As the festive season approaches, Six Senses Bhutan is inviting travellers to exchange crowded itineraries for a slower journey through the kingdom's Himalayan landscapes, cultural traditions and spiritual heritage. Spread across five lodges in Bhutan's western and central valleys, the collection brings together nature-led stays, local experiences, destination dining and wellness programmes.

Each lodge offers a distinct setting and interpretation of Bhutan's landscape. In Thimphu, Six Senses Thimphu, known as the Palace in the Sky, is surrounded by apple orchards and pine forests. In Punakha, the Flying Farmhouse sits amid rice fields in one of the country's warmer valleys.

At Paro, the Stone Ruins lodge is set within 12th-century stone ruins, while Bumthang's Forest in a Forest setting brings guests closer to the surrounding pine forests and river valley. Together, the five lodges offer different perspectives on Bhutan's natural and cultural character.

Cultural Encounters and Experiences Across the Valleys

At Paro, guests can experience Chubjakha Ruins Regale, a candlelit destination dining experience inspired by medieval Bhutan. The evening combines specially crafted cocktails, a Bhutanese menu prepared over an open fire and traditional masked-dance performances.

The lodge also provides a base for an early start to the climb to Taktsang Lhakhang, widely known as Tiger's Nest Monastery, one of Bhutan's most recognised spiritual landmarks.

In Gangtey, the Phobjikha Valley offers a different experience. The valley becomes the winter habitat of endangered black-necked cranes arriving from Tibet each October. Inspired by a traditional birdwatching bridge, the lodge offers views across the landscape, while walking trails and cycling routes allow guests to explore the valley and its conservation environment.

Local Flavours and Wellness

The connection with Bhutanese culture extends to the dining programme through Six Senses' Eat With Six Senses philosophy, which focuses on natural ingredients and wholesome, locally sourced produce.

Guests can explore local food traditions through experiences such as mushroom foraging with a local chef. Other cultural activities include butter lamp lighting ceremonies with monks and visits to monasteries that remain central to Bhutan's spiritual life.

Wellness is another part of the experience, with programmes incorporating sunrise meditation, yoga, holistic spa treatments and traditional Bhutanese hot stone baths.

A Different Approach to Festive Travel

Rather than positioning the festive season around packed schedules and conventional celebrations, Six Senses Bhutan presents an alternative centred on time in nature, cultural discovery and personal well-being.

Travellers can explore all five valleys as part of a wider journey or choose a single lodge for a more focused retreat. Across the collection, the emphasis remains on experiencing each destination at its own pace, through its landscape, traditions and local communities.

For those looking to close the year with a quieter holiday, the five-lodge experience offers a way to discover Bhutan beyond its familiar landmarks, while making space for rest, reflection and meaningful encounters.

Summit Hotels & Resorts is set to expand its Mandir Collection with the opening of Summit Heritage Kashinaama, an 18-room property in Varanasi, on November 1, 2026. The hotel will cater to pilgrims, families and cultural travellers, combining contemporary accommodation with the city's spiritual traditions and architectural heritage.

Located in Bhagwanpur, Varanasi, the property is owned by Abhinav Rai and features 18 rooms across four categories: Superior Twin, Superior King, Luxury and Suite. Its design incorporates heritage-inspired architectural elements, warm interiors and contemporary amenities, drawing on the cultural character of Banaras.

One of the property's distinctive features is a dedicated cinematic gallery celebrating Varanasi's connection with Indian cinema. Designed as a filmstrip-inspired installation, it displays framed posters of films shot in the city, including Masaan, Raanjhanaa and Gangs of Wasseypur. The gallery highlights Banaras's contribution to Indian filmmaking while adding a cultural element to the hotel's interiors.

The property will also house an in-house restaurant serving exclusively vegetarian and Satvik cuisine, in keeping with the spiritual hospitality proposition of Summit's Mandir Collection.

Guests will be able to explore Varanasi's religious and cultural landmarks through curated temple visits and darshan planning. These include Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Kaal Bhairav Temple, alongside attractions such as Dashashwamedh Ghat, Assi Ghat, Sarnath and Ramnagar Fort.

Speaking about the opening, Sumit Periwal, Director, Summit Hotels & Resorts, said, "Varanasi is one of India's most important spiritual destinations, attracting travellers whose visits are closely connected with faith, culture and tradition. With Summit Heritage Kashinaama, we are bringing our Mandir Collection to a city where this approach to hospitality is particularly relevant."

He added that the property was envisioned to reflect Banaras through its architectural influences, vegetarian food traditions and association with Indian cinema. He also noted that the company sees opportunities to develop hotels that address the specific needs of pilgrims and cultural travellers while providing contemporary comfort and service.

Abhinav Rai, Owner, Summit Heritage Kashinaama, said the vision was to create a hotel connected to Banaras through its design and guest experiences. He added that the association with Summit Hotels & Resorts would bring professional hospitality standards to the property while preserving its distinctive identity.

The opening marks another step in Summit Hotels & Resorts' expansion into spiritual tourism through its Mandir Collection, which focuses on hospitality around pilgrimage destinations, temple visits and culturally rooted stays.

With an established presence across the Eastern Himalayas and Northeast India, Summit is extending its portfolio into new destinations and travel segments through three collections: Mandir, focused on spiritual hospitality; Offbeat, centred on lesser-explored destinations; and Signature, offering premium destination-led stays.

The company's approach is guided by its philosophy of Generous Hospitality, which draws inspiration from the warmth and personal attention associated with welcoming guests into Indian homes. Through its mission under The Summit Way, the group aims to place care, respect and empathy at the centre of guest interactions, while contributing to the communities in which it operates.

EkoStay has entered the second-home real estate segment with the launch of Eko Estates, a new vertical offering freehold villas in the Western Ghats, combining property ownership with professionally managed holiday rentals. Its first portfolio comprises six villas in Kawnai, Igatpuri, with prices ranging from ₹2.75 crore to ₹4.80 crore.

The launch introduces two ownership and management arrangements: an Assured Agreement for buyers seeking contracted rental income and a Private Use option for those who prioritise personal access to their holiday homes.

EkoStay, which operates more than 175 villas and has eight years of experience in the holiday-home rental market, will build and manage the properties on behalf of owners. The company says the new vertical draws on its existing operating experience and the performance of properties it already manages in Igatpuri.

Two Ownership Options: Rental Income or Private Use

Under the Assured Agreement, Eko Estates offers owners a contracted rental yield of up to 10% per annum of the purchase price, with payments credited by the 10th of every month for 48 months. According to the company, payments are due irrespective of whether the villa is occupied or vacant, placing the occupancy risk on the operating company during the agreement period.

The rental rate is fixed at the time of signing and calculated against the purchase price rather than the property's assessed value. Owners under this arrangement retain 24 weekday nights annually for personal use.

EkoStay says the rental payments will be made by Ekostay LLP, the operating entity behind its existing managed portfolio, rather than an entity established exclusively for the new project.

The second option, Private Use, is intended for buyers who want unrestricted access to their property. It comes without a fixed rental commitment or lock-in period, allowing owners to use their villas throughout the year. Eko Estates can host guests and generate rental revenue through a revenue-sharing arrangement when owners are away. Buyers can also move to the Assured Agreement at a later stage.

The company states that the property title remains the same under both arrangements, with each villa registered as a freehold property in the buyer's name, including the underlying land.

Six Villas in Kawnai, Igatpuri

The initial portfolio comprises six villas located in Kawnai, Igatpuri, at an elevation of approximately 600 metres above sea level. Two villas are ready for possession, while the remaining four are scheduled for handover between February and April 2027.

Each villa measures approximately 3,000–3,500 sq. ft. (confirm exact area if available) and comes with a private pool, staff quarters, water source and storage, power backup, covered parking, lawn, deck, air conditioning and Wi-Fi. The company says these features are included in the standard offering rather than being sold as optional upgrades.

Eko Estates states that the properties have clear freehold titles, with the 7/12 land records and non-agricultural (NA) orders available for inspection. It also says each project comprises fewer than eight units and falls within the exemption provisions cited under MahaRERA Order 25A/2023.

Igatpuri's Monsoon Appeal

EkoStay says its existing operations in Igatpuri influenced the choice of location for the first Eko Estates portfolio. The company points to the region's monsoon tourism demand, noting that August is among its peak booking months.

The villas have been planned around their natural surroundings, with design and construction considerations including drainage, waterproofing, ventilation and materials suited to the region's seasonal rainfall.

The location is approximately 150 kilometres from Mumbai, with a road journey of around three hours and 40 minutes via the Mumbai–Nashik highway and Kasara Ghat. Igatpuri railway station is around 20 minutes away, with the company arranging transfers for owners and guests.

The company also says non-resident Indians and Overseas Citizens of India can purchase the properties under the applicable general permissions for residential property, subject to eligibility and regulatory requirements.

Founders on the New Venture

Varun Arora, Co-Founder, EkoStay, said the company's experience managing holiday homes had informed its approach to the new offering.

"Your capital is almost certainly earning less than you think. We've run other people's holiday homes for eight years and we know what they actually earn, and what a Mumbai apartment or a commercial unit earns next to them. A rental that's contracted and lands on the 10th of every month, full house or empty house, is a different thing from a projection in a brochure. That certainty is what someone is buying. The villa is the thing it comes attached to."

Husain Khatumdi, Co-Founder, EkoStay, said the first villas in the portfolio had originally been developed for hospitality operations and had been hosting guests for more than a year.

"The first villas in this portfolio were built to be run, not to be sold, and they've been hosting EkoStay guests for over a year. Every house here starts from its plot: where the light falls, where the hills sit, how the rain moves across the land. The rooms open to the view and the pools face the valley. We're putting our name on the construction because we're the ones who'll be living with it, every weekend, for the next four years."

Sohail Mirchandani, COO and Co-Founder, EkoStay, highlighted documentation and property-title clarity as important considerations in the second-home market.

"Most of what goes wrong with a house in the Ghats is paperwork. Agricultural land sold as if it were buildable, a title that doesn't survive a bank's checklist, a return that was never more than a projection. We've removed all of it. Clear and marketable freehold title, the NA order in hand, the 7/12 extract on the table before anyone asks, and a rental paid by the same entity that runs 175 villas. If a buyer's lawyer wants a week with our documents, that's exactly what we'd want."

Zishan Khan, Co-Founder, EkoStay, said the two arrangements were developed to address different buyer priorities.

"Buyers at this level split cleanly into two groups, and forcing them into one product loses half of them. Some want income, some want weekends. So we run two options, and the second one still lets the house earn. You own the villa outright either way. The only thing that changes is who runs the house, and how it earns while you're not in it."

Site Visits and Further Information

Site visits to the Eko Estates portfolio in Igatpuri are now open. The company is arranging pickups from Igatpuri railway station for prospective buyers and guests.

Further details are available at www.ekoestates.com.

About Eko Estates

Eko Estates is the second-home development vertical of EkoStay, building freehold villas in Igatpuri, including Kawnai and Vihigaon, and managing them on behalf of owners. Its offerings include the Assured Agreement, with a contracted rental arrangement, and Private Use, which allows unrestricted personal access with revenue-sharing rentals when owners are away.

About EkoStay

EkoStay is an Indian homestay and villa rental brand with more than 175 villas under management and eight years of operating experience across weekend getaway destinations. The company was founded by Varun Arora, Husain Khatumdi, Sohail Mirchandani and Zishan Khan. More information is available at www.ekostay.com.