Pesioner & Director,Hotel Paradise

Pesioner & Director, Hotel Paradise. This is a small place run by Col. B S Guleria (Retd) out here in Arla, which is near Palampur. It’s not like those big city hotels you see in magazines. We are nestled in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Being a retired Colonel, the owner likes things to be orderly, but it’s still a very relaxed and homely environment. The air up here in Palampur is fresh, and you can see the mountains clearly on most days. We get guests who are looking for some peace and quiet away from the noise of the main towns. The hotel is in Arla Teh, so it’s a bit of a drive, but most people don’t mind once they see the greenery. We don’t have a huge team of people. It’s more of a family-style operation where everyone chips in. We spend a lot of time looking after the garden and making sure the rooms are aired out. Sometimes the monkeys come around, which can be a bit of a headache, but that’s just life in the hills. We serve simple food, the kind you’d eat at home. People come here to walk in the tea gardens or just sit on the porch with a book. It’s a quiet life, and we like it that way. We aren’t trying to compete with the big resorts; we just offer a bit of paradise. It is a humble place, and we hope people like it for that.