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Sravanthi Challapalli
Vinay Kamath

Chennai , Jan. 10

Young professionals who seek to unwind would like to do that through driving/road trips, and women, employed or homebodies, are becoming increasingly articulate about their needs.

Club Mahindra, which launched Zest, its brand of short-break time-share holidays, finds that those looking for a change from the routine don't only want to laze but would actually like to expend some pent-up energy, especially if they work at a job that restricts them in enclosed spaces throughout the day.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Navarun Sen, Business Head, Zest, said these findings were helping the company customise each vacation as much as possible.

So a variety of activities that enable people to fulfil their expectations of the holiday are offered at these resorts, be those goals bonding, intimacy, experiences passive or active or relaxation.

Different resorts

For Zest, the company is setting up different resorts from the Club Mahindra ones, says Mr Ramesh Ramanathan, Managing Director, Club Mahindra. "It's a huge segment that we've identified, and we cannot club it with other potential markets for Club Mahindra schemes," he adds. The company is looking at those aged between 25 and 39 years. It offers a 10-year membership for Zest that costs Rs 90,000.

The majority of the Zest resorts would be built by Club Mahindra but the company is open to acquiring existing ones, Mr Ramanathan said. The rooms here would be very different from the rooms at Club Mahindra resorts - they would not have a kitchenette nor would they come in different sizes - but at 350 sq ft, they are larger than the average hotel room and can comfortably accommodate two adults and two children under the age of 12.

Sophisticated

The Zest resorts would be "sophisticated and opulent" and aim to customise themselves to each and every guest, Mr Sen said. They would try to be different in that they would be built in an ethnic style. Each room will come with its own home theatre or DVD player and World Space system, he said.

The company is eyeing setting up 10 resorts of 100-150 units each. It has made a beginning with resorts in Ooty and Kodaikanal with a total of 27 rooms, which will receive their first guests soon. Yercaud, Coorg, Chikmaglur and Wyanad are the destinations Zest is looking at.

The destinations are typically places that are between 50 km and 400 km from a metro - visitors should be able to drive there comfortably or reach by train overnight, Mr Sen said, adding that around 60-70 per cent of potential customers indicated an interest in motoring down.

The company is also trying to offer at least three options for every metro. As of now, the offer is on for people in Chennai and Bangalore.

On Club Mahindra resorts, Mr Ramanathan said four more were being set up in Ashtamudi, Kerala, Kumbalgarh in Rajasthan, Tungi in Maharashtra and Corbett in Uttaranchal. The company is also looking at resorts overseas in Sri Lanka and Thailand apart from other domestic destinations.

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