Who are the 'people' of a hotel chain? Is it the staff and management, the waiters and room service folks, the chefs and the gardners? Of course, it must start with that.
But what of the fisherman at the beach who responds to your tentative nod with a face- splitting smile? The tribal girl harvesting pepper in an organic garden? The temple dancer who performs for your entertainment? We know that on holiday, everyone you meet is an intrinsic part of your experience.
And so, just as our destinations reflect the land and the culture, so do the people you meet there.

Many of our staff are local people, born and brought up within a stone's throw of our properties. So not only do they know the land and the culture intimately, they are deeply concerned about preserving them both.
They undergo, not the rigid graded programmes so often followed by large chains, but a simple, practical discipline that we've evolved ourselves. They learn from their seniors, in a manner that echoes India's ancient 'gurukul' system. It, somehow, allows a naturally hospitable people to be their naturally hospitable selves.
There are no practiced smiles at CGH. We sincerely hope that will never happen! What use is a job if you don't enjoy it enough to be able to even smile spontaneously?

Allow us to introduce ourselves.We're the Dominics, and we're to be your hosts if you visit a CGH Earth property.Perhaps you'd like to know a little bit about us?

CGH Earth was founded by our father, Dominic Joseph Kuruvinakunnel on the harbour island of Willingdon, in Cochin, Kerala.
What started out in 1957 as the Casino Restaurant, catering to the dock workers and commuters of Willingdon Island, evolved into the familiar Casino Hotel, then into The Casino Group, and now finally, CGH Earth.

Standing, l to r: Jose, Babu, Thomas, Michael, Siddharth, George. Seated: Dominic Sr., Thangamma.

Today, we have nine diverse destinations that capture the many moods of Kerala, Southern India and the Lakshwadeep Islands. (There are several more on the anvil, but we believe good things can't be hurried. It took us more than two years just to restore our Kalari Kovilakom property.)
As a family, we share a deep commitment towards a new kind of aware and responsible tourism. And you cannot rush that. By keeping things in the family, we can also keep them family-like. And by staying small, we can get to know you better..
At a CGH Earth property, Nature is the chief architect. We believe we are, by our very presence, obliged to preserve and celebrate the cultural heritage and natural environment of any place we invite you to experience.

It's been our privilege to play host to scores of travelers who share these values. We've learned much from them, and (so they tell us), given them experiences to cherish.
So welcome to our world, as it is reflected on this website. We hope it conveys some sense of the authenticity of experience we've always strived to bring, to the life of the aware independent traveler.

--warm regards

The Dominic Family

We celebrate the connections between old and new, between hospitality and tradition, between ancient cultures and the modern world, between man and his environment.

Even the new name represents a connection. As CGH Earth, we look relentlessly into the future.
Yet remaining firmly rooted in our past.