In this episode of The Curious Concierge, Justin Sun speaks with Ankit Goenka, Founder & CEO of Jade Caps, about building a full-stack operating system for second homes across India and Asia — and why trust, technology, and local understanding matter more than scale alone.

India’s short-term rental market is often misunderstood — seen as fragmented, unstructured, or difficult to scale. But behind the complexity lies one of the fastest-growing hospitality opportunities in Asia.

In this episode, Justin sits down with Ankit Goenka, Founder & CEO of Jade Caps, whose journey spans global banking at HSBC to building a 200+ home portfolio across India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. What began as a personal frustration with long hotel stays evolved into Jade Caps — a hospitality-tech platform managing premium homes, owners, and guests at institutional scale.

Ankit shares how India’s second-home market is being professionalized through technology, operations, and trust. From medical tourism and corporate relocations to villas, urban long stays, and multi-generational travel, the conversation explores why homes are increasingly replacing hotels — and what operators must get right to deliver quality at scale.

They dive deep into why Jade built its own AI-powered PMS, how WhatsApp-first guest journeys define hospitality in Asia, which data points actually drive revenue, and why regulation — not capital — may be the key to unlocking the sector’s next phase of growth.

This episode is a masterclass in building hospitality businesses in emerging markets — blending finance, real estate, technology, and human experience into a scalable, durable model.

As India and Asia enter a defining growth phase for short-term rentals and second homes, Ankit offers a rare operator-led perspective on what it truly takes to scale responsibly. This episode goes beyond listings and branding — it’s about systems, trust, and building hospitality businesses that can last.

(00:00) Introduction to The Curious Concierge

(00:33) From global banking to building homes

(02:22) Why hotels fail long-stay travelers

(05:11) Starting with one apartment — and the mental leap

(08:02) Trust, risk, and convincing owners to hand over keys

(11:32) Defining Jade Caps as a “trusted home”

(12:51) India’s short-term rental reality & misconceptions

(19:02) Will India repeat the West’s STR mistakes?

(24:30) Why Jade built its own PMS from scratch

(27:58) AI, WhatsApp, and unified guest communication

(28:30) What happens on a “no-guest day”

(30:33) Predicting owner returns with data

(31:18) The most overlooked metric that drives revenue

(33:39) Villas vs urban long stays: Stay Jade vs Red Olive

(38:52) How Indians travel today

(41:29) The future of India’s STR market

(44:13) Why Jade isn’t becoming a property owner (yet)

(45:13) The one thing holding the industry back

(46:47) Rapid fire round

(49:44) What’s next for Jade Caps

(52:01) Closing reflections

Ankit Goenka | Founder & CEO, Jade Caps

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In this STRA special episode, Justin Sun speaks with Adhiguna Adnyana about why culture, empathy, and human connection cannot be delegated in hospitality — especially in Bali.

This episode is part of The Art of Short-Term Rentals in Asia, a six-part special series created in collaboration with Short Term Rental Asia (STRA).

Bali is often viewed through the lens of aesthetics and escapism — but behind every meaningful stay is a philosophy rooted in culture, leadership, and human care.

In this episode of The Curious Concierge, Justin sits down with Adhiguna Adnyana, CEO of The Kayon Hotels & Resorts and former COO of Nakula Villas, whose career spans guest relations, villa management, corporate leadership, and brand building across Bali’s most respected hospitality groups.

Adhiguna reflects on growing up surrounded by rice fields and temples, how those early environments shaped his view of service, and why hospitality must always reflect its destination — not imitate somewhere else. From rejecting offers at Aman early in his career, to professionalizing large-scale villa operations, he shares the lessons that taught him empathy, discipline, and long-term thinking.

The conversation explores why culture cannot be outsourced, how systems must support — not replace — human connection, and what it takes to scale hospitality without losing its soul. Adhiguna also discusses regulation, sustainability, Bali’s evolving guest mix, and why the future of the island depends on balance rather than volume.

This episode is a masterclass in grounded leadership, operational clarity, and preserving identity in a fast-growing destination.

As Bali continues to evolve as a global hospitality destination, Adhiguna offers a rare operator’s perspective on what truly sustains quality at scale. This episode is about leadership, cultural responsibility, and why the most enduring hospitality brands are built from the inside out.

(00:00) Introduction to The Curious Concierge

(00:33) Why hospitality in Bali is a way of life

(01:48) Culture should never be copied or outsourced

(03:11) From teaching and telecom to hospitality leadership

(06:35) Choosing people over KPIs

(09:32) What real hospitality looks like on the front line

(10:59) Why connection matters more than service

(11:58) Professionalizing Bali’s villa industry

(14:21) Systems, consistency, and scaling standards

(15:29) Corporate structure vs local culture

(17:51) Doubling Nakula’s portfolio without doubling headcount

(19:40) Auditing systems before scaling

(21:29) What outsiders misunderstand about villa management

(24:08) Regulation, transparency, and closing loopholes

(24:58) Founding BVRMA and educating villa owners

(26:25) How guest behavior has changed post-pandemic

(29:41) Where investors get Bali wrong

(31:04) Progress vs preservation

(32:44) Why The Kayon is more than a resort

(34:09) Guest mix, weddings, and wellness

(36:55) Rituals that define the Kayon experience

(38:39) Non-negotiables in new developments

(39:17) Hiring for passion and protecting culture

(40:53) Staying grounded in an intense industry

(41:25) Rapid fire round

(43:01) What’s next for Adhiguna

(43:58) Closing reflections

Adhiguna Adnyana | CEO, The Kayon Hotels & Resorts

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Short Term Rental Asia (STRA)

In this STRA special episode, Justin Sun speaks with Ritvik Khare, Founder and CEO of Elivaas, about how India’s luxury villa market is evolving through technology, trust, and a deeply human approach to hospitality.

This episode is part of The Art of Short-Term Rentals in Asia, a six-part special series created in collaboration with Short Term Rental Asia (STRA).

India’s luxury villa market is entering a new chapter. Travelers are demanding more space, privacy, and control, while owners are looking for professional, hotel-grade operations beyond simple listing management.

In this episode of The Curious Concierge, Justin sits down with Ritvik Khare, whose career spans finance, online travel, and entrepreneurship, to unpack how Elivaas is redefining luxury villas through fully serviced experiences and what he calls “humane hospitality.”

Ritvik shares how Elivaas was born out of personal frustration managing a second home, why consumer control and privacy have become central to modern travel, and how technology can support hospitality without replacing its emotional core. The conversation also explores India’s rapid travel renaissance, multi-generational travel trends, sustainability, and what it takes to scale trust across hundreds of homes.

As India’s short-term rental market matures, this episode offers a rare founder’s perspective on how branded villa operators can become the next generation of hospitality companies. It is a conversation about building consistency, empathy, and long-term value in one of Asia’s fastest-growing travel markets.

(01:33) Introduction to Elivaas

(03:53) From finance to hospitality

(05:40) Scaling India’s travel ecosystem

(09:25) How Indian travelers are changing

(11:34) Control and privacy in luxury travel

(16:14) Founding Elivaas

(20:11) Humane hospitality explained

(26:30) Operating luxury villas at scale

(30:31) Sustainability and responsibility

(34:50) Rapid fire round

(38:45) Closing reflections

Ritvik Khare | Elivaas

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Short Term Rental Asia (STRA)

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Justin Sun | The Curious Concierge

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Email: justin@thecuriousconcierge.com

Fourth Space Hospitality: https://fourthspacehospitality.com

If you know a hotelier, villa operator, designer, or founder shaping hospitality in Asia, feel free to reach out or make an introduction.

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