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A Better Working Relationship With Travel Partners

Linger has been a very niche, and amongst-the-community brand, and many of our guests are friends now. We have grown slow, and avoided the usual travel agent route thus far. We did try working with a couple of travel agencies a few times, but except one, have not had a good experience yet.

In our view, Travel Agents need to solve something concrete for us. Online, offline, experiential, whatever.

Somewhere in the Nilgiris – soon!

Problems?

We are primarily a weekend business, and run empty on most weekdays despite significant costs for the same. Some weekends just before and after popular long weekends also see a lull. These can be solved.

There are so many folks who would love the idea of Lingering that we’re unable to reach out to quickly enough through our existing
connects. Travel Agents can play an important role for us here, and one has, for a specific niche.

If we’re able to run at better volumes, we can pay folks better (like we always keep trying to), become sustainable financially for all stakeholders, ecologically and socially for the community around, and grow.

We also ran into issues like the wrong price being communicated to our guests, and our properties themselves being mis-sold as something
they were not. We’d rather run vacant than have wrong expectations set, and eventually hurt our brand. There also have been stories in the media about unethical practices on the part of OTAs that seek to merely maximize the commission they make, and has little to do with representing a property and making a guests’ experience the best aligned with their interests.

If Travel Agents help us crack these problems, we’re more than happy to share with them. Doing it only for holiday seasons and long weekends when happy guests themselves refer enough folks seems pointless and is a little unfair on the part of the travel agent industry.

We’re sure they provide a valuable service and a nominal service charge added transparently to their clients’ bills will be accepted as a fair charge.

Who We’d Love To Work With. And How.

We’d be happy working with travel partners who’re interested in more than the transactional value of their clients – and care about their experience, their vacation, interest as well. We want to work with people who care about the idea of travel itself, and want to further  interesting ways to travel, believe in different reasons for which folks travel, and without merely addressing the common (including the easy “luxury” way out too) denominator of the industry – deals, standardization and the comfort zone of the same old. We’d love to connect with folks who are focused on more bang, not just less buck.

We truly believe that reasonable value for all, and healthy symbiotic relationships do much better in the long run.

On our part, we thought the following would be a better, fairer way to share transparently:

  • Solve Volumes : We offer 1 free room night for every 10 nights booked with us. After 20 room nights, we’ll offer 2 room nights for every 10 room nights booked with us, or 1 after every 6 as desired. Since this involves multiple properties at various times, the value offered free will be the average of the room nights booked with us.
  • Solve Right-Selling : We also feel we should create Long Term Value for Travel Partners who we work with – so for any guest that comes through a travel partner, we’ll share 4% on ALL subsequent reservations by a returning guest with the partner over the next 3 years after the firs trip, even if the same are made directly by the guest with us. We also pass on a benefit to returning guests – this is on top of that. And those who work with us know we are transparent and ethical about this!
  • The above will, of course, make sense only if we’re not being mis-sold in terms of the offering or promises made. We like speaking to our guests and being as transparent as possible before they confirm with us, and would like to be able to do that even as we work with travel partners.

Doesn’t this make more sense? We’re taking this stand for now, and perhaps will start working with those travel agents willing to question norms and change the industry to be friendlier, more transparent and ethical.

If you are a travel outfit who shares our ethos, and thinks the above can be explored (or if you know of one), we’d like to connect for sure.

We’re also looking to partner with folks who design & operate travel around specific themes and activities (history tours, coffee tours, cycling, hikes and treks, bouldering – you tell us!) for the same around our locations.

We’re at hey@linger.in OR at +91-95900-50001. Look forward to hearing from you.

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Getting To Gokarna (and beach bumming!)

We went live with Linger at Bavikodla, near Gokarna, recently. A lot many folks have called in with “How do we get there?”.

So here goes:

From Bangalore

  1. There’s a train that leave later in the evening, and gets there at 1:30 in the afternoon. If you’re on a longer vacation this is a good option. More at : http://indiarailinfo.com/search/bangalore-city-sbc-to-gokarna-road-gok/136/0/1776
    • The station’s about 6 kms from where we are.
  2. There are multiple overnight sleeper buses. They leave from Bangalore between 8 and 10pm, and have pickups at various places across town. And they get you into Gokarna early morning around 7:30am which is a perfect time to get there.
    • Autos take you to our place for about Rs.120-140/-
  3. Drive : Multiple routes, all of them scenic and its takes about 8-9 hours so start early. total of between 480-530 kms.
    • NH4 -> Bankapur -> Yellapur -> Ankola -> Gokarna Cross -> Gokarna Town
    • NH4 -> NH206 (from Tumkur, towards Shimoga) -> right turns onto NH17 at Honnavara -> Kumta -> Gokarna Cross -> Gokarna. Recently reported to have been repaved so in decent conditioned. Shortest route.
    • NH4 -> Left towards Sirsi at Haveri (many smaller roads, but scenic) -> Kumta  -> Gokarna Cross -> Gokarna

From Mumbai

  1. A whole bunch of trains, including some overnight ones, take you from Mumbai to Gokarna Cross, Kumta or Karwar.
    • Kumta – Gokarna buses are very frequent.
    • Karwar to Gokarna Cross buses are common, and fewer go into Gokarna. Autos are easily available from Gokarna Cross.
  2. A few buses take you from Mumbai upto Gokarna Cross, but its a long journey.
  3. Driving : Its a 710km drive that should take about 9-11 hrs. NH4 -> NH63 at the Hubli Dharwad Cross -> NH17 -> Gokarna Cross -> Gokarna.  The roads are good all the way.
From Panaji (Goa) :
Its fairly close from Panaji – just about 166kms. 
  1. The above mentioned trains can take you upto Gokrana Cross or Kumta. Doesn’t make sense to catch one upto Karwar since you’re still relatively far away.
  2. Lots of buses. Volvos headed towards Mangalore drop you off at Gokarna Cross.
  3. Its a pretty, easy drive. You can also stopover at the warship museum (INS Chapal) at Karwar on your way/back.
Photos of Warship Museum, Karwar
This photo of Warship Museum is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Driving your own vehicle makes sense if you’re not just on a quick weekend break, and would be up to exploring more of the beautiful places in Uttara Kannada – Yana, the numerous waterfalls, Mirjan Fort, maybe even catch a Yakshagana performance or two.

Notes :  We’re north of the Gokarna Town/Temple/Beach – away from the usual hotspots of Om Beach, Paradise, or Kudle. Its a secluded, rural beachside with farms, and the last mile is a little tough to find – we’ll send you directions from Gokarna to our place as you start to plan your vacation. Do get in touch at stay@linger.in or at +91-95900-50001.

[ Also, Linger locations are NOT designed as resorts. We’re about local construction, local flavours and retaining the feel of the place. You’ll experience beachside Uttara Kannada as it always has been.  ]

See you soon on the beach!

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Differently Done Birthday : Camping Trip!

CampLinger in the Devarayanadurga Hills recently played host to a very different group – a bunch of pre-teens out on a camping weekend to celebrate the birthday of one of the guys! (Of course, accompanied by the parents of the birthday boy.)

We thought it was a great way to get kids to spend time with their friends on their birthday. Instead of the usual pizza/movie routine, the outdoors, sleeping under the stars, a hike and a campfire will create memories for a long long time, and are much more fun!

So if you’re thinking of doing something for someone’s birthday and want to plan a very different one, give us a call. We’ll try setting things up more birthday-like from our end as well, next time. Its a mere 90kms from Bangalore, and makes for a great “sleepover” party as well 🙂

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What we stand for or the Ethos of Linger Guesthouses

After 2+ years, we have finally figured out a tag for what our places are! We’re NOT hotels, of course. Nor did we ever get comfortable with the idea of being a string of “resorts”. None of our properties is a homestay since you do not intrude upon any homeowner’s privacy, not they yours.

What we settled down on is an unsurprising, age old and how-did-we-not-think-of it “Guesthouses”.

Sorry if its a little bit of a damp squib in this age of creative marketing and superlative tags – but thats what Linger places are.

They’re meant to be like the guesthouse a sarkari department your Uncle headed ran in this pretty corner of an irrigation project, or one the bank your dad worked in owned in a charming little town somewhere. They’re spacious, amidst sprawling greens, comforting, comfortable and relaxed, not architect-designed marvels of creative architecture that leave you breathless and in awe. Its about your vacation, really, not how dazzling our places are.

“Guesthouses” describes that perfectly, we think.

What do we stand for?

We’re comfortable with who and what we are. In Coorg, we more than eagerly cook Pandhi Curry and are insect friendly, love the rains and grow coffee.
At Balur Estate we’re proud of the coffee heritage, and the hard work that goes into running the place. We’re all learning about the history, enjoying the stark yet stunning landscape and surpisingly great vegetarian food at the campsite in Devarayanadurga. We’re not about reception desks, uniforms and encourage the staff to not only take pride in who they are, but share the stories and richness of their surroundings. We build locally, use local know-how and help, and rediscover local cuisine, flavours, traditions and practices. We get involved in conservation where it helps. We try hard to be true to the places we find.

   

We believe you should be comfortable too. We want you to laugh out loud, slurp your tea if you enjoy it that way, eat with your fingers, walk around in that old comfortable tee and shorts – its your vacation! We want you to let your hair down and be yourself.

And we believe travel is about the midway point where you come together and seek out and shake hands with this other/new/different thing. Both comfortable with who they are, and both without pretence.  Yet both ready to accept, give, explore and accept with an open mind and ready senses.

That makes going somewhere so much worth it.

Especially to that little guesthouse which you didn’t expect.

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2 Years of Linger : Thank You!

Linger has completed 2 years, and we’ve both learned a lot, and grown, because of the wonderful, open-minded folks who’ve come over. Thanks to you, we’ve developed, and nurtured in our staff, a healthy respect for the true character each place has – its people, stories, food, weather, pace of life, its history and culture, and the unique beauty each has.

Many of our guests have been true travellers – embracing each experience, celebrating each difference and building connections with the place and people that have left us with many wonderful memories.

We’re a small outfit, and would like to continue growing around these learnings that we’ve picked up in the journey along with you. We want to reach out to more like minded folks, and ensure that vacations and tourism only add to, and not take away anything from, the places we operate in, and the people we work with. It’ll make us extremely happy if these places grow, prosper with a sense of genuine pride in their heritage and culture, and many many people experience, acknowledge and appreciate the same.

For the above reason, we will continue to work with a relatively small footprint at each location, with personalized service, local staffing, serve the local cuisine, build minimum – and that using local knowledge. Each location will obviously be different from any other.

If you genuinely like what we’re trying to do and believe we can make a difference – please help us reach out to as many as possible.

 

*** We always continue to look to funnel back more value for our staff as well – and for each share of this link, or the Facebook note of the same or comment left here – will add Rs.10/- to add to the funds for supporting the staff during medical emergencies ***

(We will proactively track shares from your shares as well, of course.)

See you soon at Linger.

Questions, feedback, suggestions and of course, reservations : stay@linger.in or +91-95900-50001

https://linger.in