(Inside Anchorage 42: The Swanky Homestay Housed Within a Treasure Trove of Maritime History)
By Inder Raj Ahluwalia
CHANDIGARH| 2 NOVEMBER 2026
You know those small, quaint museums housed in homes…?
Well, how about a home housed in a museum…?
Call it Dan’s passion and dream! For that’s what it basically is. A passion-driven mission of Capt. Inderpreet Singh Dhanoa (Dan), who conceived, started, developed and completed this remarkable journey.
The result is ANCHORAGE 42, a top-quality homestay that is about as sophisticated and swanky as a heritage repository can be.
It is an oasis. Period. Hemmed in by lush foliage and towering leafy trees, the home is replete with global artifacts and artistic relics that make it a heritage pillar.
Turn a corner and you stumble onto priceless porcelain pieces, brass ornaments, hand-woven rugs or paintings.
Dominating this collector’s landscape is a plethora of naval and maritime objects, legacy to Dan’s long stint as a merchant navy sailor. From giant propellers to sturdy rudders, compasses, paintings, lamps and ship models, it’s an expose of the myriad objects found on ships.
The ground floor is given up for the family’s residence, and is an absolute artifacts repository. Canons, propellers, fish models, boats, compasses. You name it. Everything found on board ships is adorned on the walls, floors and cabinets. Topping things off is ‘The Mermaid Bar’.
The drawing room sports period furniture and a host of decorative items. The dining room is typical of a home.
The first and second floors are the primary homestay area, with 8 spacious rooms and baths- each different- a common lounge for the guests, a common terrace, period furniture and a collection of art objects.
Breakfast is served in a separate lounge, and guess what? This too is packed solid with period furniture, art objects, and paintings.
With a little prodding Dan revealed a bit about his past and the homestay’s origin. Exposed to art right from his schooling days, he started buying art pieces and built up a huge collection. This was a factor in starting a homestay. Using their knowledge of such establishments, he and his wife upgraded their own.
Several facets dictate their working, namely, providing full comfort to guests, room variety, and exposure to Indian art, culture and cuisine.
With all this happening on the ground, it isn’t surprising that their guests’ immense joy and satisfaction has propelled it to get top- rating.
( INDER RAJ AHLUWALIA IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED , MULTIPLE AWARD – WINNING TRAVEL JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR)
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