Arabella Villa, New Tungarli: Five Bedrooms and a Cricket Turf
A 5BHK villa above Lonavala with a private pool, pool table, table tennis and its own cricket turf. What it costs, who it suits, and where it is not the answer.
Tungarli sits above Lonavala town, near the lake, on the side that has views and not much traffic. New Tungarli is the newer extension of it, and Arabella Villa is the largest property we list there.
Five bedrooms, twenty-three guests, and an amenity list that reads more like a small resort than a villa. It is a specific kind of booking, and it is worth being clear about which kind.
What is on the property
Five air-conditioned bedrooms, each with an attached bathroom — which for a group of twenty-three is the meaningful number, because it means five separate washrooms rather than a queue. A private swimming pool at 25×12. High-speed Wi-Fi. A fully equipped kitchen. A smart TV. And then the part that distinguishes it: a dedicated barbecue area, a private cricket turf, a pool table, a table tennis table and a carrom board. There are not many properties on the platform with that combination, and none of the others in Lonavala have a cricket turf.
At a glance
| Property | Arabella Villa (BMF-V446) |
| Where | New Tungarli, Lonavala |
| Type | Villa · 5 BHK |
| Guests — overnight | 23 |
| Guests — day | 23 |
| Weekday rate | ₹22,000 |
| Weekend rate | ₹35,200 |
| Extra person | ₹650 per head |
| Pool | 25*12 |
| Check-in | 1:00 PM |
Rates
- Weekday: ₹22,000 · Weekend: ₹35,200
- Per additional person: ₹650
- Check-in: 1:00 PM · Check-out: 11:00 AM
Those are high numbers in absolute terms and they need dividing. At twenty-three guests, a weekday booking works out to roughly ₹960 a head and a weekend to about ₹1,530 — which is around the middle of the Lonavala market rather than the top of it, and cheaper per person than a four-bedroom villa taking fifteen at ₹15,000.
That is the pattern with large properties generally, and it is why comparing headline rates between properties of different sizes is misleading. The weekend uplift here is 60%, which is steeper than average, so the midweek case is strong.
The permissions
Arabella is at the permissive end of the Lonavala market, which is part of why it works for group bookings:
- Non-vegetarian food and non-vegetarian cooking are permitted
- The kitchen is available for cooking
- Outside food is allowed
- Alcohol is permitted
- Bachelor groups and all-male groups are accepted
- Smoking is permitted
- Guests of all religions are welcome
Pets are not permitted. That is the one exclusion likely to matter, and it is worth checking before you plan.
Where it sits, and why that matters
Tungarli is the plateau above Lonavala town, built around the lake, and it is one of the four pockets we list properties in around Lonavala — the others being Gold Valley, Khandala and the Malavli and Pawna side.
Practically, Tungarli means you are ten minutes from the market and the expressway exit but not on top of them. For a property whose selling point is a cricket turf and a barbecue, that combination is close to ideal: you are not dependent on the town for anything, but a supply run takes twenty minutes rather than an hour.
It also means neighbours. This is not an isolated hillside property, and while the listing does not state a music cut-off, a group planning a loud night should ask rather than assume.
Who it suits
A group of eighteen to twenty-three who want a weekend where something is happening. The cricket turf, the pool table and the barbecue are not decorative — they are the reason to choose this property over a cheaper villa with a nicer view. That makes it well matched to three specific bookings. A reunion, where a group who have not met in years need something to do while they get past the first hour. A corporate off-site, particularly midweek when the rate drops by a third. And a friends' weekend of a size that most Lonavala villas cannot take — twenty-three is at the upper end of what this market offers. It is not the property for a couple, for a family with small children who need a shallow pool (there is no separate kids' section), or for anyone whose priority is the view rather than the weekend. Tungarli has quieter, prettier and cheaper options for that.
The alternatives nearby
- Secret Heaven in Gold Valley — a 4BHK for up to twenty-five with a pool, a garden and a shamiana, at ₹13,200 midweek. Considerably cheaper, considerably less to do, and a strict 10:00 PM music cut-off.
- Nature Oasis in Khandala — the design-led option, with a heated baby pool and a contemporary finish, for eighteen. Vegetarian only.
- Casa King Casa Queen near Pawna — a 4BHK for fifteen with a sunset deck overlooking the lake and mountains, if the view is the point.
- Enroute, near Khandoba Temple — a 4BHK for fifteen with a kids' pool and inverter backup, at ₹10,560 midweek.
Compare across villas in Lonavala, or narrow to large-group villas and luxury villas. For the area itself, see Tungarli Lake and New Tungarli.
Comparing what Lonavala offers
| Property | Where | Sleeps / by day | From (weekday) | Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabella Villa | New Tungarli | 23 / 23 | ₹22,000 | Private |
| Enroute | Khandoba Temple | 15 / 15 | ₹10,560 | Private + kids |
| Sakhai | Lonavala | 15 / 15 | ₹6,160 | Private + kids |
| Nature Oasis | Khandala | 18 / 18 | ₹23,600 | Private + kids |
| Casa King Casa Queen | Pawna | 15 / 15 | ₹15,840 | Private |
Work the total out for your actual headcount before comparing these. Above roughly twenty guests the per-person charge reorders the list more often than not.
The per-head arithmetic, which is the point
Arabella's headline rates look steep next to the Lonavala median of around ₹8,800. Divided by the group, they are not.
At twenty-three guests, ₹22,000 midweek is roughly ₹960 a head and ₹35,200 at the weekend is about ₹1,530. A four-bedroom villa taking fifteen at ₹15,000 works out at ₹1,000 a head — the same money, for a property with fewer bathrooms and nothing to do.
This is the pattern with large properties generally, and it is why comparing headline rates across different capacities is misleading. The number to compute is always the total for your actual group divided by the people paying.
Two caveats. The per-person charge of ₹650 applies above the included headcount, so a group of twenty-three is not paying the base rate alone. And the weekend uplift here is 60%, which is steeper than the market average — making the midweek case unusually strong for a group that can take a Thursday.
What five attached bathrooms actually buys
It is the least glamorous line on the listing and, for a group of twenty-three, the most consequential.
Five bedrooms each with an attached bathroom means five independent washrooms rather than a queue outside two. For a reunion or an off-site where everybody is getting ready at roughly the same time on Saturday evening, this is the difference between an hour of friction and none.
It also changes the sleeping arrangement. Five rooms across twenty-three guests is four or five per room, which with attached bathrooms is workable in a way that four rooms across twenty-three is not. Groups that have shared a villa where fifteen people used two bathrooms will understand why this is worth paying for.
When comparing against Secret Heaven — four bedrooms, also listed for up to twenty-five — this is the substantive difference, alongside the games and the turf.
The one thing to confirm before booking
The listing does not state a music cut-off time, which is unusual enough in Lonavala to be worth a direct question. New Tungarli is a developed plateau, not an isolated hillside. There are other properties nearby and there are residents. Most properties in this area operate a 10:00 PM restriction on amplified music, and the absence of one on the listing does not reliably mean the absence of one in practice. For most groups this is academic — a cricket turf, a pool table, a barbecue and a table tennis table is an evening that does not depend on volume. But if the plan specifically involves a DJ or music running past midnight, ask before you pay rather than discovering the answer at eleven with twenty-three people present. The related question worth asking in the same message: whether the cricket turf has floodlights. It changes what the evening looks like considerably, and it is the sort of detail that does not make it onto an amenity list.
Frequently asked questions
Swimming pool size?+
25*12
What does Arabella Villa cost?+
The slot rate is ₹22,000 on a weekday and ₹35,200 at the weekend. Above the included headcount there is a per-person charge of ₹650 a head, which at a large group moves the total more than the base rate does.
How many properties are there in Lonavala?+
We currently list 6 in and around Lonavala, 3 of which have a separate children's pool.
When is the best time to book near Lonavala?+
June to September for the monsoon scenery, October to February for comfort; weekends sell out, midweek is transformed. If your dates can move at all, a weekday booking saves between a quarter and half the rate, which is more than switching to a cheaper property usually achieves.
Can I book for the day without staying the night?+
Yes. Most properties sell a half day and a full day as well as an overnight, and the day slot is what a birthday or a family lunch usually needs. It is also why the day-time guest limit is often several times the sleeping capacity.
Is the whole property mine, or is it shared?+
The whole property is reserved for your group. The listings state this explicitly and the property FAQs repeat it — you are not sharing a pool or a lawn with another booking.
Can I bring my own food, or use the kitchen?+
It depends on the property, and these are two separate permissions. Some allow outside food but not cooking; some hand you an active kitchen with utensils; a few cater in-house and do not permit outside food at all. Every listing states which applies.
Can I speak to the owner before booking?+
Yes — chat is built into every listing and goes to the owner or their caretaker rather than to an agent. It is the fastest way to settle the things a listing cannot cover, such as an early check-in or whether a road floods.