Shruti by Luxunlock Private Villas

First things first - the service by the two staff members Manimekalai and Sakthivel is beyond exceptional. They were so warm that they really made us feel like family, not guests. And that in itself is a very special feeling. Everything from cooking homely food and upkeep of the place to warm conversations and taking us around the nearby agraharam was perfect with the two of them. The place itself is quite upmarket and lives up to the name of the brand Luxunlock. There are just two spacious old-world housing units (aka rooms) in the backyard of a brahmin agraharam house, that have been very tastefully renovated with modern comforts while retaining the charm of a bygone era. Both rooms are poshly furnished with all modern amenities, clean white bed linen, spotless towels and excellent toiletries. Easy accessibility to Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Tranquebar and a host of temple towns nearby makes this an ideal destination for your family or couple or even a solo holiday. The host in charge of the place Madhan Babu is also quite helpful providing insights about the region. If you're lucky, you'll even get to see peacocks walking around with gay abandon and if you're less lucky like yours truly, you'll definitely hear their loud unique cries all around! Areas of improvement are a better pricing for the lunch and dinner menu (800/- per person for lunch and 650/- per person for dinner are not reasonable), offering greater flexibility and freedom to choose the menu and possible steps to reduce the insect load (tough due to the location; not a problem for me but could be for others). Look absolutely no further than Shruti Villas if a Tamilnadu village stay with comforts and fantastic personalized service in the land of temples is what you seek!