgiris cluster for 2026 is a very important milestone in EkoStay’s long-term vision of building one of India’s strongest boutique villa hospitality ecosystems across high-demand leisure destinations. We genuinely believe the future of travel is shifting toward more private, immersive and emotionally connected stay experiences, and destinations like Ooty, Coonoor and Kotagiri are perfectly aligned with that evolution.”
Founded in 2018 by Husain Khatumdi, Sohail Mirchandani, Varun Arora and Zishan Khan, EkoStay today operates across multiple leisure destinations in India and continues expanding its footprint through curated villas, professionally managed vacation homes and experiential private stay offerings tailored for modern travellers.
