RAAS is partnering with Devanya

The award winning 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 unique brand of intuitive hospitality to the  residents of Devanya.

Designed by the award-winning architectural firm  Studio Lotus, the hotel is being conceptualised  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,” says  

“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.  

Nikhilendra Singh, MD, RAAS Hotels.

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. 

About RAAS:

Jodhpur-based RAAS Hotels is an  award-winning (Condé Nast Traveller, Travel +  Leisure, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Wallpaper)  boutique hotel chain. It currently operates four  hotels across Rajasthan in geographies that offer  the visitor uniquely different experiences, both  within and outside of the property. RAAS Jodhpur,  situated within the walled city, is an enclave that  merges an 18th-century Marwari haveli with  21st-century architecture. RAAS Chhatrasagar,  110km from Jodhpur, is an uber-luxe tented camp  on the shore of a massive reservoir in Nimaj.  RAAS Devigarh, 25 km from Udaipur, is a plush  but minimal fort palace at a secluded spot in the  Aravalli mountains. And the newest member of  RAAS hotels is the Rajmahal Palace RAAS Jaipur.  It’s the former residence of Maharaja Sawai Man  Singh II and Maharani Gayatri Devi and the 2021  winner of T+L India’s Best Heritage Hotel award.  Rajmahal offers visitors an eclectic space within  Jaipur’s beating heart minus the stiff upper lip.  

About Devanya:

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 24x7  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. 

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