Think Different – The Apple campaign that has inspired so many of us the world over.

When we first sat to ‘design’ Vedanta – right from the concept to its implementation, we had only one goal – to be different. We are proud to say that with our first hotel in Fort Kochi we have shaken up the local hotel industry. We are offering our guests accommodation that is twice as good as our closest competitor at one fourth the price. The feedback, reviews and ratings we have received on several travel websites suggest that our guests love us for our hospitality. A lot of our business comes from guest referrals and word of mouth. We were rated #1 on Tripadvisor and several other websites within our first three months of operations, to the shock and awe of many. There was even an incident when the entire local hotel association descended on our gates, stones in hand, to shut us down for what he had done to their business.

We have challenged conventional concepts of hospitality and designed a model that we think should be the future of the industry. We only charge for things that we, as guests, would have liked paying for. A small incident at the Apple store in New York in 2006 has inspired me ever since. Apple distributes a pair of white headphones with its iPod. After about two years of usage the headphones went bad. Online these were retailing for around $20. I went into the store and before I knew it they gave me a free replacement, no questions asked. They did not have to think about this act, they did not have to check the piece or the warranty nor did they have to consult a superior. It may seem like a very small gesture, but Apple made sure that you were paying only for what you would have liked to pay for – the iPod. It was one of those ‘wow’ moments.

Conventional hotels like charging for a whole load of stuff, we don’t. Conventional hotels don't enable their guests to have a socially fulfilling experience in their premises - to meet other guests and make new friends, we do. If a guest feels like he shouldn’t be paying for the room we let the guest stay free. Our guests should walk away feeling they have been treated well, they have got maximum bang for the buck and most importantly they haven’t been jipped.

This is just the beginning.

A recent article about Vedanta Wake up! in Economic Times, a leading financial daily in India

Money-Making Venture: 'Vedanta Wake Up' raising bar of budget hotels in the country - Economic Times

Money-Making Venture: 'Vedanta Wake Up' raising bar of budget hotels in the country

Sakina Babwani, ET Bureau Jan 9, 2012, 09.30AM IST

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(Aadil Muscatwala (left) & Rishabh Gupta)

The fact that tourism in India is on an uptick is old news. What's new is the interest in the no-frills segment. In the past couple of years, the hospitality business has finally woken up to the lucre in budget hotels not only due to the high-demand, low-supply situation, but also because they turn profitable faster than a four- or five-star hotel. In fact, a 2011 report by consulting and research firm HVS states that budget hotels are likely to grow at about 50% in the next four years.

It was these dynamics that persuaded Aadil Muscatwala and Rishabh Gupta to target budget travellers. The idea was sparked by a backpacking trip that the childhood friends took in 2009. They travelled through Australia for two months on a measly budget of $20 a night. "We were amazed at the comfort, cleanliness and amenities we got. The energy and the charged atmosphere at the hotels was addictive. It wasn't so much the money but the ambience that made us choose this category," says Muscatwala.

So Muscatwala quit his job in 2010 and teamed up with Gupta to focus on the new venture. Gupta and Muscatwala had graduated in 2006 from the Cornell University and Indiana University, in the US, respectively, and while Gupta worked with Deloitte Consulting, Muscatwala had a successful stint at Merrill Lynch in 
New York and Sydney.

They set up Blanket Hospitality Ventures in March 2011 and then launched Vedanta Wake Up! as a brand with their own savings and that from their families. Soon, they zeroed in on the first property, Fort Kochi, in Kerala. "We started with Kerala because of the aggressive promotion and rapid growth of its tourism industry," says Gupta. It took them two months to ready the property and it was launched in July 2011. "The level of occupancy within the first week fuelled our conviction that our model was bang on," adds Gupta.

During peak season-November-March and May-June-they charge Rs 1,000-1,500 per bed, per night. During off-season, the rate is Rs 700-800 per bed, per night. The peak season traffic is as high as 35 customers a day, with 90% of these coming through travel websites like Tripadvisor.com and their own site Vedantawakeup.com. The marketing, however, takes place on social networking sites like Facebook andTwitter.

Through Vedanta Wake Up!, the duo want to raise the bar for budget hotels in the country. "We have not only addressed the primary needs of budget travellers, but have created a safe and vibrant atmosphere to meet fellow travellers through group activities, such as movie nights, cultural outings, dinners and bar crawls," says Gupta. They offer facilities like a fully equipped lounge with Wi-Fi connection, computers, movie DVDs and books. They also serve food at the hotel. According to the duo, the hotel has generated positive reviews and ratings by guests. In fact, they have managed to recover their initial investment in the first six months.

They currently employ five people at Kochi, besides an accountant and seven interns. Both Muscatwala and Gupta operate from their respective offices at Nariman Point and Hughes Road in Mumbai, from where they also run their family businesses. However, they frequently visit Kochi. They are already in the expansion mode, having earmarked six properties in Kerala and Goa, which are slated to be up and running by 2014. Meanwhile, venture capitalists are knocking at their door with valuations of $1.5-2 million to get a bite of their success, but the duo isn't taking the bait, yet.

Dear Traveler,

This is our first blog! You may expect the stereotypical marketing pitch on this page but in all honesty we are just two avid travelers dedicated to the cause of perfecting the Indian travel experience. We have traveled all over the world, stayed at the best of hotels and have dined at the finest of restaurants. Our endeavor is to offer the best of our experiences and travels to our guests at less than a fraction of what you would have expected to pay.

We have made sure that our properties are aesthetically designed and spaces are functional so as to encourage our guests to be at ease and get to know each other without any inhibitions in a very secure environment. Our travels have taught us that socializing with other fellow travelers can enhance the quality of one’s stay at a hotel. So at our hotel we encourage socializing and to further this noble cause our friendly staff organize fun events every night so our guests can have a socially fulfilling experience while with us.

Having grown up in the United States, we understand the sensitivities and expectations of global travelers and every effort is made to ensure that our guests have a comfortable and wholesome stay with us.

Our property in Fort Kochi is the first of its kind of hotel in India (that’s what our guests have told us!) and with the support of our guests and dedicated team at Vedanta Wake up! we hope to open several such boutique hotel across the country.

Do blog for suggestions, feedback or if you just wish to say hello!

Also visit our website www.vedantawakeup.com to know more about what we are all about.

Team Vedanta Wake up!