The Dukes Retreat

The Dukes Retreat sits right on the Pune - Mumbai Road. If you've driven that way, you probably know the stretch of road well. It’s been here for quite some time, tucked into that hilly patch between the two cities. We spend a lot of our time looking out at the greenery, especially when the rains come and everything turns bright green. It’s a big old place, and there is always something that needs fixing or painting, which keeps the maintenance guys busy. We have people coming in from Mumbai mostly, just looking to get out of the city for a day or two. It’s a different pace of life up here compared to the highway traffic just outside. The rooms are what they are, and we try to keep the gardens looking decent enough for folks to walk around. We don't really have a big corporate office telling us what to do; we just run the place as best as we can with the staff we have. Some of the guys have been working here for years and know every corner of the property. It’s a lot of walking up and down the paths. We just provide a place to sit and watch the clouds or the traffic down on the road. It’s simple enough. We don't go in for much talk or fancy promises. We just keep the gates open and wait for the weekend rush to start.