Mandwa, Alibaug. Just 7 mins from the jetty…

I checked with a woman and kid as I walked down Mhatre Phata for ‘Casa Commodore’ a hotel that’s in the lane they were walking down, but all I got was a blank face. Though easy to find, keep the number handy as locals don’t seem to know the hotel’s name but the owners…

As one approaches the house, pink bougainvilleas welcome you and through them one can see the dry land on either side. I can only imagine it in the monsoons, must be lush green and brimming with wild plants and weeds that sprout just during those months and fill up empty land like air fills all spaces.

You walk into a pretty house with yellow granite floors, that seem to remind one of sandstone but don’t seem to be! (need to check on this) and dark brown wooden furniture. There isn’t too much furniture to feel overwhelmed but at the same time not empty and characterless – a charming balance. An intimate setting but also shows space.

This is not really a hotel, and not a homestay – the owner doesn’t live here. But its a farmhouse that’s been converted into a hotel. So has a non-hotel look with all hotel conveniences!

There are 3 and a ½ bedrooms (will explain in a bit), a cozy kitchen, an open dining area, two living rooms – one with sofas and another with floor seating and a ceiling light. There is a swimming pool that is ample and surrounded by trees! A spa to pamper oneself, but it cannot be an impulsive decision as the therapist comes in from Mumbai.

There is an outside kitchen that is the main cooking area. The in-house kitchen is for tea and coffee. The chefs are from UP, Bihar and Kolkata. One can get food from across India and International cuisines like Italian, Chinese. There is no fixed menu, you just need to order and if they have the ingredients, voila it’s on your plate!

The chefs claim ‘continental’ food is their forte… so i indulged in pasta. Ordered for pesto pasta (which I thought would be green – as that’s the default pesto, but it was actually red), a red and yellow pepper salad with onions and an ice tea! And of course followed up with the good ol’ chocolate brownie. A good meal, enough to make me want to sleep immediately. Though the pesto was like a nice north Indian sabzi, I was fishing for the penne in the sea of oil… ok maybe not that bad!

There are two rooms on the ground floor. Both rooms have different looking toilets, but the rest is the same. One room overlooks the front lawn and has a verandah area to sit outside. And the other overlooks the swimming pool. But Room 1 has a nicer bathroom, better than Room 2! There is a room on the first floor. This is actually just one room but has three beds and a door in-between.  The circular bed adds a touch of romance… though could be weird for a bunch of friends! Ideal for a family with kids.