Dear most expensive hotel in Mahabaleshwar,
You were our chosen partner to end the year 2021.
We were excited after seeing all the amazing photos on internet. It felt like just the perfect choice, after paying a Lakh plus for three nights.
All excited, we traveled the winding roads, to your address. The welcome was nice, check-in was smooth. And the premises definitely looked worth the cost, until we reached the room. Firstly, we were allocated the wrong room, and secondly, the room was so small. Since the hotel has many activities, we motivated ourselves out of the room to explore other areas. We were pleasantly surprised to see one of the best pools and manicured lawns. But then came the play area.
Of your two recreation centers, one had games for kids – Family Room & another one, lead to the swimming pool, and indoor games like carrom and snooker. The ‘Family Room’ particularly was in bad shape. Cracked walls, faded paints, and that smell of moisture, we didn’t feel like leaving the kids there.
Then came the restaurants. Of all the four restaurants, we tried two – Chingari & Latest Recipe. And found the preparations average. Chingari is strictly by reservation, and trust me, you can do much better. Barring the Beetroot Galauti, which was truly amazing, other recipes need a stronger dash of northern flavors. Then comes… the everyday breakfast venue – Latest Recipe. The restaurant had the most amazing staff, very prompt and polite, but so much in haste. I was surprised to see one of the most hassled teams trying to serve the everyday complimentary meal. The staff was rushing from one corner to another at a firefighting pace. With the white pristine interiors of the restaurant, the mood of the restaurant just doesn’t match.
After the day’s madness, we returned to the room. The hotel only had floor mattresses for extra beds. So, we were given two-floor mattresses, which felt like a rat trap, since kept folding from the middle stitch line. On day two, we got the room we had booked for. Voila, this was room number 801, on the ground floor, with a strong stench of the moist and leaking washroom. I am sure the housekeeping staff of that wing would still remember my face since I met them six times in two days. The hotel doesn’t seem to have vacuums, so every time floor once wiped, would be left to dry on its own, which wouldn’t happen in Mahabaleshwar weather. The washroom curtain had mold all over it.
Finally, I realized, that it’s better to keep the balcony door open, to let the air circulate. But that didn’t help either, because the nighttime temperature in Mahabaleshwar dropped to as low as 14 degrees during our stay.
My parting note would be… spice up your recipes. Renovate the rooms. Get more efficient housekeeping staff. Do give an extra bonus to your team at Latest Recipes.
Love. Respect. Concern.
Princy Jain