After sports franchises and apparel brands, stars look at hospitality as next big biz

Devgn’s Moira property, a cosy 4-bedroom villa, as also Sridevi’s retreat at Mahabalipuram, will be run by the Taj as part of yet another brand of hotels called AMA Stays and Trails. The Taj Group launched this brand of hotels in 2019 with 9 heritage bungalows on the Tatas’ coffee estates in Coorg

Mumbai At the height of her fame in the late 1980s, actress Sridevi bought a 5-acre beach-facing property at Mahabalipuram’s East Coast Road near Chennai, envisaging it as a private retreat far from the prying eyes of fans and media alike.

Sridevi’s beach facing property at Mahabalipuram will be run by the Taj Group.

Five years after her death, the property is being developed as a hotel by her husband, the film producer Boney Kapoor, in partnership with the Taj Group-promoted Indian Hotel Company Limited. Kapoor is the latest Bollywood personality in recent months to enter the hotel and hospitality business. After launching sports franchises—across cricket, kabbadi, even panja or arm-wrestling --and investing in apparel brands, stars are now looking at hospitality as the next big business opportunity. It allows them to simultaneously leverage their properties and extend their brand. It helps that after the pandemic, the Indian hotel industry has been booming. According to the research agency, Maximize Market Research, the hotel industry is expected to touch $45.44 billion in revenue by 2027, growing at a 9.1% CAGR in the period between 2020 and 2027.

Actor-producer Ajay Devgn is developing a 116-room hotel in Jaipur at the thickly-forested Jhalana doongri where leopard safaris are a big draw. Devgn who has partnered with real-estate developer, Abhimanyu Bansal, has also tied up with the Taj Group and when ready the property will be run as part of the IHCL’s SeleQtions brand of hotels. “This brand allows IHCL to cater to a broader audience of travellers who prefer staying in hotels with a distinctive character,” IHCL MD and CEO Puneet Chhatwal told Mint at the launch in 2019. “For those hotels which are independent, IHCL will offer its robust infrastructure including global reservation systems, Taj Inner Circle Loyalty Programme and sales and marketing support,” he added. Other than Jaipur, the actor also entrusted his villa at Moira in North Goa to IHCL in June this year to run it for him on a commission basis.

Devgn’s Moira property, a cosy 4-bedroom villa, as also Sridevi’s retreat at Mahabalipuram, will be run by the Taj as part of yet another brand of hotels called AMA Stays and Trails. The Taj Group launched this brand of hotels in 2019 with 9 heritage bungalows on the Tatas’ coffee estates in Coorg.

“AMA Stays and Trails, a Taj co-brand, has executed an agreement to manage Ajay Devgn’s villa in Goa,” confirmed a spokesperson for Taj but refused to elaborate on the contours of these deals. Devgn’s partner in the Jaipur property, Abhimanyu Bansal said: “We are proud to partner with IHCL which is renowned as a pioneer of the Indian hospitality industry. The pandemic delayed the opening of the Jaipur hotel which will now open in 2025.” Devgn and Bansal are already operating a banquet hall, Amara, at the property which is being managed by the Taj Group for them. When it becomes operational, the hotel will be the group’s eighth property in the Pink City.

Inspired by the likes of Devgn and Kapoor, actor Bhumi Pednekar too has bought a stake in an oceanfront boutique hotel at Ashvem in north Goa. The 14-room hotel is called KAIA and it’s being developed by the Mumbai-based hospitality company, Chrome Asia Hospitality. “Investing in KAIA, a venture that not only aligns with my passion for living life to the fullest and creating unforgettable experiences but also reflects my commitment for responsible hospitality and philosophy of slow living,” she said through a spokesperson.

A hospitality industry insider said these properties, on account of their star power, will command premium rates. For instance, he pointed out, Devgn’s Moira property commands a rack rate of ₹ 65,000 per night. A source close to Kapoor too said that in developing the Mahabalipuram villa, he has stressed on the Sridevi association—the 5-bedroom property, likely to be ready by this October, will carry her name and will showcase Sridevi memorabilia. Kapoor is equally kicked about developing another 10 villas on similar lines at Mahabalipuram which will also be run by IHCL.

Actor Salman Khan too indicated in May this year that he is looking to develop a 19-storey hotel on the sea-facing Carter Road at Bandra on a plot he bought a few years ago. A spokesperson confirmed the plan but declined to share more details of the project.

Bengaluru-based brand consultant Kanan Sitaram, co-founder and partner at Fireside Ventures, said brand extensions work best when the celebrity and the brand can create and project a cohesive philosophy. “When we roped in Shilpa Shetty for Mamaearth, for example, the association worked wonderfully because Shilpa is known for her yoga, clean lifestyle, good-health mantra just like the Mamaearth range of toxin-free products.’’ Celebrity-owned hotels can be a draw only up to a certain point, he added. “Ultimately what will matter is the comfort, hospitality and service they offer. How memorable the stay is for the guest will matter over who owns the property.”