Rajesh Pachisia stayed at the Ronil Goa-JdV by Hyatt hotel earlier this year and is planning another trip in the next two months. “I was there for a reunion and we were dancing around the pool and swimming till 1 am. Where else in Goa can you do that? From checking in at the bar to breakfasts at your own pace, the hospitality encompasses everything here,” said the financial services professional. Luxury and lifestyle hotel brands in India are upending existing concepts to deliver bespoke services to guests.At the newly launched Arq at Pichola, a set of villas within The Leela Palace Udaipur, all guests get their own personal chefs, mixologists and baristas. The emphasis is on “hyper personalisation” as the attempt has been to create a “palace within a palace”, said Shweta Jain, chief marketing and sales officer at The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts.”These services can range from personalised amenities to having a mixologist on call to ordering breakfast at 4 pm to having your own personal masseuse,” she said. “Our insights were based on feedback that more and more people travelling for leisure want indulgences and immersive experiences.”Hyatt conducted empathy interviews with Goa regulars to understand the gaps and identify opportunities before launching Ronil Goa-JdV by Hyatt this year, said general manager Pratiti Rajpal. JdV is short for Joie de Vivre, Hyatt’s boutique brand. Genealogy Sessions | page 10 “We got a lot of feedback from travellers on hotels being restrictive, and we went back to the drawing board. So, an experience manager calls guests before their arrival at the hotel, and check-in and check-out happens at the bar. Our pool is open till 1 am and there is a DJ host on the move who meets guests and ensures the music is matching the vibe of the resort,” she said. “Guests can choose from a range of on-site and off-site experiences such as barbeque by the pool, a movie night at the garden, drunches and bar marathons, and upscale shopping excursions.”At the Taj Hotel & Convention Centre, Agra, which is going through a makeover, apart from the butler service for about 90 rooms, new curated offerings will include room scents that can be tailored beforehand. Also available are private candlelight dinners at Taj Khema, an area close to the Taj Mahal and hired out by the government for events such as weddings, that could cost around $2,500.”We are looking at positioning the hotel in a more luxurious way. Mehtab Bagh, that’s outside the Taj Mahal, is another beautiful setting and we are in touch with authorities to curate some things there for our guests,” said Paritosh Ladhani, joint MD of Sincere Developers, which owns the property.