Date:12/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/12/stories/2008081255031600.htm

Business

Mahindra’s new holiday concept

Staff Correspondent

To provide accommodation in private homes

CHENNAI: Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India, a subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra, has launched a new holidaying concept called ‘Mahindra Homestays’.

The concept is all about providing accommodation in a private home, run by the house owner.

Mahindra Holidays would partner the house owner across various locations and market them under an umbrella brand owned by the company, according to Ramesh Ramanathan, Managing Director.

To kick off its operation, the company launched this programme in the U.K. recently; a country known to have the largest share (20 per cent) of inbound travellers in India.

There would be four types of homes as part of the network such as heritage homes, plantation homes, city homes and rural homes.

All homes would guarantee basic standard of amenities, service, hygiene and safety; they will be supported by regular audits that will ensure maintenance of quality standard. In order to avail the experiences of these classic and yet novel homestays, Mahindra Holidays will provide an online real time reservation system and a call centre facility.