This small hotel that started out to cater to port visitors in Willingdon Island, Kochi, in the 1950s has now evolved into an unusual experiment in tourism. Widely known today for its respect for nature and local cultures around which its singular travel experiences are spun, CGH Earth is one in kind.
CGH Earth conceives and organises truly remarkable travel experiences over multiple destinations in southern India. A family owned enterprise, the group began its operations in 1954 with their flagship property, the Casino Hotel, in Willingdon Island, Kochi.
Over time this small seed has spawned a cluster of fine hotels in southern India that are a toast to the land and its people, as much as to the creative spirit of its visionaries. Together, they celebrate a soaring imagination and a refined aesthetic that gives all these properties their distinctive character.
Core Values
Every CGH Earth experience rests on certain fundamental principles that together define their core values. They are :
- Being one with the local ethos
CGH Earth believe in a participatory ethos that draws insights and inspiration from the people and cultures where they are present.
- Caring for the environment
CGH Earth consciously remember to touch nature with sensitive hands and respect the ecosystems that support them.
- Working with local communities
CGH Earth are aware that local communities are a part of the social fabric that bind them. They reach out to them in numerous ways that include employment and a host of social, economic and cultural interactions that mutually benefit and strengthen ties between them.
Home is where the heart is
Their people are their best brand ambassadors. There are no practiced smiles at CGH Earth. What you see is what you actually get, which is touching warmth, a deep understanding and an enduring graciousness!
The local people of their destinations are a mixed and diverse lot, just like humans anywhere. But they are united in a common passion, which is the love they have for the lands, coasts, mountains, rivers and villages where they abide.The pride they feel in their world is real, as is their joy in introducing you to its beauty and mysteries. They welcome you not as a visitor but as a guest into their homes. For that is how they see you, just like we do too!
Responsible Tourism and CGH Earth
CGH EARTH’s business model is based on sustainable and responsible tourism. Every thought and action is born out of this commitment to the environment and the local communities where it operates. The experiential character of its holidays does homage to nature and engages closely with local people and their cultures.
This significant aspect of taking responsibility for the environment and its people forms the backbone of the group’s vision as it grows and expands into new geographic areas across the country with an awareness that is as inclusive as it is expansive. This unique identity has been termed ‘the Indian consciousness’, being characterised by those aspects that distinctly make up the Indian soul – variety, beauty, simplicity and caring! These core values are the ideological pillars that give substance to its dreams. They also manifest in a hundred visible ways inspiring and influencing daily actions on the ground. Over the years this boutique hotel chain has created 16 unique properties across Southern India, each a distinct experience unto itself.
CGH Earth sees itself as a curator of extraordinary experiences that arise from its intimate bonding with nature and community. This undoubtedly lies at the heart of its specialness, making for holidays that are uplifting and transforming. They endorse that less can be more and that true luxury is an experience rooted in simplicity and soul, transcending mere form and ostentation.
Also Read: Neeleshwar Hermitage: A Transformative experience
