Jan 01, 2008 02:03 AM
2195 Views
This hotel gave us a feeling of the word "complete" when we left. I can safely call it a true value for money.
Rooms:
Tarriff varies with the lowest being 650 (non ac double room, excluding taxes). Good number and varieties of rooms. Negative - No breathtaking views. Positive - Location.
*Amenities:
*All the big and small things are taken care of. We got all the toiletries (including shampoo), morning newspapers, mosquito mats, a new year greeting card(!), without having to ask for anything. We didn't have to remind anyone. In fact, we simply hung the "Please clean my room" sign on our doorknob before going out and everything was taken care of. We saw a huge staff at work, especially the laundry/housekeeping one. Everything was sparkling clean and functioning. There is a working elevator. The restaurant and reception are conveniently located. Don't expect swimming pools, pool tables etc.
*Service:
* Room service, housekeeping was efficient. They start their kitchens at 7 am so don't expect a 24 hour service, though we found it comfortable enough. The restaurant is open till midnight. Of course hot water and cable (TV) is available 24 7. Now how much is hot water useful in a hot city like Cochin is a subjective matter.
They have a travel desk but it only serves the purpose of giving information. They don't take the risk of booking long trips/tickets, perhaps because of the crowd. I have heard that they do it completely in the off season. They do book cars for short trips, like the airport anytime though.
They have a laundry service at a very reasonable cost. Clothes given in the morning can be expected back in the evening.
Restaurant:
They call theirs as "Exotica". The menu has variety, and we (including other guests) were all happy to find North Indian and Continental food apart from the South Indian dishes on the list, at a fair enough price (not as cheap as a few nearby restaurants in MG road). To give you an idea, their unlimited Buffet lunch costs 99 Rs (+ Tax of course) and includes a soup, 3 varieties of Veggies/Dal (if you are a Veggie), 3 varieties of Non Veg dishes, 2 varieties of Rice, Chapatis, Papad and Payasam. I didn't find their snacks this fairly priced though. Pakoras, Idlis for 30-35?
Location:
I found the location of this Hotel very good. I can say that this is located in the heart of Cochin. MG road, Ernakulam south. 2 mins walk from Cochin hospital. The station is hardly a 5 mins ride away. The ST bus depot is a 10 mins ride away, and the nearest bus stop is right across the street. Cochin's public transport is also convenient and the availability of an Auto in the night compliments the hotel's services.
Overall very satisfied by the experience and I will definitely recommend this hotel for the common traveler.
