Step inside the world of SaffronStays as we chat with its founder, Devendra Parulekar, the driving force behind one of India’s most admired chains of luxury vacation villas. With a passion for creating unforgettable getaways, he discusses how experiential travel has transformed the holiday landscape and how SaffronStays blends comfort, authenticity, and stunning destinations to deliver moments guests cherish forever. From handpicked private homes to heartfelt hospitality, this conversation takes you behind the scenes of a brand that has redefined the art of vacationing
Q. When you and Tejas first embarked on the SaffronStays journey, the luxury rental villa segment was still a niche. Today, it’s in high demand and even attracting premium hotel brands into the space. Did you anticipate such rapid evolution in this segment as you were taking your first step?
When we began in 2016, we were very clear that India would eventually move towards private, exclusive, memory-led travel. At the time, the villa segment was unorganised and scattered, but the consumer psyche told us something deeper – families wanted more privacy, more space, and more meaningful together-time.
Did we anticipate the scale and speed? Perhaps not to this extent. But we did believe that once Indian travellers experienced the comfort and authenticity of a well-managed private home, the segment would mature rapidly. What you see today is the natural evolution of that demand, now validated by the entry of premium hospitality names.
Q.From a guest’s perspective, what truly sets SaffronStays apart?
Three things:
Consistency, curation, and care.
Every home in our network goes through a rigorous vetting process, and every experience is intentionally designed. Whether it’s the quality of linen, the warmth of the caretaker, the flavours from the chef’s kitchen, or the safety infrastructure, our standards don’t fluctuate.
Our promise has always been simple: when you walk into a SaffronStays home, you know exactly what kind of experience, hygiene, and hospitality you’re signing up for. That predictability in an otherwise fragmented category is what makes guests trust us, return to us, and recommend us.
Q. From early struggles to achieving ₹66 crore revenue in FY24, along with a PBT of ₹60 lakh, and now being close to the ₹100+ crore target – what would you say has been the biggest game-changer in driving this remarkable growth?
The biggest game-changer has been our ability to professionalise a category that was traditionally informal – bringing hotel-grade systems, training, and technological rigour into private homes without losing their soul.
Two decisions in particular accelerated our growth:
- Doubling down on curated supply rather than scaling indiscriminately
- Building a revenue-first operational discipline that focuses equally on the homeowner and the guest
Our teams have worked relentlessly to streamline operations, enhance guest satisfaction, and create a strong distribution engine. When all of that comes together, the numbers follow.
Q.With hospitality giants like Taj entering the same space, do you see this as a challenge – especially when it comes to maintaining industry-leading service and luxury standards – or as an opportunity to showcase your unique strengths?
It is a massive validation of what we have believed all along – that private vacation homes are the future of leisure travel in India.
Competition from established brands pushes us to strengthen our processes, innovate faster, and stay sharply focused on our core strengths. But more importantly, it helps formalise the category and expand awareness among travellers who may have been hesitant earlier.
We see this as a tremendous opportunity. While large hotel brands bring scale, we bring depth – deep curation, local knowledge, very strong homeowner relationships, and an ecosystem built specifically for private homes.
Q.Speaking of your customer base – what does the guest demography look like? Are you seeing more millennial travellers, family vacationers, or high-net-worth individuals leading the demand?
Our audience today is a blend of multigenerational families, affluent groups of friends, working professionals seeking privacy, and increasingly, high-net-worth families looking for premium, customised experiences.
Two clear shifts are visible:
- Millennials and Gen Z are driving discovery, especially for Goa, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and South India.
- Families are driving repeat stays, especially for celebrations, festivals, long weekends, and multigenerational holidays.
The underlying preference across all these groups is the same – privacy, safety, space, and the comfort of personalised service.
Q.You’ve spoken about thinking big – and multiplying that dream by 10. Does this vision include expanding beyond Indian borders? Could we see SaffronStays in international destinations soon?
Absolutely. While our immediate priority is to deepen our footprint across India – a market brimming with untapped potential – we are already laying the groundwork for thoughtful international expansion.
The SaffronStays model of curated, high-trust private homes is globally relevant, and we see strong demand from our guests for similar experiences in select international leisure destinations. When the time is right, we will extend the SaffronStays promise beyond India’s borders with the same rigour, warmth, and authenticity that define us today.
International expansion isn’t a question of if – it’s about when and where we can create the most meaningful impact.
Q.On a personal note, what drives you each day to push the boundaries of what SaffronStays can achieve – is it the numbers, the guest smiles, or the dream you and Tejas set out to fulfil?
It’s the vision Tejas and I started with – to help Indian families slow down, reconnect, and create memories that last a lifetime. Every time I see a review about a family celebrating a milestone, a grandmother reliving old memories, or kids discovering nature, it reminds me why we do what we do.
Numbers are important because they allow us to scale this mission sustainably. But the real motivation has always been the impact we create in people’s lives, communities, and homes.
