FIND CALM IN THE CHAOS @ THE PEACE HOUSE

When did this idea of homestays or renting out party places come to you?
It was 4 years back when I went to Russia with my friends and booked a house on Airbnb for our stay, our experience was so nice because in the house or apartment you’ll get a large common area and your rooms are always safe and clean to sleep. I had this property for the past 15 years and it was of no use because it was empty and not that great interiors. So I decided to construct a new floor and renovated the old floor completely. Then the pandemic hit and people were looking for places for birthday parties/bachelor/get-togethers etc. And we were almost ready for it, so in the starting, I used to let out my property to my friends only, then I started getting queries from friends and acquaintances and that’s how we started. Right now we are almost 85-90% booked.

Homestays do not have the advantage of scale that hotels have in terms of operations. What challenges did you face in preparing your properties and regaining guests’ trust post-COVID?
A lot of people who had never looked at private vacation homes as an option for accommodation started opting for them because unlike hotels, they did not have any shared spaces. The reopening of our homes was a combination of people, processes, and technology. When I say people, it meant getting our people completely aware and sensitised to the fact that we are in very different times. We have invested a good amount in electronics like Big Smart Tvs, ambient lighting, a fully equipped kitchen, 24 hours housekeeping, a proper wet bar, 100% crockery and cutlery. Everything here is premium and handpicked.

What do you feel makes a homestay stand out from the rest? How can they thrive when competing with established hotels?
When compared to a 5-star, our villas have a story, unique experiences and touchpoints. While we aim to match up to the 5-star certainty, we are different from them in a way that there are no standardisations.

What are the current challenges for the luxury homestay segment in India?
One of the biggest challenges that this segment faces is the high GST rates (18%). Because of this, guests are tempted to pay in cash to unscrupulous operators.

What is your target audience?
While at the start, we saw families opting for it, the demand has now expanded to celebrations and corporates, too. People want to have intimate celebrations against naturally picturesque backdrops, and we provide endto-end services for that. We have already hosted milestone birthdays, weddings and anniversaries so far. When it comes to corporates, people want to break free from the work-from-home concept, even if for a bit. And our Peace House is perfect for day events and overnight stays for small to mediumsized teams.

What is your strategy for Peace House in the coming months?
We want to focus all our energies on acquiring more properties. Apart from this, our focus is on celebrations—big and small. For instance, we are planning to have more pool places, indoor, outdoor and private ones for our clients.