“Breakfast in the ancient forest” with ‘The Fern Brentwood Resort, Mussoorie’

Discerningly aware about sustainability, The Fern Brentwood Resort, Mussoorie ensures that it follows accountable hospitality. Apart from utilizing paper straws and pure unbleached napkins produced from 100% Agro Fiber Source, in addition they present Alkaline water as an in-room amenity for all visitors sealed in glass bottles.

TDM interviews Arindam C Bahel, General Manager, ​The Fern Brentwood Resort, Mussoorie, to search out out extra about the resort its menu choices, the vacation spot and enterprise development.

Travel Daily Media (TDM): Running a lodge in the hills is a pleasure however may be difficult as effectively. Kindly share with us the USP of  The Fern Brentwood Resort, Mussoorie.

Arindam C Bahel (ACB): The Fern Brentwood Resort, Mussoorie follows the ethos of Environmental sensitivity and offers discerning visitors “Hospitality with responsibility.” We are one in every of the few resorts in the hills that aside from offering our visitors with impeccable service and meals ship hospitality conserving in thoughts the setting. We are the first lodge in Mussoorie to introduce Alkaline water as an in-room amenity for all visitors -, we serve visitors with PH7.8 water totally sanitized, packed and sealed in glass bottles as an environmental initiative saving 60000 plastic bottles every year. The visitors are supplied with 2 bottles of water and refills as required.

We supply a novel “Breakfast in the Ancient Forest” – a guided morning stroll and Breakfast tour an interactive section the place the General Manager is your host. The stroll is a 2-hour exercise for the visitors who want to discover Mussoorie – the flora and historic websites. One can see the Uttarkashi and the Garhwal Chamoli snow-capped ranges from right here. We serve a full-course breakfast to Guests whereas telling them tales about native folklore from the hills.

We changed hazardous plastic and paper straws and have began utilizing FSSAI-approved, eco-friendly, protected & sustainable rice straws instead. Thus, drastically lowering single-use plastic and virgin paper consumption. We use pure unbleached napkins produced from 100% Agro Fiber Source – sugarcane waste, eliminating paper towels from our F&B areas fully. We use Solar water heaters that assist in conserving electrical energy and offering alternate power to warmth water for room utilization. This means we save roughly 80 to 100 items per day. We even have Rainwater harvesting tanks with a capability of 10 KL in the lodge for water conservation.

Sustainability is an ongoing apply however taking it a notch additional by creating new requirements of sustainable tourism coupled with wellness and the use of tech to make it seamlessly combine with the Indian custom of Atithi devo bhava is what we purpose at The Fern Brentwood Resort. Mussoorie.

TDM: How has enterprise been in the first seven months of 2024? What have been your Occupancies and RevPAR? What different ancillary companies have you ever been offering to develop the lodge backside strains?

ACB: The First 7 Months have by and huge been higher with a marginal improve in footfall and charges yielding a rise in Revenue by 16% since final yr identical interval. Occupancy is averaging at 66% and an ARR of INR 7500/ plus. This yr now we have consciously targeted on F&B and are internet hosting a sequence of meals festivals titled “ Flavours of India” the fourth instalment of which is able to begin from the 14^th of August that includes Pahadi delicacies. 

TDM: What are you doing to forge a mutually useful long-term partnership with your journey commerce companions?

ACB: Our journey commerce companions contribution have elevated over 3 years and the development has been exponential yr on yr have been at the moment they contribute 30 % of the general enterprise. They are our pillar of assist in the off season, and we do have preferential charges for them. We work on season and non-season charges being a hill station and the income development is a testomony to their growing religion in the model. 

TDM: Mussoorie is an attractive vacation spot, nonetheless it’s now prey to over-tourism. How do you suppose the state of Uttarakhand can decrease this menace?

ACB: Tourism performs a significant function in states like Uttarakhand, the place there’s a pure abundance of scenic places. Therefore, Tourism as a sector right here must be developed as an trade.

Creating a Master plan and planning forward for 15-20 years for the growth of infrastructure is the key which I’m positive the state tourism physique is trying into.

 TDM: Can you inform us a bit about Mussoorie as a vacationer locations, that are the locations price experiencing?

ACB: Mussoorie is a guests paradise Below are few locations of curiosity

• Mall Road – The excessive road of Mussoorie; with architectural proof of a colonial previous, it’s the purchasing promenade on the Mussoorie ridge. It comprises outlets, the well-known Tavern café and restaurant, online game parlours, a close-by Tibetan market place, and church buildings from Mussoorie’s historical past.
• Gun Hill – A scenic level at an altitude of two,024 m (6,640 ft) and at 30.4953°N 78.0745°E, and is accessed by cable automobile from the Mall highway. A cannon used to fireplace a shell to sound noon throughout the colonial previous therefore the identify. It is the second-highest spot after Lal Tibba.
• Camel’s Back Road – affords picturesque views connecting each ends of the mall. The highway, takes its identify from a rocky outcrop in the form of a camel’s hump. Awe inspiring Himalayan vistas  and tall Deodar timber abutting the Christian cemetery makes it a tranquil place to be one with nature.
• Landaur Lal Tibba and Char Dukan – The vibrant serene twin of the Queen of Hills, is a comparatively much less visited place although it has its personal old-world attraction. The Sisters Bazaar in Landour – Mussoorie is one such hidden gem that’s quick turning into a buzzword in journey circles. Char dukan- is a should go to place in your solution to Lal Tibba.

• Lal Tibba, additionally referred to as Depot Hill due to its former use as a army depot, is the highest level in Mussoorie, with views over the city and its environment. A Japanese telescope, with views of Himalayan ranges together with Badrinath, Kedarnath, Banderpunch, was put in at Lal Tibba in 1967. It is The total hill affords nice views alongside the well-known “8” stroll.
• The Kempty Falls, 12 m (40 ft) excessive and 1,400 m (4,500 ft) above sea stage, is 15 km (9.3 mi) from Mussoorie, accessed by trek from Kempty Fall Road.

• Yamuna Bridge Located round 25 kilometres away from Mussoorie, Yamuna Bridge is the place the place Yamuna cuts throughout the mountains. Famous for its enduring magnificence, Yamuna Bridge is a spot the place you may go for a quiet picnic with your family members. You also can attempt your hand at fishing and rafting right here.

• Mussoorie Lake – The newly developed Mussoorie Lake was constructed by City Board and Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority. The lake, offering pedal boats and views of Doon Valley and close by villages, is 6 km (3.5 mi) from Mussoorie on the Mussoorie-Dehradun highway.

• Bhatta Falls –Bhatta Falls are 7 km (4.5 mi) from Mussoorie on the Mussoorie-Dehradun Road close to the village of Bhatta. A ropeway connects the motorable highway to the falls under. Galogi powerhouse adjoining it was the first hidro electrical energy station of the nation.
• Happy Valley –Happy Valley lies on the western aspect of Library Point. The vacationer attraction contains Tibetan monasteries,  and the IAS Academy. On 20 April 1959 The Dalai Lama was welcomed by the Indian Prime minister Shri Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in Mussoorie and Happy valley was the place he resided till April 1960 when he relocated to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, the place the Central Tibetan Administration is at this time headquartered. It has a well-known Tibetan temple that one should go to.

• The Municipal Garden offers a synthetic mini-lake with paddle boats. It is 4 km (2.5 mi) by highway transport and a couple of km (1 mi) through Waverly Convent School highway on foot.

• The ancient Nag Devta Temple is devoted to Snake God Lord Shiva, It is on Cart Mackenzie Road about 6 km (3.5 mi) from Mussoorie on the highway to Dehradun. There is vehicular entry to the temple, which offers an impressive view of Mussoorie and the Doon Valley.

• Benog Wildlife Sanctuary –The sanctuary, about 6.3 km (3.9 mi) from Library Point and open to the public, offers a woodland habitat for indigenous birds, and animals.
• Sir George Everest House –located about 6 kms from Gandhi Chowk in Mussoorie and one in every of the main vacationer points of interest in Mussoorie which is secluded and peaceable. It affords spectacular views of the snow-clad Himalayan peaks and panoramic views of the Doon Valley and the Aglar River valley and the peaks of the Himalayan ranges on the different aspect. Built in 1832 it’s well-known for tenting, picnics and journey outings, One also can go to the Wishing effectively which is close by.
• Cloud End –surrounded by thick deodar forest. The bungalow, built-in 1838 by a British main, was one in every of the first 4 buildings in Mussoorie and has been transformed to a lodge. It obtained the identify as a result of it seems that the clouds have ended right here.
• Jwalaji Temple (Benog Hill) – At an altitude of two,240 m (7,350 ft) Jwalaji Temple is 9 km (5.5 mi) west from Mussoorie, and can’t be accessed by automobile though a motor highway goes most of the means from Mussoorie. It is at the high of Benog Hill and comprises an idol of the Goddess Durga; from the temple is a view of the valley of the Aglar River.

 TDM: What are the traits in hospitality in Uttarakhand?

ACB: Tourism in Uttarakhand in basic is seasonal as most location turn into inaccessible throughout monsoons and the useless of winter. Religious tourism is the main contributor however infrastructure in and round leisure locations nonetheless must be developed with the ever-increasing development in vacationers however in a sustainable means conserving in thoughts the fragility of the ecology of the place.