While many may be moaning the influx of outsiders enjoying a major slice of the tourism pie in Goa, San Francisco Holiday Home, in Candolim, stands out for being a home designed by a Goan for tourists, of material that is durable.
The nine service apartments – within the vicinity of emerging luxury resorts in Candolim – reflect optimisation of space, cleanliness in every nook and corner, and as owner Bruno San Francisco, says, “is a home that keeps the guests within a space of safety.”
Service apartments took shape in Goa in the early 2000s and have been in vogue during, and after, the Pandemic. Elderly foreigners were the first to seek these out, occupying the apartments for three to six months at a stretch, and domestic tourists are only now enjoying the feel.
What differentiates San Francisco, says the owner of the Holiday Home, is the spirit of Goa, the goodness that flows through owner, Bruno, and the eccentricity of the interiors.
“I have hardly used wood because getting good carpenters is a problem. I select granite with designs and colours that fit into the overall concept of each apartment. Durability is the name of the game,” confesses San Francisco, whose tryst with tourism began by taking foreigners on tour in his jeep.
San Francisco does not need advertising, as foreigners, the main clients during the season, book in advance.
“I have had clients who have had to wait for five years to get an apartment,” San Francisco proudly admits.
“Once inside, the guest feels a direct connect with the place and Goa. We share a family vibe, and that is the reason why most guests want to book in advance,” confesses Bruno.
Service apartments, he believes, is a concept that lures retired foreign guests, retired Indian officers, Indian families and groups of bachelors or spinsters.
“Goa has become the Gulf of India. Food in restaurants is expensive, and that is why we see food carts all over. Many prefer to cook their own food and therein came the boom for service apartments,” reasons Bruno.
Space, colour combination and cleanliness are the hallmarks of each of the apartments that range between Rs 7,500 to Rs 12,000 a day in the peak season.
San Francisco started small, but thinks big in terms of service.
“I am very honest with my clients because I know what I offer. I recommend other places or request my clients to see other places because of my belief in my service,” says San Francisco, who hops between the Gulf and America in his free time.
“I cannot stay in Goa for too long, because after a while, I go mad and seeing and meeting other people helps me loosen up,” admits San Francisco as he oversees the house cleaning work.
“Tourists,” he believes, “will keep coming to Goa despite other Asian countries offering cheaper deals because no place can offer what Goa does – a welcome from the heart. We need money, but we are primarily a caring breed.”
As the rain batters Candolim, the tune of the hit song, Besame Mucho, floats through the property, and one gets the feeling of a home stay in a service apartment.
For reservations at the San Francisco Holiday Home service apartments, Candolim, contact +91 9970056676 or +91 9657309094