Undying hospitality

Jean Luc Benhaim, MD, Buena Vista Resort, was so enamoured by India on his first trip to the country that he went on to set up a resort in Jaipur and pursue his passion.

Hazel Jain

A French national, Jean Luc Benhaim fell in love with India the very first time he came here. A biologist by profession, he had come to India for a holiday, not knowing that soon he’d come to call this country home.

There’s more that needs to be done to make India an investor-friendly destination; there has to be more consumer respect

“I came to India to get away from my busy schedule. There was something captivating about the Indian people and their way of life. Somehow, when I came here, I was relieved of all tension and I just enjoyed being here,” he recalls.

Determined to set up an enterprise, Benhaim started looking for land to set up a hotel. Once he and his team were certain they had found the right place, work on setting up the Buena Vista Resort began. “My wife Sigrid and I are fond of travelling. There’s a lot we have seen and Buena Vista is a canvas of all our life’s experiences,” says Benhaim.

The couple have done most of the paintings that adorn the walls of the resort. “We have put our heart and soul into this property. Obviously, there were a lot of problems that I had to face here, language being the biggest barrier. I knew that we had to create ‘unique localisation’ if we wanted to succeed in this market. We had decided that Buena Vista would not be a regular resort,” he says.

Since he started his business, he has spent a lot of time

in Jaipur. “It’s been a great journey so far and the learnings have been immense. Challenging times, triumphant moments, and disappointments – we have collectively seen it all while setting up Buena Vista Resort. Now, having experienced setting up a business in India, I feel there’s more that needs to be done to make India an investor- friendly destination. There has to be more consumer respect in India,” Benhaim says.