Ritesh Mastipuram, an entrepreneur from Hyderabad is best known for building Asia’s largest organised spa chain, O2 Spa, which is now called Ode Spa. He is now making a significant investment in a new area; wellness-driven hospitality real estate. As the Founder and Managing Director of Ridhira Group, Mastipuram is creating a niche in the sub-100-room resort market. Here, luxury is defined not by marble and chandeliers but by sustainability, personalised care, and the promise that guests will leave healthier than they arrived. His career spans Silicon Valley tech, disruption in the spa industry, and wellness-focused communities. He is positioning Ridhira to take advantage of India’s hospitality boom with a new model that combines local authenticity with global execution.
What are your immediate plans for Ridhira Hospitality Ventures?
Our immediate focus is strengthening our brand in a specific niche, the sub-100-room resort category. Unlike traditional hospitality companies that just provide a stay, we’re building around a deeper philosophy: the Eight Dimensions of Wellness: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, occupational, and financial wellness.
Our vision is to create vibrant communities, both physical and digital, where each property becomes a hub for holistic balance. This means when guests stay with us, the experience is designed to improve not only their comfort but also their long-term well-being.
Looking at India’s hospitality landscape, we’re at a historic moment. The infrastructure boom is unprecedented. Leading chains like Taj and Marriott plan to double their room capacity in the next five years. We’re asking a different question: In this wave of growth, what can truly set us apart? For us, that answer is being transformative, not just transactional. We see ourselves as a technology company within hospitality, not the other way around. Technology allows us to deliver seamless, frictionless, personalised stays. Since we are vertically integrated in the wellness ecosystem, we can deliver this with unmatched depth.
You’ve started your hospitality journey with a resort in Hyderabad, what’s the broader expansion plan for your hospitality portfolio?
Currently, we operate an event venue in Hyderabad. It’s our starting point, but we plan to scale quickly, first across India, then into South Asia’s popular leisure destinations where Indian travellers go.
Our focus will remain on properties with 10 to 100 rooms; small enough to create intimacy but large enough for a meaningful brand presence.
Have you finalised the locations for these upcoming properties?
We’re opportunistic by design. We have a shortlist of the top 20 leisure destinations in India, but in each market, we focus on delivering a unique, transformational experience rather than just attracting visitors.
We aren’t limited by tier classifications; whether it’s a tier-1, 2, or 3 location doesn’t matter if it aligns with our vision. Whether it’s Vikarabad or Bhutan, if we can provide a minimum two-night transformational experience, it’s on our radar.
While most hotel chains chase guests with premium luxury offerings, why has Ridhira Group chosen to focus on wellness as its core value proposition?
Luxury is changing. For Gen Z and younger millennials, “luxury” isn’t about gold fixtures; it’s about purpose, sustainability, and authenticity.
They want to know:
- Was this built with sustainable, local materials?
- Does the property improve my health, perhaps by reducing inflammation through natural, breathable construction?
- Is there a story behind what I consume here?
Future luxury focuses on impact, not excess. Our goal is to make every stay feel genuinely authentic, whether that’s serving food grown within 50 km, offering organic fabrics like Ahimsa silk in furnishings, or ensuring 100% transparency in sourcing.
How does this translate into sustainable choices for your resorts?
Our mantra is to source as locally as possible and execute as globally as possible.
More than 70% of our materials for each project come from within a 70 km radius. This cuts down on carbon emissions and boosts local economies. We intentionally design with low-rise architecture (maximum G+1), which allows us to use new construction technologies like 3D printing and precast modular structures.
We are even planning to partner with MIT researchers to test sustainable building innovations in real-world settings, positioning ourselves as leaders in both hospitality and construction.
Are you also using technology in the guest journey?
Absolutely, technology is our invisible backbone. The future of hospitality will be personalised and smooth.
Imagine this: instead of spending hours searching for a villa, an AI-powered digital concierge asks you three questions, books your ideal stay, reserves your flights, and schedules your airport transfer — all in minutes. That’s the experience we’re creating.
Since we control our data, we can personalise nutrition, track sleep quality, and design wellness programs that continue benefiting guests even after they check out.
What are your investment targets and development plans?
Across our group, we have nearly INR 1,000 crore set aside for deployment over the next few years. Our developments will be mixed-use; combining top-notch resorts with branded wellness communities in scenic locations.
In Hyderabad alone, we have four projects lined up:
- A 150-room international-brand resort in the upcoming Future City
- Two water-facing resorts in and around Vikarabad
- One western-side project under advanced negotiations
- All are scheduled to launch within the next 24–36 months.
Are you pursuing an asset-light model or owning your developments?
We’re using both asset-light and asset-right strategies. Our strength comes from being a fully integrated hospitality-real estate company with strong tech capabilities; from design and construction to guest experience.
In what I call India’s upcoming ‘hospitality gold rush’ – speed, scale, and flawless execution will determine who succeeds. We’ve operated in 35 cities over 17 years, and that experience will be critical in scaling.
Do you have any loyalty programs planned?
We’re re-thinking loyalty. Instead of points-based systems, we’re building communities.
With a database of 1.5 million customers and multiple direct interactions; from spas to airports to future subscription products, we can create meaningful, ongoing relationships. Our community managers will focus on making a transformational impact in guests’ lives, not just encouraging repeat visits.
What’s your long-term vision for Ridhira Hospitality Ventures?
To be the world’s most transformative sub-100-room hospitality brand, rooted in wellness and technology.
We want every Ridhira property to be a place where guests leave healthier, happier, and more balanced than when they arrived, and to demonstrate that hospitality can be both profitable and truly human.
asmita.mukherjee@saffronsynergies.in
