The actress, who is also the founder of Nish Hair, recently appeared on Sharan Hegde’s podcast again and reflected on her Airbnb venture. Her property, Malkin House, is a two-bedroom villa in Nerul, Goa, with a private pool and garden.
When Gulati first discussed the property on Hegde’s podcast in 2024, she said, “I bought [a house] in Goa. Usko main Airbnb pe daalungi. Ghar se paisa kamaugi.” When asked how much she expected to earn from it, the then-31-year-old estimated that the property could make ₹40,000 per day because it was a 2BHK.
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However, her expectations have since changed. Gulati said she had not accounted for the growing competition in Goa’s luxury villa market or the difference between peak and off-season demand.
“As I said on your podcast that I will charge 45k a night, reality hit me because back then there weren’t so many villas, so many luxury villas. Over 4-5 years, there are way more properties,” she told Hegde.
She also acknowledged that she was unfamiliar with how seasonal demand could affect the property’s earnings. “I did not understand an off-season or a peak season very well. It’s my first time, first rodeo. So, they were promising 45k. Right now, we are charging 11k,” she further acknowledged.
That means the current nightly rate for Malkin House is ₹11,000, significantly below the ₹40,000-per-night income Gulati had initially anticipated.
The experience has also highlighted how quickly competition in Goa’s holiday-rental market can change. What may have appeared to be a lucrative opportunity when she bought the property has become more challenging as the number of luxury villas has increased.
For Gulati, the Airbnb venture has effectively become a lesson in the difference between projected rental income and what a property can actually earn once factors such as competition, seasonality and market demand come into play.
