Gargi Guha

Goa has never struggled to fill its hotel rooms. The vast coastline, hot, wet jungle, gorgeous resorts and sunset parties ensure it remains India's premier tourist destination, with nothing threatening its place on the podium. I’ll tell you something, though. It’s not just the pristine beaches and luxury hotels that keep Goa on top. It’s the fact that the hospitality industry here hasn’t fallen into the trap of smug complacency. As tourist numbers grow, so do their preferences. And guess what? Goa’s keeping up. Increasingly, that means looking beyond the clinical luxury of five-star hotels. Somewhere between the check-in queue and the buffet breakfast, travellers are seeking something more personal. The anti-hotel, if you will. What is an anti-hotel? It’s easy-going. Unstructured. Homely. And what's more, it’s private. As an ex-hotelier with a track record in classic luxury hotels, this, I notice, is a clear departure from the predictable. Why ditch the big chains? Forty-one-year-old Prema, a senior exec from Chennai, knows a thing or two about needing a break. ‘Spending a few days in Goa’s the easiest way to beat corporate stress. A cousin or two joins me from here or there, and because the idea’s to relax completely, we make sure to stay away from the branded hotels,’ she says. For her, a premium villa may come with a pricier tag, but the personal touch is more than worth it. One such stay’s the Hacienda de Bastora, in the quaint Bastora village in North Goa. The property’s