Boutique hotel company, RAAS Hotels, is partnering with Devanya, a 90-acre residential community in the Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand, to create a unique boutique hotel. The 25-key property will have all the contemporary comforts that RAAS Hotels is known for, including a heated indoor swimming pool and a spa. RAAS will also be extending its brand of intuitive hospitality to the residents of Devanya.
Designed by the award-winning architectural firm Studio Lotus, the hotel is being conceptualized as a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Kumaoni village. “The hotel will act as an anchor for the property,” says Ambrish Arora, design principal at Studio Lotus. “And, as always with RAAS, luxury will be felt through tactile experiences.” Think heated floors made from Himalayan slate, buildings made of local timber and stone. Innovations in construction will allow for luxury while reducing the project’s impact on the local ecosystem.
“There’s great synergy between RAAS and Devanya on sustainability, community investment and ecological conservation,” added Nikhilendra Singh, MD, RAAS Hotels. “At RAAS Chhatrasagar, for instance, we’ve located the camp in the midst of a rewilded 1,500 acres that’s now home to over 200 species of birds and several species of animals. Similarly, at Devanya vast tracts of virgin forests, with indigenous species of flora, including fruits, are being conserved and protected.” Devanya is situated on a hill, between Bhimtal and Mukteshwar, and is flush with deodhar, oak and rhododendron forests.
To limit ecosystem degradation, design and construction of villas at Devanya (also the handiwork of Studio Lotus) are taking into account aspects such as soil erosion control, rainwater harvesting and waste management through ecological sensitive processes. All of which will go a long way towards thoughtful luxury and responsible living.
“Our aim has always been to try and give back to nature more than we take from it,” says Devanya’s co-creator, Vikas Srivastava. “And that aim we feel is shared by RAAS Hotels making them the perfect partner in creating a place of luxury and comfort with sustainable principles at heart.” RAAS Devanya is expected to welcome guests in 2023.
Jodhpur-based RAAS Hotels is a boutique hotel chain, which currently operates four hotels across Rajasthan. This includes RAAS Jodhpur, RAAS Chhatrasagar, RAAS Devigarh, and Rajmahal Palace RAAS Jaipur.
At an altitude of 6,700ft, Devanya is an all-villa, eco-sensitive residential community being developed in the Kumaon hills. The location, Matial, is covered in oak, deodhar and rhododendron forests and is a postcard-perfect Himalayan destination between the hill stations of Bhimtal and Mukteshwar.
Devanya will have among other things a private helipad, an organic farm, a star gazing pavilion, a heated indoor swimming pool, a recreation centre, a cycling trail, high-speed Internet, housekeeping, and 24×7 security. RAAS Hotels will be the community’s hospitality partner.
Vast tracts of the 90-acre hill Devanya’s set on consist of fruit orchards and where endemic species of flora, such as ringal bamboo, Himalayan raspberry and Indian willow, have been preserved. To conserve this habitat and reduce the impact of construction, the energy- efficient homes – Wood Villas and Terrace Villas – are being built using a combination of pre- engineered technology and local materials.
All villas will feature design devices like large insulated windows, skylights, verandahs and terraces that will open out to nature. Each villa will be centrally heated with energy efficient radiant heating systems to allow residents to enjoy winter from the warmth of their homes.
The design process also takes into account topography. Each villa is conceived so as to cause minimal obstruction to the flow of rainwater via the network of mountain swales and streams that have been revived throughout the property. The location and design of each villa also take into account the best views possible from that part of the hill.
