Hush hush…
In a world of crowded itineraries and standardized hotel experiences, meaningful travel has become increasingly difficult to find. While discovering new destinations has never been easier, finding places that truly reflect the character of their surroundings—and leave a lasting impression—often is.
Hushstays was founded on the belief that where you stay shapes how you experience a destination.
Since 2017, we have been curating exceptional vacation homes across India that celebrate thoughtful design, local culture, and a deep connection with nature. Every home in our collection is chosen not simply for its amenities, but for the experience it offers—whether that’s waking up to Himalayan peaks, spending slow afternoons on a tea estate, or gathering around a bonfire under a starlit sky.
Today, Hushstays is home to 47 carefully curated properties across 7 remarkable destinations, having welcomed 10,000+ guests with an average guest rating of 4.5 stars. While we’ve grown over the years, our philosophy has remained unchanged: quality will always come before quantity.
The story of Hushstays began in the Himalayas.
While travelling extensively through the mountains, our founder, Ishank Ahuja, discovered that some of the most memorable places to stay were rarely found on conventional travel platforms. Hidden within apple orchards, forests, tea estates and quiet villages were homes built with extraordinary care—places that reflected the landscape around them and were hosted by people deeply connected to their region.
These homes offered something that traditional hospitality often couldn’t: authenticity. Yet they remained largely undiscovered.
Existing travel platforms focused on scale, listing thousands of properties with little distinction between them. Finding truly exceptional homes required time, local knowledge, and often, a bit of luck.
Recognising this gap, Ishank envisioned a platform that would do the searching for travellers—one that would personally discover, evaluate and curate homes worth travelling for.
That vision became Hushstays.
The journey began in 2017 with our very first property, Hushstay x Sukoon, nestled in Jalna near Almora. What started with a single mountain home has since evolved into a carefully curated collection of vacation homes across India, while staying true to the principles that inspired the brand from day one.
At Hushstays, we believe exceptional homes cannot be discovered through photographs alone.
Every property we bring into our collection is personally visited and carefully evaluated before becoming a Hushstay. We spend time understanding not just the architecture and interiors, but also the people behind the home, the surrounding landscape, and the experiences guests can expect.
When selecting a Hushstay, we look beyond luxury amenities. We consider questions such as:
Does the home have a strong sense of place?
Does its architecture respond thoughtfully to its surroundings?
Can guests experience the local culture in an authentic way?
Does it encourage slower, more meaningful travel?
Will guests remember this place years after they’ve left?
Our homes range from mountain cabins and heritage bungalows to contemporary villas, tea estate retreats, riverside homes and secluded farm stays. While each property is unique, they all share one common characteristic: they offer an experience that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Over the years, one idea has continued to define everything we do.
We call it Hushpitality.
It’s our belief that true hospitality goes beyond service. It lies in creating an environment where guests feel genuinely welcomed, unhurried and connected—to nature, to local communities and to one another.
For us, luxury isn’t measured by excess.
It’s measured by thoughtful design, meaningful experiences, warm hospitality and the feeling of being completely present.
Every Hushstay is built around that philosophy.
As Hushstays continues to grow, our ambition isn’t to become India’s largest collection of vacation homes.
Our ambition is to remain one of its most thoughtfully curated.
We will continue discovering remarkable homes, partnering with passionate hosts, and encouraging a more intentional way to travel—one that values authenticity over popularity, quality over scale, and experiences over itineraries.
Because we believe the most memorable journeys don’t begin with a destination.
They begin with finding the right place to stay.
Welcome to Hushstays.
