Kavitha Srikanth, owner of Villa Sree homestay in Puducherry, is thrilled that she got her first guest after five months. “Now that the government has withdrawn the need for an e-pass for inter and intrastate travels, I am hoping that we will receive more guests in the coming days,” she said.
Several homestays, boutique hotels, and lodges in Puducherry opened their doors a few weeks ago.
“It is the first time our campus is empty. It was always filled with people before the lockdown, especially during the weekends,” said Louie Billot, owner of La Closerie. “But today when two of our rooms get occupied, I’m happy,” he said. Homestay and hotel owners have limited the number of guests they allow on their premises. “We don’t take large groups. We have limited it to four and we insist that they are screened, maintain social distancing, and follow all the safety norms,” he said.
Kavitha said over the past week, she’s been getting inquiries from youngsters who want to have a staycation in groups of 10 and more. “We have denied them all. Apart from safety reasons, the staff is also scared and so are people in the neighborhood. They get very anxious when they see large groups,” she said.
A few have reduced their prices by 30% and more to get guests. “Our normal rate is `2,300 per night, we brought it down to `1,700, but even then we are not getting customers and it’s become a task to maintain and pay the staff,” said Deva Kumar, owner of Comfort Home Stay.
A few small establishments in Mamallapuram are allowing guests who they are familiar with to stay for a night or a few days. In Chennai, a few five-star hotels have started to accept bookings unofficially. Some are also allowing staycation to give bored residents a different experience.
News Source: ET
