Ajay and I got married in 1990. Travel was his first love then, and all this was to later rub off on me. In time, we had two lovely children – Kanav and Vanshika. Some of our early trips were to places like Samode, Sariska, and Ramgarh in Rajasthan. Indians did not travel as freely or as much as they do today, and most guests alongside us at hotels were foreigners.
Ajay maintained that streak of travel within him, and I soon got caught in the vortex. We experienced different types of accommodation. Having stayed in cute and quaint one-room B&Bs in the interiors of Scotland and Wales, to the very upmarket private game park, Mala Mala, in South Africa, we started noticing the different aspects of what made a hotel memorable.
It was the attention to small details that impressed us, and at some point, we started thinking – “What would we do if we had a hotel of our own?”
The land acquisition of what is today the 235 acres of Karma Lakelands was started by my father, Shri Iqbal Chand Khurana, in 1989. He handed over the reins of his property to my brother, Ashwani, who went on to develop it into an eco-responsible project. In 2016, he asked me if I was interested in stepping into the hospitality industry by converting a set of unused row houses into a boutique hotel. I made the quick decision to take up the challenge!
Heena, an interior designer, worked skillfully to make the most of the limited space available and provide a sense of spaciousness. With deft use of colours and décor, the feeling imparted to the rooms is one of cosiness – quaint and very ‘English’. The uppermost desire in my mind was not to make it into a typical hotel, but a place where guests feel at home. Moving away from traditional paintings on the walls, we decided to adorn them with photographs from our travels.
In the rooms, the attention to detail is visible. Vanshika, our daughter, who was a student of graphic design at the time, also got involved with the project. Her personal touches are evident everywhere – the cushions in the rooms, DND signs, message boards, key rings, and whatnot! Kanav, a graduate of Les Roches School of Hospitality, helped with developing SOPs and arranging manpower, and we opened the doors of our boutique hotel – Karma Chalets – to the public in November 2016, with an inventory of 32 rooms!
The greenery, with the birds and bees, is everywhere–a welcome change from the urban concrete jungle not too far away. The hammocks invite you to relax, slow down, and read a book. A small village-style mandir beckons you to say a prayer of thanks.
In 2018, we added our café and kraft kitchen, aptly named Under the Neem, to complement the stay with delectable food. Nimoli, our wellness spa, was also added at this juncture. Vanshika had, by then, completed her formal training and took charge of this project. Chef Ravitej Nath, from the Oberoi Group, joined the team and brought the ‘farm-to-table’ concept to the cafe.
I do hope you will enjoy your stay here with us and our heartfelt hospitality. I wish you and your family the very best of everything that life has to offer.
We wish you a delightful sojourn!
