Apr 17, 2009 02:41 PM
4639 Views
(Updated Apr 17, 2009 02:47 PM)
Just like anyone else these days, I googled extensively for a hotel that is unique and gives value for money. I freezed Umaid Mahal after reading enough reviews on the net and seeing the glossy pictures on the hotel's website.
Well, if one can bring up some antique looking furniture pieces and chandeliers, throw in a couple of black&white pictures of royals, add some color to the ceiling and walls and call it heritage.this is the one(kitsch heritage as I call it)! Okay, the exterior looks a sort of heritage, but that's about it.
The owner promises personal service on the net and conviniently disappears when the guests check in. We checked in at about 11.30 and the person at the reception was really cold(probably that was his way of cooling down the clients in the hot weather). The reception is congested, hardly enough seating if two families check in together.The formalities were completed and we were asked to go with the bell boy to the Royal suite we had booked. The house keeping boy comes in after 10 minutes to clean the bathroom and conveniently forgets to stack the towels.
The buffet is definitely worth mentioning, hardly anything suitable for the Indian palette except for some greasy samosas. The fruits were stocked up only after the request.
The hotel is probably made for some one who is looking for a heritage experience without having to shell out a bomb. Ignore the dusty plastic plants, dinghy staircase, uncleaned pool, soggy breakfast, and care-a-damn service, you will surely like the place. But if you are someone who is looking for a real heritage experience, it is better to pay two days worth the amount for one night on a real heritage place and enjoy the experience of being a royal.
Anyways, we decided to cut short the booking from two days to one after seeing the service and checked out the following day.
Moral of the story: Pay up for an authentic experience rather than a cheap clone!
