In the Swahili language, zuri means ‘far beyond expectation'. Keen to live up to this label is the Zuri White Sands, Goa Resort and Casino, which is a part of Zuri Group Global.

At first glance, the resort makes a graceful-villa-like impression. It takes a while for the vastness of the property — 38 acres — to sink in.

The interiors are tastefully done up and local foliage is used to exotic effect. The rooms are comfortable without being forbiddingly luxurious — the White Sands resort falls in the ‘lifestyle' category of the group's PLC philosophy (platinum, lifestyle and comfort luxury collections). The aim is to make the resort the customer's ‘preferred brand' of hospitality, much the way one would favour particular clothing or food brands. The pricing is on a day-to-day basis, but seasonal factors count too.

Our rooms (we are a press party on a familiarisation trip to the property) open out to a patio, giving a full view of the blue swimming pool meandering through the resort, its USP.

It's a delight to sit out early in the day or late in the evening and watch other guests stroll past — they seem relaxed and happy, which is possible only when one has that ‘everything is taken care of' feeling.

The young businessman who walked up to my patio for a little chat said he came to know of the resort through a happy chance — Zuri's corporate office was near his office in Bangalore and, voila , he decided to come here. Numerous buses and vans come up the driveway ever so often to disgorge excited visitors — many seem to be Russians.

Making the most of the pool is the Australian executive Gary Haddon, Director of Resource Recovery Victoria. He said it was his first visit here and he liked it.

That Goans are serious about food and fun is evident at Zuri. Be it dinner by the beach-side, breakfast at Zuri's pan-Asian restaurant, Sake, or dining by the well-stocked bar, there's music and dance, and the bubbly spirit of Goa. There's variety in food and entertainment too.

Executive Chef Yann is warm and articulate. He says he goes by visitors' preferences and seasonal factors too, while designing the menus. He would like to make Zuri menus lighter, with more fresh vegetables, and wants to plant his own garden. He favours sea food and Goan cuisine and looks to balance taste and nutrition.

As Priti Chand, Assistant Vice-President — Public Relations (PR) and Communication, Zuri Group Global, puts it, the role of the executive chef in a 5-star hotel, besides preparing food, is a lot of PR. Chef Yann could be seen moving around and meeting guests, encouraging them to try out this and that. He was on the job, all the time.

There was not a dull moment during our stay… summer was not upon us yet. Even the weather pitched in perfectly, with some rain highlighting the beauty of Colva Beach but stopping all too soon, allowing us to explore the shops in the area.

After White Sands, our hosts took us to another Zuri property, ‘The Retreat', at Benaulim. But not before a short visit to a spice plantation en route .

Wet or dry entry, it's your choice. The elephant waiting obligingly on the path to the plantation splashes visitors for a fee.

Vanilla, turmeric, ginger, different varieties of coriander (you'd swear it wasn't coriander at all), nutmeg (don't eat it when it's at this stage, you'll get intoxicated and behave like a tipsy monkey, we were warned) betel nut, clove, cinnamon (did you know that cinnamon - the bark - and bay leaf are from the same tree?) — the profusion of vegetation made it feel like a miniature spice planet. A wholesome lunch with a feni ‘snifter' rounded it off.

‘The Retreat' is another treat. Designed to give a feel of authentic Portuguese life, it falls into the ‘comfort' category of Zuri resorts. Its elegant exteriors are well-matched by a gracious charm within, and its facilities include the group's signature Maya Spa.

Hospitality is finally all about the people behind the property. The Zuri group is clear about this. That is the impression one gets after a chat with Priti.

How did the group fare during the economic slowdown that affected the hospitality sector drastically?

Priti says the company cross-transferred staff within its units to fill vacant positions. It also used the slowdown time to cross-train its team. This was a big motivation.

“We work very closely with national and international hospitality consultants on a regular basis who keep us updated on the latest trends and styles. This helps us make changes accordingly. We also have a Guest Satisfaction Tracking System which is very customer-specific and helps us know the tastes and preferences of all our customers,” she says.

Entertainment unlimited

As we ate dinner by the beach the first night, everything seemed laid back until the African Acrobats arrived. And then the scene rocked. Words cannot capture the high-voltage dance the four young men performed, turning sticks and stools into dexterous tools. They jumped in the air in arcs of energy; they dived low to the floor and wriggled out under impossibly low bars. The guests forgot to eat or drink in those pulsating 15 minutes or so.

If the acrobats caught us up in their energy field, the Illusionist, Edmondo, who entertained us the next day, cast a magical spell, pulling colourful balls out of empty shirt sleeves. As expectation rose that he would make the watch worn by a fellow journalist vanish, he did better — he changed the time setting on her watch merely by staring at it. She had to physically reset the time.

The card trick took the cake. He gave his visiting card to each of us and we could have sworn that it carried his image on one side when he gave it to us. When we held it up later, one side of the card was innocently blank.

On the third day, the limbo dancer at The Retreat, ably assisted by his son towards the end of the show, literally played with fire — dancing with it and even lapping up the flames with his tongue. He kept up a lively banter throughout, “Try doing what I do, it isn't difficult,” he kept saying. “It is difficult,” he smilingly acknowledged at last, as he watched us try to throw a flaming stick in the air and catch it.

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