At Home, for a Price

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: have the hosts see us till the door and wait at the end of the day. It was so much like home.” Homestays are evaluated on several parameters including hygiene, comfort, safety and the inter-personal skills of the host. “Even the bed sheets have to be at par with hotels. The toilets must be clean, germicide used, and fresh towels must be given everyday,” says Ghosh.

Ekta Capor, Director, Operations, Comfort Homestay, which has over 250 properties across 30 cities in India says, “homestays are like hotels but with more personalised attention. One can even see how the food is prepared. Which hotel will allow you to enter its kitchen?” If a guest wants his/her baby’s feeding bottles to be sterilised, they can get that or do it themselves.

Some places have as many or more homestays as there are resorts and hotels. Coorg, for instance, has multiple homestays with a price suitable for every pocket. Rakesh Dhiman and Anish Alex, who run the Bethel Home Stay in South Coorg, say that the prime advantage is the bonding between the hosts and the guests which is recalled long after the vacation is over. “It is the warmth of the interaction that is enjoyed by guests. We encourage guests to be at home — come and leave at any time they wish and don’t place any restrictions on them.” They have had guests who love traditional Coorgi food. “We share the recipes with those who want them. Some have wanted to learn to climb coconut trees while some like to work in the coffee plantation. There is a river running through our property where the guest can swim and have much fun walking upstream. These are memories that thrill the guest and he wants to revive them by remaining in touch with the hosts.”

Tariffs can start from Rs 200 and go up to even Rs 10,000 per room a night for two. The concept may have started with budget homestays, but has now widened to include standard, deluxe and premium home rooms. Meals can vary from local food to exotic cuisine stemming from recipes handed down through generations.

“It is time the government formulates a uniform policy for homestays,” says Capor. Presently, the states have individual policies, separate from the Centre. “The government needs to promote this segment,” adds Ghosh.