-WOW FARMHOUSE STAY-AUROVILLE-
“Motivate them, train them, care about them, and make winners out of them… they’ll treat the customers right. And if customers are treated right, they’ll come back.” was rightly stated by J. Willard Marriott, founder of the Marriott Corporation. The Hospitality industry has evolved with time, so have the travelers and the aware tourists. While interviewing many experienced individuals from this field, a lot of shortcomings were discussed and solutions were given. How did the five-star driven industry now get into the hands of various entrepreneurs? Read on.
Martin, fondly referred to as “Marti” runs the “Wow farmhouse stay” in Auroville-Pondicherry. This property is listed among the top 10 in Airbnb and is an experience to have. Making you feel at home, this property has a mud house constructed by Marti himself, as he is an IT Architecture expert. He got this idea when he was tired of working 9 to 5 and wanted a place to be his “second home”. He was connected to Auroville from childhood because of his mother but got a chance to finally be back in 2019. He bought a plot and constructed this homestay. He also told how his stay is customized only for families, solo female travelers, and couples but not for groups of friends who want to consume alcohol and create a ruckus, thus promoting sensitive citizenship. He has a swimming pool along with a lot of board games. Marti is Google maps himself, he can tell you where to go, which are the best pizzerias to eat from- something common to Pondicherry culture, and also where are the best beaches or souvenir shops. He also explains how with zero experience of Hospitality he runs this property successfully and has trained local staff to effectively handle the place. He also added that when he comes away from the hustle and bustle of Chennai to this simple community living, that he feels he is at peace. He also offers homemade food and groundwater for his customers so they have the entire “At home, away from home experience”.
Sudhanshu is an Engineer who worked in the biggest five-star corporations for nearly twelve years. He has visited multiple properties in India and abroad, but left his job in 2014 to start his own business. Over the years, he realized the dark realities of the work culture and saw how there is extreme pressure to deliver nothing but the best. That is when he came across this abandoned bungalow in Bannerghatta, Bangalore, and that is when he decided to have his own “Guest House”. He employed minimalist people and supervised everything himself, he even dealt with the clients directly to make them feel comfortable. He explains how jobs in Hotels can demand you to even do double shifts, or have odd working hours because of VIP clients but doing this business gives him the zeal he always wanted to feel. He does have angry customers who demand refunds and discounts, but being from the industry itself, he explains how it is easy for a 5-star hotel to give a discount or “freebies” as it gives them a good reputation. He started this business to ensure people experienced a “Miniature 5 star experience” which is pocket-friendly. He also tells us about his customer who travels from Dubai and needs a particular room every time as it helps him relax. Another woman was an activist staying there through Covid helping street dogs around. Here, customers have stayed for as long as Eleven months and gone back home-rejuvenated, that is what he says “The walls have the magic, and the place has a vibe that none can match”.
The thing that makes both these entrepreneurs common is their want to give a different yet home-like experience to their customers so that they go back home as different individuals. It also teaches us how experience in the industry helps to grow, what the workspace is like, but also shows how the passion of people like Martin can help run a place without exactly being related to it. This also shows us how in the upcoming years, the Hospitality industry will not be about the 5-star hotels, but the smaller, unique boutique staycations.
-Sudhanshu, Bangalore-
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