You can only continue the holiday if you are invited

Somewhere along the way, luxury travel stopped being about infinity pools and sky-high breakfasts. I stopped trying to impress everyone in the room. Instead, he began asking a different question: Who is actually in the room?

Today, luxury is less about excess and more about accessibility. Not just where you stay, but whether you’re allowed to stay there at all.

Algorithm-friendly travel is everywhere. Same attractive villas. Same sunset floors. Same as viral Tablescapes. But the real exclusivity has quietly moved offline. The real resilience now is not the vision. It is a restriction.

The most in-demand stays are those that are difficult to book. Some require you to apply. Some require a referral. Some only share their addresses after they decide you’re the right person.

There is no link to book online and no option for overnight access. The ten-suite house is taken only as a whole, and each application is screened through a detailed questionnaire

A similar philosophy shapes designer Rahul Mishra Atman’s first architectural project in the Himalayas. Located at an altitude of 6,000 feet in Kalakhet village near Nainital, this space serves as his family home and boutique residence.

With just six bedrooms, one of which is dedicated to Mishra himself, it feels less like a residence and more like an invitation into a private world. Stays here are as much about cultural immersion as comfort, including carefully prepared Kumaoni thalis that introduce guests to the flavors and rhythms of the region.

“Aatman is not designed to be walked in, it is designed to be walked in,” says Mishra. “Since it is our family home and remains very personal to us, welcoming a guest is more like an invitation than a reservation.” There is no specific waiting period. Some responses are immediate, others depend on the alignment of dates, intention, and what he calls the rhythm of home.

The house is only open during specific windows throughout the year. Guests can practice yoga, sip morning tea by the pond, or take a walk in the forest where breakfast is served deep in the trees. Afternoons are intentionally unwritten, spent reading, drawing, gardening, or just sitting still. Mishra notes that phones are often forgotten. For him, the right guest understands that luxury today is not abundance, but a calibration of time and space, silence and care. “The rarest luxury now is privacy, intention, and stillness,” he says.

“Getting access to the right people, the right events, the right everything,” says Anand. “No one wants something that everyone can be a part of. There is a lot of money in India today, but it’s not about the money. It’s about the right room. It’s about community. It’s about belonging.”

Entry is notoriously difficult. Last year, 212 people applied for just 32 places. Applicants are vetted through their social media presence and personal story to make sure the mix feels right. “Someone at the Mumbai Marathon joked with me that getting into the secret skating party is harder than getting into Harvard, because the acceptance rate is lower,” Anand recalls.

Focus on the chemistry, not the spectacle. Days may include skiing, while evenings end with a 12-course wazoan meal eaten on the grounds alongside first-time artists, founders and strangers. In approx $1.5 lakh per person for four nights and everything is taken care of. What guests remember most are not the slopes, but the conversations.

The Beachhouse Project hosts week-long stays in villas across Goa, Ladakh and Bali, designed as mental getaways for founders and creatives. The invitation-only model is central to how these trips work. “It was never about exclusivity per se,” explains founder Jay Ahia. “It was about chemistry. When you get 14 to 18 strangers together for a week, the wrong combination kills the experience. The right combination creates something you can’t manufacture.”

The apps focus on personality and intent rather than titles. Prices range from $80,000 for stays to approx $3 lakh for longer missions.

The application process is intentionally personal. Prospective guests are informed in advance that there is no room service, that meals follow set times, and that the nearest store is half an hour away. It acts as a filter, ensuring alignment before sharing the site.

“The place is about tranquility, experiencing wellness programs rooted in yoga practices, guided forest dives, and exploring the night sky,” says Sharma. “Anyone who spends time here is exposed to a different way of life.” “This shift in perspective is what we aim to create.”