After a week of hectic travel, a professional masseuse gives you a gentle massage after which you sink into a cozy, fluffy bed to get a good night’s sleep. No, we aren’t talking about one of those fancy hotels that give you a taste of Zen-like luxury — Bengalureans are now choosing to give themselves a hotel-like feel in the confines of their homes. From hiring chefs to customising their bedrooms, they’re finding various ways to get an indulgent star hotel-like feel at home. “I’ve customised my room (both at home and in my farmhouse), just like a hotel room with soft cushions, pillow tops etc. When I hit the bed, I completely sink into the nice, fluffy blankets. It has had a positive impact on my sleep — I can’t wake up in the mornings! My dad has to keep knocking on the door to wake me up,” reveals Zaver Mavany, head of operations, GFK Trust, adding, “I travel a lot, so these bedrooms help me relax. I also get a masseuse home, especially on Sundays when it becomes too hectic to go out and get an appointment. I have a friend who owns a spa and he sends someone over when I need a massage.”
Dr Shuba Dharmana is one of those who has hired professional chefs and massage therapists to provide at-home services. “We employ chefs who come home during events and prepare everything here. We even have bartenders come over during parties and make some good cocktails and mocktails. We’ve also hired people who prepare salads and deliver it to our house — we did it for three months. This way, we don’t need to cook at home. If we want something extra, we just throw in some boiled chicken or egg,” says Shuba, adding, “It’s difficult to get an appointment sometimes, so apps really help in leading a hotel-like life at home.”
Dr Reena Ravneet Grewal is a physiotherapist who visits people’s homes to offer services like reflexology and deep tissue massage, that you’d often get at a hotel spa. “People are opting for home therapy as they don’t have to put in an effort to travel and can get services at their convenience. Initially, I was hesitant to go to people’s homes, but now I go with referrals only,” says the founder of ProReflex.
Ankit Garg too is someone who swears by her cozy bedroom. The founder of Wakefit says, “A high-quality mattress is super comfy, especially for those who’ve have travelled globally and are getting exposed to the best luxuries. Throw in pillows on your bed, like I’ve done, to add to the plush look, along with the use of soft crease-less sheets and bed runners which add to the hotel room experience.”
Chakradhar Dandothkar, executive chef at Howard Johnson Hotel who has catered to a few at-home dinners, says, “I’ve done small, corporate and social gatherings — mainly cocktail dinners, where we’ve provided a multi-cuisine buffet and given clients an option of Continental, Indian and Oriental. We also do a small presentation with herbs, masalas etc to give it a hotel-like or coffee shop feel. But honestly, a hotel’s ambience is very different when compared to a house.” The chef feels that the idea of chefs doing at-home services is still catching up with the city’s social circle.
