HOST'a la LOCAL vista, people

Remember when travelling used to be an experience only for the travellers? Today, it is a lot about the desire to live like a local in a new land. Bengalureans are venturing into renting out their abodes, taking hospitality up a higher notch by ensuring their guests get a regular local experience.

Saurav Arya, owner of an artsy home in Koramangala, believes, “At the end of the day, it is about basic inherent niceness, as we don’t get paid or promoted for it.” Arya, 32, who has been a host for the past four years, reminisces, “We hosted an Irish couple a while ago and on their last day in India, we realised they had never worn our traditional ethnic wear.

So my wife and I lent them ours and took a picture to capture the moment!” He also goes on to discuss the nightmarish experience that foreigners have to go through to acquire an Indian SIM card, but he has that sorted too as he always has a local SIM ready the very day his guests arrive. “He was extremely welcoming and even took us pub-hopping across the central business district, and we got a feel of the night life, like a local,” one of Saurav’s guests recollects. Another traveller adds, “Our host got us passes to cricket matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium!”     

Alok Sharma has his own co-living business and villa at Koramangala which he rents out to people looking for short stays. “Movie nights, barbecues and impromptu plans are my go-to options when it comes to my guests!” he exclaims with delight, as for him, hosting isn’t just about the money. “Bengaluru isn’t a tourist spot; people visiting the city are mostly businessmen and after a long day, instead of having to shut themselves off, they have someone to speak to. I’m their host but I should be their friend and their concierge too,” he says.

The soaring craze for renting these personal homes have mostly to do with the young Bengalurean’s interest to mingle and explore local culture. “Hotels are very impersonal; you stay in the same room and room services are quite transactional. However, in my experience at rented homes, my host even made changes in the food so it could fit my diet,” recalls Srinath R, a 32-year-old business consultant who had spent two months at an Indiranagar address.
“I kind of ‘mother’ my guests from the moment they arrive! Especially, the solo travelling women; keeping in touch constantly, letting them know which roads to take, informing them about the traffic — it makes them feel like they already know the city,”  claims Simera Anwar, another young host who lives on Old Airport Road. Hosting for short term stays has truly revolutionised the wanderlust driven Bengalurean Gen-Y’s travelling experiences. ‘Pack your bags, jet, set, go’ has now turned into ‘pack your bags, jet set and get local and homely.’