We were fortunate enough to chance upon discovering this holiday resort- 'a village eco resort' to be more precise and the experience was so extraordinary that I felt the need to write about it. The idea is to spread word and create awareness about this 'lesser known vacation spot' that is a 'must visit for all' and needs to be part of each traveller's bucket list
An ideal weekend resort that is sure to rejuvenate and refresh you like never before!
Name: Hoysala Village Resort, Hassan, a luxury Eco Resort
Location: 194 kms from Bangalore
Special Features
Some of the special features that set this beautiful resort apart from other resorts visited so far:
# Warm Reception
# Comfy and Cosy Cottages
# Total Green Environment, a delight for nature lovers
# Great food to tickle your palate
# Keeping traditions alive to create a positive aura
# Live Singing
# A Guided Tour of the Property
# Special Attractions
# Courteous Staff
Warm Reception
Right from the time you enter the gate of the resort, get down from the car and reach the reception area, you are greeted with warm smiles, folded hands of the staff, exotic blooms and lush greenery. The hand wash with warm water poured out of well polished copper and brass vessels, the traditional intricate wooden architecture from Kerala, the Nataraj amidst traditional brass lamps and the artwork of dancing figures on the ceiling that you catch sight of at the reception, transport you to an 'era gone by' creating a very positive aura.
Reception Area
Comfy and Cosy Cottages
As you tread the winding pathways lined with rows of lush greenery on either side, leading to the cottage assigned for you, you actually feel the place growing on you. As soon as you enter the cottage, the sheer spaciousness and grandness created by the wooden architecture, specially the intricately carved ceiling in rich polished wood, antique furniture, traditional decor enamour you. Coupled with this, the detailing of the cottage by the courteous staff to familiarise you with your 'home for the weekend' is sure to completely floor you, promising that your stay is going to be the most cosy and comfortable one.
The cottage and view from the window
Total Green Environment, a delight for nature lovers
Once you soak in the aesthetic beauty of the room, and peep out of the huge glass windows you are greeted with an expanse of a total green environment that promises serenity and tranquility. When you step out and explore the surroundings you are delighted to witness well manicured lawns, a huge variety of trees with their scientific and common names displayed, exotic varieties of blooms, a complete visual delight for all nature lovers. This green paradise takes a divine look with the onslaught of the monsoons.
Total Green Environment
Great food to tickle your palate
A great vacation needs the accompaniment of great food to make it perfect. The Head Chef, Dinesh and his efficient team both in the kitchen and the ones serving in the restaurant are committed to serve delicious food that is heathy and nutritious to the guests with immense love. In order to ensure the best quality of the food being served, the resort procures all it spices from its very own spice garden, and its organic vegetables too. To top it up the meals are cooked in pure ghee which is obtained from their own farm where they house ample number of cows to take care of their kitchen requirement.
The Restaurant
Keeping traditions alive to create a positive aura
Right from the moment you enter the resort to the time you spend there you sense very positive vibes.This is largely due to the fact that the staff has been trained to keep traditions alive through daily rituals such as morning prayers in the reception area, cow worship of the in house cow aptly named Lakshmi, offering the first few food items (bhog) prepared in the kitchen as naivedya (offering)to her, and tree worship every single day. The whole place reverberates with positive energy in the early morning hours creating an environment of total peace which lasts throughout the day. Guests are free to take part in these morning rituals.
Tree Worshipping
Live Singing
All through the day there is live singing by Viswenath, who plays the keyboard with ease along with singing despite being blind. Starting with bhajans in the morning to singing popular numbers all through the day or simply playing melodious tunes, a very musical environment is created that is soothing for the nerves.
A Guided Tour of the Property
Another attraction for the guest is a guided tour of the place by the staff, showing you the lake, the gardens around with several unique trees such as Sandalwood tree, Rudraksha tree and many more varieties, exotic blooms of various hues within the property. So one gets the chance to visit and view the variety of cottages/villas available- regular, premium, Jacuzzi villas and above all the regal Malnad Palace with its 10 royal suites, regal dining and living rooms, befitting royalty, ideal for a destination wedding. Even if any of these options are not within the budget of a guest, the pleasure of visiting these areas with an interesting commentary by a senior staff adds to the pleasant memories of this resort that you carry along with you.
Special Attractions
There are several other attractions that make this resort stand apart and make it the perfect choice for an ideal vacation. the staff is willing to take you for a 'walk through the village' which is a refreshing change for the guests living in fast-paced lives in metros and big cities. Also there are several 'poolside activities' available on request for a nominal price, such as painting, tattoo making, flower making, henna to name just a few. Needless to say that these activities are a big hit with all kids holidaying in the resort. there is a well decorated traditional bullock cart kept at the entrance and you could avail of the cart ride at a reasonable price.
Courteous Staff
The staff at the resort is very well trained and extremely courteous. Wherever you go you are greeted with warm smiles and namastes, the traditional Indian greeting. You are sure to have pleasant encounters such as a lady at the gate surprising you by asking you if you have had your meal or a dining area staff asking you if you have visited nearby locations or just random enquiries from the staff asking you if you are having a good time. All of this certainly makes one feel special and that of 'being at home.' In fact there is a culture of warmth and courtesy that percolates down from the owner, Mr Ravindra Alva, himself, who regularly visits the place and makes it a point to circulate among the guests and enquire about their comfortable stay.
Another very special feature is that the staff is always extending themselves beyond their assigned duties, for instance the lady at the reception would rush to the dining hall to serve the guests when crowd is huge, a staff member at the gate would volunteer to sing and entertain, another staff member would be willing to take you around or guide you. It is like one big extended family striving to be gracious hosts.
Though majority of the staff there is polite and courteous, few people who need a special mention are Mr. John Kennedy, Ms. Raji, Ms. Manjula, Mr Shetty, who are not just committed to their duties but are willing to extend themselves.
To sum up the entire experience in a nut shell, it was an extremely pleasant and enjoyable one, a complete tryst with nature, refreshing and rejuvenating enough to carry along with us very pleasant memories of our stay at the place. We not only strongly recommend visiting this place to others but wish to visit the place again and again.
Shubha Sagar
31-072021
