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.