After Alia Bhatt, Athiya Shetty, Anushka Sharma and Shilpa Shetty, it’s now Bhumi Pednekar who has turned investor. The Toilet Ek Prem Katha actor has joined hands with Mumbai-based Chrome Asia Hospitality to invest in the group’s first boutique hotel in Goa. Founded by Pawan Shahri, Dhaval Udeshi and Nikita Shahri, Chrome Hospitality scaled exponentially in 2022 and went on to develop 1,00,000 sq. ft of hospitality space in the country and launched five new restaurants in Mumbai under the Chrome Hospitality umbrella.
“The food and hospitality segment is something I have always been interested in. So this is something I was inherently going to do. I have known Dhaval (Udeshi) and the partners for a while now. They have done very well with their restaurants in Mumbai. So, when this opportunity came up I was extremely thrilled. It's a great start for me,” says Pednekar, who is also United Nations Development Programme’s first National Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But why Goa? “I am from Goa. This is where my village is. A lot of my family stays in Goa. So Goa is home to me.” Bhumi’s philosophy of slow living aligns with the brand. “Kaia is a small beach front property and has this really calming effect. We want to create a brand that is synonymous with slow living, sustainability as well as having a good time. My ultimate aim is to make Kaia such a strong brand that when we open more Kaia properties in the future people have faith in us.” The partners are looking to scale the brand to five locations in the next three years, eyeing geographies like Ranthambore, Coorg and the Kerala backwaters, among others. For co-investors Pednekar’s celebrity offers significant marketing benefits and also creates associated business connections given Pednekar’s popularity as an eco-warrior.
A place to pause and ponder
Waves of timber, gravel and paddy grass mark the quiet arrival to Kaia. This new retreat on Ashvem beach is home to just 10 guest rooms dressed in a sedate palette of white, wood and the total absence of clutter. “We wanted to create a space that is calming but at the same time is very Instagrammable, just like our restaurants. The idea was to build a place with natural elements that transports you to Bali or Tulum,” says Dhaval Udeshi.
Fine contemporary art hangs on the walls and locally-made hay lights daggle from the ceiling. But the rest is silence. There is no TV in sight. And while the bed envelops you in a way that you might want to sleep until noon, the rest of the sanctuary nudges you outside. There’s also a four bedroom villa where you can drift off to sleep with spectacular views of the backwater.
At Kaia your day might begin with a delicious breakfast of rancheros (Mexican dish of fried eggs, beans, salsa and avocado) followed by a guided cycling tour into the village. The rest of the day could be spent fishing with locals, surfing on Ashwem waters, chomping on wood-fired pizzas, healthy bowls or simply surrendering to a luxurious massage. After the sun goes down unwind with earthy cocktails under the stars or just drift off in a session of sound healing meditation.
But, truth be told, you’re there for the ocean. To watch it go from blue to pink-gold from the rooftop bar, to glide on it ensconced in a kayak and to listen to it settle for the night from your very own plunge pool as you sip a cocktail.
Sustainable and stunning
Kaia knows that merely lip-service to green values simply won’t do anymore. The commitment to sustainability is across the board from planting over 300 plants throughout the property to help cut the heat to using fallen wood and discarded coconut stumps to make furniture. Tonnes of paddy waste that would have otherwise ended up in stubble burning is used for roofing and decoration whereas septic tanks with biodigesters help clean 50 percent of the sewage on the property. Almost everything in the rooms is biodegradable and locally-sourced. Kaia is also rooted in community which is reflected in the activities that include cycling with the villagers, farm visits, cooking workshops with local experts and local artists as performers. But what you’ll most remember long after you’ve been dropped back to the airdrop is the staff and their warmth and enthusiasm. Kaia is bringing something new to Goa the — without replacing anything it already has.
Kaia, Ashwem Beach Road, opposite Holy Cross Chapel, Ashwem Beach, Ashwem, Morjim, Goa. Tel: +91-9067767822, +91-9067767833
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