aerial view of a resort located amidst green trees featuring a pool and decorated with aesthetic yellow lights  aerial view - Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts2

Building the Future Together with Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts

When you succeed, Stone Wood does. Our team is eager to collaborate with you to comprehend your aims for hotel growth, provide our knowledge of the hospitality industry, and assist your corporate goals for long-term success.

Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts is founded with the vision of developing a hospitality company of quality Resorts. The aim is to provide individual, family, and group vacations in a home-like ambience at a reasonable price. The hotels and resorts would be of a manageable size to provide personalized services. We have pioneered destination hotels & resorts both for travellers, soul seekers, and large-size groups. As well as a lover of nightlife experiences. Over the years Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts have been able to launch properties in Goa and Gokarna, Udaipur and is planning to expand in other parts of the country like Himachal, Uttaranchal and Kerala. This is being done with a combination of owned, leased, and managed properties. The hotels and resorts are managed by personnel with extensive experience in the Hospitality Industry and are headquartered in Goa.

Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts is one of Goa’s largest growing brands, offering unmatched choices for guests and driving unrivalled value for owners. We put a lot of effort into fostering long-lasting, lucrative partnerships with owners thanks to our diverse selection of brands and our innovative sales and marketing platform. The ability of owners to leverage a top hospitality firm has never been simpler.

The Spirit of Teamwork

Hospitality is an art that aims at bringing smiles to people’s faces and spreading happiness. The Team at Stone Wood, works round the clock for a client-focused experience.

Stone Wood Resorts and Hotels Group was founded with the vision in mind to create a unique travel & Hospitality company with the very best quality in both its benefits and services to its guests. Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts a name known in the hospitality sector encompasses boutique hotels, villas, finest serviced apartments, clubs, and restaurants majorly in Goa and Pan India. Over the years, Stone Wood Resorts and Hotels have been able to launch its properties in Goa, Gokarna and Udaipur.

Let’s talk about the team that has made all the difference!

Gokul Kumar


GOKUL KUMAR – Chairman


Our guiding spirit is Mr. Gokul Kumar, a doyen of real estate development and hospitality. He is known for completing quality projects in time without cost overruns and to his credit, the foremost 106-room Whispering Palm Beach Resort at Candolim Goa, Hard Rock Hotel, Mussoorie, Haveli on Karnal Road. Also spearheading the first Mall of Punjab in Jalandhar, Arni University in Himachal, and many more.

A philanthropist at heart, he is known for his association with his employees, partners, and anyone who has ever associated with him for a long-term gain, business ethics with values and principles.

shikar


SHIKHAR KUMAR - MD/CEO

 
Young, enthusiastic, and energetic, Shikhar had nursed his dream of becoming a hotelier from a very early age. He worked towards it with tenacity by first studying at the Welcome group Graduate School of Hotel Management at Manipal. This was followed by a master's degree from Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, Switzerland. 

He was only 21 years of age when equipped with all the learning he set about making his dream come true. His first project was a Beach Club "Antares" followed by several restaurants, Hotels and Resorts in the state, of Goa and Karnataka. He currently manages an ever-expanding chain of Resorts under the brand name "Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts." There are nine Resorts in this portfolio with another two coming up and five planned.

SAJID MAHMOOD - Senior Advisor


SAJID MAHMOOD - Senior Advisor

 
With over four decades of experience in the hotel industry, hoteliering runs in his bloodstream. He has extensive experience in hotel operations, sales & marketing, and development having worked with brands like ITC Hotels, Club Mahindra, Park Hotels, Carlson Hotels & Sarovar Hotels in senior positions. He has also worked across the length and breadth of the country, hardly leaving any state out, which gives him a good insight into various markets. Sajid is involved in guiding the Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts team in total hotel management including sales & marketing.

Rhea


RHEA KUMAR - Brand Architect & Designer

 
Rhea is our in-house architect and designer responsible for designing our new resorts and oversees the detailing of any renovation of gradation. This helps us undertake projects and complete them in a timely manner. She is a qualified architect with master's from Domus Academy, Milano, Italy. Through her exposure to international standards, she has created an identity reflected in her design.

A picture of Keith Pinto from Stone Wood resorts


KEITH JUDE PINTO - Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing

 
Keith's job is to weave revenue management, field selling, and digital marketing into a strong sales & marketing mechanism. He has over 25 years of experience in this field to help him do that. He is a Post Graduate Diploma holder in Marketing and CRM. He has a key role to play in our success of running our Resorts profitably.

santosh


SANTOSH KUMAR YADAV - Associate Director – Sales

 
Santosh has been in the business of selling hotels for over a decade. He understands the Goa market like few does. As his span of control covers cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Ahmedabad he is also well versed with the source markets, giving him the ability to promote hotels or Resorts in any part of the country. He heads our sales teams in Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai and is in constant, touch with our franchise offices in Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Santosh represents us in Travel & Tourism Trade Fairs that are held in various parts of the country.

kamal


KAMAL SEWALIA - Associate Director – Revenue


Few understand Revenue Management as Kamal does. Constantly, tracking the curves of occupancies and rates as they go up and down, he ensures that we get the best deal in the market. Before switching to the side of the hotel world he worked for Online Travel Agencies like Yatra, Cleartrip, and Naaptol. This helps him deal with them better. Kamal has been with Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts for over four years so understands the product well. He supervises yield management processes, across all our Resorts.

 

manjit


MANJIT PARSEKAR - Digital Marketing Manager


Manjit expertly manoeuvres us through the digital world that confuses many. He specializes in Digital Marketing using his master's degree in Marketing from the University of Goa, He has over a decade of experience in marketing having worked with brands like Wockhardt, Novotel and Mercure. His digital marketing experience has mainly been with the hotel industry.

anshu


ANSHU VERMA – Resort Manager

 
A patient but firm team leader Anshu manages three of our resorts. He has over 14 years of experience in hotel operations, having worked with Crowne Plaza and Godwin Resorts before joining Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts. He is a hotel management graduate from the Hotel Management Institute of Goa.

rohan rodrigues


ROHAN RODRIGUES - General Manager


Rohan is another highly experienced General Manager working with us. A team motivator, his core competence covers multiple areas like Operations Management, Sales & Marketing, and Public Relations. He has experience of having opened several hotels and resorts. He has done his Masters of Business Administration with a specialization in Tourism and Hospitality Management.

black and white image of MARK FERNANDEZ


MARK FERNANDEZ - Resort Manager


Mark did his grounding in hotels with the Taj Group of Hotels, where he worked across the length and breadth of the country; crossing the shores, he worked with the Imperial in Singapore and Novotel in Melbourne. In the area of Food & Beverage experience cuts across discotheques, fast food chains as well as specialty restaurants.

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AMIT NANDI - Resort Manager


Specializing in running hotels and resorts in off-beat locations, Amit has worked with organizations like ITC Hotels, Orchid, Group, Daspalla Group, Nature Trails, and Sterling Holidays. He has a good pre-opening experience, especially in remote locations. Amit is a nature and adventure enthusiast with over 20 years of experience in the hotel industry.

black and white image of SANAT KAMAT


SANAT KUMAR - Resort Manager


Sanat is responsible for managing one of our Resort in Morjim – Stone Wood Village Resort. A degree holder in hotel management, he has worked for brands like Cidade-de-Goa, Park Hyatt Goa (now an ITC hotel), Climax Hotels, Landmark Group, and Bloom hotels. He has been involved in the pre-opening of several hotels. His 15-year career covers hotels in India and the UAE.

uday


UDAY MANDREKAR - Manager Finance


Uday is responsible for guiding and monitoring the finance executives at our various resorts. All Profit & Loss statements are vetted by him to ensure flawless accounting. He has over a decade of experience of working in the finance department of hotels like Paradise Village Beach Resort, La gulls Court and Nagoa Grande in Goa

sudhir


SUDHIR BAVKAR – Corporate Training Manager


Recognized in the hospitality industry as one of the finest service trainers, Sudhir covers the entire spectrum from skill training to behavioral training to personality development. Besides having a Degree in Hotel Management, he is a post-graduate In Business Management and a trainer certified by the Indian Society of Training in Development with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry; he has worked with leading brands like Marriott, Fairmont & Burj Al Arab.

akshay


AKSHAI KURHEKAR - Corporate Engineer


In a world that is becoming more and more conscious of preserving the environment, Akshai has been working towards sustainable, environmentally friendly operations at hotels. He has over 14 years of experience, having worked with brands like Marriott and Carlson (Radisson, Country Inn, Park Plaza & Park inn). Akshay assists our resorts in making their equipment run smoothly to provide an excellent guest experience in a safe environment.

black and white image of PAMELA LOBO


PAMELA LOBO - Corporate Manager Human Resources


A hotel or resort is judged by the service it provides. Services are provided by people. Pamela carries the burden of recruiting, developing, and retaining these people. A postgraduate in Human Resources & Psychology, she has over 10 years of experience in the service industry. She monitors statutory compliances, payroll, recruitments, departures, and employee engagement activities across our resorts. She has an enthusiastic approach to working with a positive mindset.

ajay


AJAY KUMAR SINHA Corporate Housekeeper


Carrying a 32-year experience behind him, hardly anything misses his eyes as he walks through our Resorts. A graduate in hotel management and in business administration, Ajay has worked across brands like Le Meridian, Intercontinental, Best Western, and Club Mahindra. At Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts, he is responsible for the maintenance of standards and constant improvement in guest experience at all our resorts.

chef


SURESH ARYA - Corporate Chef


It is believed in the hotel industry that while managers are easier to train, it takes a minimum of ten years to produce a good Chef. In the kitchen knowledge is not enough, extensive practice is required. Suresh has been through the grill for over two decades. He has worked in multiple restaurants and hotels in Pune, Mangalore, Goa, Fiji Islands, and Wellington, New Zealand. He oversees the kitchen operation of all our Resorts.

Our Philosophy

Stone Wood Hotels and Resorts are driven by professionals. Every member of the management team has extensive experience in the hotel industry. Our association with hotel owners is based on the concept of a long-term relationship. We have a well-organized Sales & Marketing setup to source and supply business to our hotels A core support team helps Resorts create a sustainable competitive edge.

Infrastructure

Hotel Development:
  • Operation support is provided to Resorts through regular visits and monitoring by a Corporate team.
  • We have access to the finest architect, service planners, designers, and consultants & great access to:
    • Heat, light, and power experts
    • Landscaping experts
    • Kitchen and back area planning professionals

Growth Potential

Sales & Marketing:
  • A nationwide network of sales offices and representation
  • A corporate cell to provide Revenue Management
  • A robust Central Reservation System integrated with Property Management System at Resorts
  • A good relationship and connection with all major OTAs operating in India

360-degree Hospitality Planning

Distribution:
  • A corporate website that provides online reservations with a payment gateway
  • Directly connect to OTAs through the channel manager
  • Sales Offices in key locations. These are growing with the chain of hotels being multiplying
 
Training & Human Resources:
  • Strong training infrastructure headed by experienced training managers
  • Well-researched SOPs and execution plan for multiple rollouts
  • Corporate support to ensure all statutory compliance related to manpower

Engineering:
  • Experienced professionals at the corporate level to support hotels in all aspects of Engineering and Maintenance
  • Day-to-day monitoring for energy conservation and cost optimization