What we offer you is the comfort and elegance of a first class hotel combined with the simplicity and peacefulness of a spiritual retreat.
We believe that a holiday is a ‘holy day’, i.e. the opportunity to leave behind the concerns and busy-ness of everyday life, and relax fully into the present moment. Staying with us you have a rare chance to step out of life’s demanding routine, get back in touch with yourself and revitalize your life in a nourishing and holistic way.
To facilitate this, we have some specific policies that differentiate us from the typical hotel:
Television:
We do not have television in each room. For those who really desire it there is a communal set where we also have a library of dvd’s on India-related subjects. Each room has an ipod dock, and we provide an ipod programmed with the Neeleshwar Collection for those who wish to use it. We have an extensive and growing library of books, with both a section on Indian subjects and a collection of general fiction/holiday reading. Guests are welcome to borrow books.
Alcohol:
The Indian government does not grant an hotel an alcohol license until it has been up and running for several months. We shall have our license secured by the beginning of the 2009-2010 season. This will be a license for beer and wine. In order to serve spirits, a hotel has to pay the Government of Kerala well over 2 million rupees (approx. 27,000 pounds sterling) a year. To cover this huge fee, most hotels have a bar that is open to the general public. Let alone the amount of money involved, as we are a small and exclusive hotel with no wish to be open to the general drinking public, we do not foresee our having a spirits license.
Fridge/mini bar:
We do not have a fridge and a mini-bar in each room. If guests wish to have drinks they can always ask from Verandah service. Not having a fridge is also the ecologically sound option in a part of the world where electricity supplies are already chronically overloaded and forever unstable.
Children:
While we are always happy to welcome families to The Hermitage, please be advised that we do not have any specific amenities for children such as crèche, games room, play park, paddling pool etc.
Tipping:
At The Hermitage we are very aware that for every member of staff you meet, three others are working hard behind the scenes. So we ask our guests not to tip individual members of staff. There is a general tip box at Reception, and in the Priya Ayurvedic Spa for the Spa staff. All tips are divided fairly among the staff at the end of each month.
Eco policies:
* Smoking
We are a non-smoking hotel throughout. This is not only because we like to encourage health and wish to show consideration to those guests who do not smoke (i.e. the large majority), but also because our buildings make extensive use of wood and thatch, and so would be prime fire risks should smoking be allowed.
* No plastic
We operate a ‘no-plastic’ policy. To anyone who has traveled around Kerala it will be obvious that the state has an enormous problem with the collection and disposal of litter. We have no wish to add to this problem. As part of our ‘no plastic policy’ we do not use bottled water, as even a hotel this size could easily generate a hundred empty bottles a day. All our drinking water is purified on site by the most up to date ‘reverse osmosis’ method, and is perfectly safe to drink.
* Waste disposal
All human waste is purified by our sewage treatment plant and recycled to water the garden. All kitchen waste is recycled to provide bio-gas for cooking. All garden waste is recycled into mature compost. All burnable waste is incinerated on site. We practice water conservation and do not use chemical pesticides or fertilizers in our gardens.
* Future eco-plans
In the next phase of our development we shall be setting up an organic vegetable garden and making use of solar energy in the site.
* Dress code
Opening up tourism in an area that has never had it before is both a privilege and a considerable responsibility. Accordingly, we respectfully remind our guests that India is still a traditional culture with different habits of dressing and public behaviour than those that have recently become acceptable in the West. In order harmoniously to fit in with the local way of living, we therefore stipulate that nude or female topless bathing is strictly forbidden, and we reserve the right to ask anyone violating this prohibition to leave the hotel. By the same token, we ask our female guests to be discreet when they are walking along the beach and to wear tops and long shorts, skirts or sarongs, i.e. not just swimsuits or bikinis. Also, we would ask our guests to remember that public displays of affection between couples is not the norm in India.
