ZEE JLF 2019: Welcome to home stays – A home away from home

With Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) knocking at our gates, major hotels are almost booked, with tourists and literature lovers headed to the city. But fret not if you don’t get to lodge in one of the recommended hotels due to lack of rooms. One of the perks of attending the book festival is that locals have smartened up to business opportunities that it throws at them, one of the most lucrative being home stays. 

Several attendees, many of them regulars at the festival, prefer to book home-stays around Diggi Palace instead of checking into a posh hotel. The home stays are a convenient way to find a living space and to experience more of the local flavour without feeling like an outsider or coming across as a loner. We spoke to some of the residents to find out how home stays are mushrooming around the city and the places where you can book your stay for the upcoming visit to JLF. 

People had apparently started booking for the Jaipur Literature Festival around 6-8 months back. “We get bookings for JLF every year. It’s like people come for JLF and book for next year, in advance. This year too we have a few bookings from several  attendees who will be here for the literature festival,” says Capt SK Singh, owner of Girisadan Home Stay. 

The average going rate for home stays is around Rs1500-Rs2000 per night which is fairly reasonable compared to the regular hotels. Some of the top-end home stays come with wi-fi and exclusive residency where you don’t need to share your lodging with anyone. It’s pricey, but a good option if you’re travelling with family and pets.  

“We are offering a room and breakfast, free wi-fi and other meals on request. Double occupancy with breakfast is available for Rs 2999,”  Singh whose property is 2 km away from Diggi Palace, said. 

Another homestay, All Season Homestay, which is approximately 2 km from the festival venue, is available for booking. “We have started  getting bookings for JLF. Some are new, while others have already booked with us in past. We offer room with everything, including television, heater and hot water for Rs 2000-3000 for double occupancy. If someone wants to have meal with us, they can put in a request. It is a chargeable service,” said Rajana Goyal, owner of the home stay. 

There are only two rooms left in Civil Lines based Le Pension Heritage Villa. “We are almost book for JLF this time. We offer rooms between Rs2000-3000 with all the basic amenities. We provide veg thali on request for extra charges,” said Shantanu, channel manager of the Le Pension chain. 

For girls looking for a homestay, Daughter’s Home is available for the festival dates. Other homestays are Anand Homestay, Naindivi Homestay, Raika’s Home, Laiba Homestay, Anu Shree Girls Home, among others.

The smartphone savvy can book the home stays on Airbnb and Oyo. Both online platforms allow you to select your kind of stay and make payments online. Their range is also huge from just 700 rupees a night to over 10,000 rupees a night stay at ultra luxury resorts that practically offer you a maharaja lifestyle at their sprawling properties.

WHERE YOU CAN LODGE

• The home stays are a convenient way to find a living space and to experience more of the local flavour without feeling like an outsider or coming across as a loner. 
   
• The average going rate for home stays is around Rs1500-Rs2000 per night which is fairly reasonable compared to the regular hotels. Some of the top-end home stays come with wi-fi and exclusive residency where you don’t need to share your lodging with anyone. 
   
• The smartphone savvy can book the home stays on Airbnb and Oyo. Both online platforms allow you to select your kind of stay and make payments.