Luxebook Top100

Arun Ashok Regional Head, Luxury Escapes Travel Pvt. Ltd. A run Ashok is a seasoned hotelier and travel executive. Having discovered his passion early on in life, he chose to study hotel management at IHM Mumbai and followed that up with a Double Majors Post Graduate Programme in Marketing & Strategy at ISB Hyderabad. His early experience spans over 7 years across ITC Hotels and Marriott International in various capacities such as Corporate Sales & Hotel Development. He has spent the last 6 years developing the India and Middle East markets for Luxury Escapes – an Australian travel company that is in the business of curating exclusive deals at luxury resorts around the world. Arun enjoys reading for pleasure and is a jazz afficionado, having taught himself to play the saxophone. He has a two-year-old boy with his wife, Nidhi and they’re based in Mumbai. “ Luxury at the most basic level means having the ability to spend your time any way you want, with whomever you want doing whatever it is that you want. In my case, it’s a morning out in the ocean with my family – whether “Identify your niche and build a competitive edge around it that no one can match. And then keep learning and adapting to maintain the competitive edge.” that’s spent on a luxury yacht or a deserted island. They key is the independence and togetherness that such an experience could bring us.” Devendra Parulekar Founder, SaffronStays.com A s city-dwellers longed for space, websites like SaffronStays.com buzzed with bookings – in Alibaug and Mussourie, Coorg and Goa. Devendra Parulekar, who started the website while still at EY, bet big on his venture and has had a banner 2021. Whether you look at social media growth, his appearance on panel discussions or the fact that revenue has grown 65 percent and his villa inventory has grown 85 percent. As he explains, when it comes to the pandemic and his business growth, “People today take the time out today to get past all their guilt of not giving time and attention to those who matter the most. It’s all about celebrating without wasting a moment!” The consummate traveller lists Barcelona and Paris as his favourite cities but says, “No matter where I am, when I’m at the station or at the airport, I always want to be home for a simple dinner of varan bhaat and toop along with a simple fried fish or potato chips. It could be a 2-day long trip or a 20-day long trip but my menu remains constant.” “Do not succumb to the minor failures in life. Each day, wake up, dress up and show up. As long as you have a direction, speed and the problem you’re addressing is appropriate, keep going.” 60 | | 61