The other Kingfisher Villa

“It has become a usual thing for us, but we continue to tell tourists that we don’t have anything to do with Mallya or their companies,” said Linda.

She says mostly it is the brand name that drives curious callers to contact their hotel since it is available for booking online.

“Media on the other hands wants to just confirm if it is true. Is Mr. Mallya is really letting out his property, Is it really available for on rent,” said Linda.

According to her husband Ashok, the name was inspired by his previous boat business ‘Kingfisher’.

“We thought the ‘Kingfisher Villa’ would make a great name for a hotel. Therefore it was a unanimous choice and we went with it,” he said.

Moreover, Linda adds that it has been over 15-years since they named the hotel as ‘Kingfisher Villa’ whereas Mallya’s property came up only later.

“We don’t intend to change the name. The hotel will continue under the ‘Kingfisher Villa’ name,” Linda says.

Although ‘Kingfisher Villa’ pales in comparison to the 3-acre Mallya property, Linda says her guests always have complimented the accommodation during their stay.

Beside the calls, the couple also receive deliveries that are originally intended for Mallya’s villa.

“I can understand the callers, they may be not familiar with Goa, but how can the delivery guys or suppliers miss to read the entire address — both Candolim and Arpora are 10-KM apart,” Ashok said.