KOCHI: Woodlands vegetarian hotel was a go-to place for every Kochiite, including film stars and writers. The landmark eatery, has, however, been struggling with mounting debt. “The owners of the hotel have been reeling under financial crisis for a while. They are still trying to raise funds through their close circles to avoid confiscation of the property,” said a source.
The latest development is the demand notice issued by the City Union Bank for defaulting on Rs 2 crore loans taken by the partners. “We have issued the notice to fast track the process,” said a bank official.T Jayachandran, the founder of CICC Book House, who put up a Facebook post on the matter, pointed out that the hotel has been the lifeline of the cultural circles of the city.
“It is immensely painful to learn that the hotel is nearing the end of its line. Ramchandra Rao, who came to Kochi from Mangaluru, established the hotel. It was later rebuilt into the multi-storey New Woodlands Hotel. People from all walks of life used to have the hotel’s signature masala dosa and poori masala. When weddings were held at TDM Hall, it was a routine for people to stay at Woodlands,” he remembers.
Plateful of memories
Writer K L Mohana Varma, who celebrated his 85th birthday on Monday, commented under the post, reminiscing his memories of the hotel.
“My first visit to Ernakulam was in 1954 as a member of the SD College cricket team, to play in the north zone final intercollegiate cricket tournament held by University of Travancore. We stayed at Woodlands Hotel for three days. Thousands of memories and experiences I have had there since then are part of the person I am. Many of my novel characters were given the active background of our dear Woodlands,” he wrote.
Though the area the hotel is located in is now known as Jos Junction, it used to be known as Woodlands Junction, says Jayachandran.
“The new building was constructed when I was studying at SRV school. During book festivals organised at Marine Drive, writers like ONV Kurup and Sugatha Kumari used to stay here. Upon seeing my Facebook post, many are planning to reach out to the partners with support,” he said.
The prevailing pandemic-induced crisis has claimed many landmark structures and facilities in the state. Bestotel Kottayam, another historic hotel, will close down on August 31.