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.

(00:00) Introduction to Elivaas and Ritvik’s journey

(02:20) From finance to hospitality and real estate

(04:07) Building India’s online hotel ecosystem at scale

(07:52) How Indian travelers are changing

(10:01) Control, privacy, and the modern luxury guest

(12:32) Villas, intimacy, and experience-led travel

(14:41) Founding Elivaas and solving a personal pain point

(17:19) Brand philosophy and naming Elivaas

(18:38) What humane hospitality really means

(21:35) Training caretakers and protecting service quality

(23:57) Monitor, monetize, and maintain, the operating backbone

(27:09) Leadership, values, and scaling culture

(28:58) Sustainability and responsible luxury

(31:24) India’s villa market over the next decade

(33:17) Rapid fire round

(36:22) Advice for founders entering hospitality

(37:12) Closing reflections

Ritvik Khare | Elivaas

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Justin Sun | The Curious Concierge

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Fourth Space Hospitality: https://fourthspacehospitality.com

If you know a...

In this STRA special episode, Justin Sun speaks with Bruno Barone about building a hospitality ecosystem in Phuket that extends far beyond villas, focusing on people, systems, and long-term responsibility.

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).

Phuket’s villa market may look effortless from the outside, but behind every great stay is a complex network of people, systems, and responsibility.

In this episode of The Curious Concierge, Justin sits down with Bruno Barone, a hospitality entrepreneur who has spent over a decade building an interconnected ecosystem in Phuket. Bruno shares his journey from Europe to Thailand, the evolution of property management on the island, and why staff empowerment is central to service excellence.

The conversation explores Phuket’s shift toward long-term living, the rise of wellness and medical tourism, and why storytelling has become a strategic asset through Bruno’s media platform, Closer. Bruno also discusses legal support for expats, sustainability, and what it means to build hospitality with accountability in a fast-growing destination.

As Phuket continues to grow as a global destination, Bruno offers a rare operator’s view on what happens behind the scenes. This episode is about building trust, infrastructure, and community in a place where hospitality touches everyday life.

(00:00) Phuket’s evolving hospitality landscape

(04:06) Bruno’s journey to Phuket

(07:19) Quality of life and inner happiness

(09:59) Building a hospitality ecosystem

(13:01) The evolution of property management

(16:02) Technical systems and service philosophy

(19:00) Staff development and service excellence

(22:20) Long-term living and rental shifts

(24:53) Storytelling in hospitality

(26:38) Legal support for expats

(28:01) Community-driven hospitality

(30:39) Phuket’s regional role

(33:51) Sustainability and future development

(40:04) The future of hospitality in Phuket

(41:53) Closing reflections

Bruno Barone

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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.

In this STRA special episode, Justin Sun sits down with Kadek Adnyana to explore how Bali’s villa industry has evolved and why culture, regulation, and community now matter more than ever.

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), a leading platform focused on education, events, and insight for the short-term rental industry across Asia.

Bali is one of the world’s most iconic hospitality destinations, but behind the beauty lies a fragile balance.

In this episode of The Curious Concierge, Justin speaks with Kadek Adnyana, founder of Individual Bali Villas and a leading voice behind the Bali Vacation Rental Management Association (BVRMA). Kadek shares his journey from local guide to villa operator, and how Balinese culture deeply influences hospitality practices on the island.

Together, they unpack the evolution of Bali’s villa market, the risks of unregulated growth, and why sustainable tourism, quality standards, and community-driven regulation are essential to protecting Bali’s identity for future generations.

This conversation offers a grounded, local perspective on what it really takes to build hospitality responsibly in Asia.

As Bali faces increasing pressure from mass tourism and unchecked development, this conversation provides rare insight from someone actively working to balance growth with preservation. It is a reminder that hospitality is not just about demand, but responsibility.

(00:00) Introduction and STRA series context

(02:01) Cultural roots of Balinese hospitality

(05:55) Kadek’s journey into the villa industry

(10:01) Why BVRMA was formed

(13:07) Challenges and achievements in regulation

(15:09) Evolution of Bali’s villa market

(18:21) Sustainability and eco-friendly tourism

(21:13) Community responsibility and cultural preservation

(24:42) Government, investors, and regulation

(27:06) Lessons for other destinations

(32:03) Building a sustainable future for Bali

(35:13) Final reflections

Kadek Adnyana

Individual Bali Villa Rental & Management

Bali Vacation Rental Management Association (BVRMA)

Short Term Rental Asia (STRA)

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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.

In this opening episode, host Justin Sun shares the personal journey behind The Curious Concierge and why hospitality, real estate, and service have shaped his life and career. From growing up in Asia’s urban ecosystems to working behind the scenes of modern hospitality brands, this episode sets the foundation for a podcast focused on meaning, craft, and the future of hospitality in Asia.

This is not an interview. This is an origin story.

In the inaugural episode of The Curious Concierge, Justin reflects on growing up between Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United States, where malls doubled as social ecosystems, buildings shaped behavior, and service was a cultural philosophy rather than a transaction. Those early experiences sparked a lifelong fascination with how space, emotion, and care intersect.

Justin traces how that curiosity led him to study hotel administration and real estate, work across hospitality startups, underwrite and integrate real estate portfolios, scale operations, and experience firsthand the emotional labor behind hospitality, from corporate strategy rooms to being an Airbnb host himself.

This episode introduces the philosophy behind The Curious Concierge, a podcast dedicated to the innovators, builders, and quiet operators shaping how Asia lives, travels, and gathers. Beyond check-ins and keys, this show explores the legends, legacies, and human stories behind hospitality.

Asia is where hospitality is evolving fastest, shaped by culture, density, technology, and a deep-rooted service mindset. From hotels and short-term rentals to wellness spaces and hybrid living, the next generation of hospitality models is being built here, often quietly. This podcast exists to tell those stories with depth, respect, and curiosity.

(00:00) - Welcome to The Curious Concierge

(01:15) - What this podcast is really about

(03:40) - Growing up in Asia’s urban ecosystems

(07:50) - When hospitality became personal

(12:20) - Studying hotels and real estate

(16:10) - Startup years, scale, and systems

(21:45) - Learning hospitality from the owner’s side

(26:40) - Why Asia, and why now

(30:10) - What to expect from future episodes

(33:30) - Closing reflections and invitation to stay curious

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Fourth Space Hospitality: https://fourthspacehospitality.com

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