Sambaran Mitra's Travel pages, Trip activities, hotel reviews, photos & videos

About Me

The age is fake.

Sambaran Mitra
Male, Age Range: 55 +, India

GRT Nature Trails Yercaud
6		rating
205 People reviewed this Hotel View all reviews

Rating explanation: Destination: Yercaud is a beautiful hill station with jungles. There are not... .. Rating explanation: Destination: Yercaud is a beautiful hill station with jungles. There are not many 'formal' tourist attractions and I liked it that way. The quiet hill ambience is attraction enough. Location of Hotel: The location is the prime attraction of the hotel. Since the hotel is built on the slope, there is a fantastic view from the balconies. The pool-side rooms will see more of forest and the rest will see more of the valley. Boking and front-office: Bookings & front office is okay. Not bad, but nothing exceptional either. Service: The Service was a mixed bag. We had to call repeatedly over couple of hours to get our used-plates taken away. The hotel later clarified that we can keep the used plates outside the room. However, when we ordered food or drinks, delivery was prompt. So overall I do not feel very bad about their service. Delivering food to hungry souls is much more important than cleaning up left-overs. The Room : Our room (704, pool view) had a minimalist decor about it. There was minimum possible amount of furniture which I liked. It left a lot of empty floor space which gave a very spacious feel. The wi-fi access was almost absent in the room. I went out to the play area to get access. The web surfing was very slow. I am not sure whether it is the wi-fi connection or my primitive-handheld that needs to be blamed. Mobile connection was completely absent (airtel and vodafone) and I cherished this freedom. Food: Food & drink was okay. The breakfast buffet was nicely spread. I would have liked more of non-veg and continental items but won't make a big issue of it. The same could be said about lunch and dinner items. Activities: My favourite activity was to sit on the balcony and stare at the forest and valley. The prime attraction of the hotel is a terrace garden overlooking the valley. The terrace garden has a big lawn, glass bottomed balconies and delightfully placed benches. One can enjoy the entire evening just watching the changing colours of the sky till sunset. The way Salem city lights up in the evening, is a treat to watch. Hotel has arrangements for more energitic activities too and that is where difference of opinion crops up. There is this hyper-active event of bonfire and dance and music for 2 hours in the evening. People with quite taste may not like it. Eco-maniacs may resent the intense sound pollution of pristine natural ambience.However couple of hours of noise did not seem a big issue to me. The guests, who danced and shouted their way to glory seemed to enjoy like hell. The hotel might consider hosting the party in closed banquet halls so that freedoms of both the parties (freedom to make noise and freedom to enjoy silence) is maintained. More » « Hide

Go to Review »

Sandesh The Prince Mysore
4.4		rating
29 People reviewed this Hotel View all reviews

We were slightly disappointed. Front-office, room quality and buffet was good enough. However... .. We were slightly disappointed. Front-office, room quality and buffet was good enough. However service had room for improvement. The minibar had stocks with seal broken. Menu and folders in the room had food spilt over them. That indicated that good job was not done after previous guest's checkout. The comb was dusty and dirty. All-in all there was a feeling of neglect from hotel's part. We visited the place in May 2012. In spite of the above drawbacks, I still found the overall experience positive. My apprehension is that if it is not taken care of right away, the hotel will go downhill in the future. More » « Hide

Go to Review »

Turtle on the Beach Kovalam
6.2		rating
19 People reviewed this Hotel View all reviews

We stayed for 4 nights in August 2011. Our intention was relaxation with no must-see-itinerary.... .. We stayed for 4 nights in August 2011. Our intention was relaxation with no must-see-itinerary. Eat, swim, eat, sleep, stroll-by-beach, eat, sleep was the kind of routine in mind. Turtle on the beach fit that bill perfectly. Sea was nearby. Walking down to the sea was easy and fun. Walking up was steep and strenuous but we used that to help our digestion. Food in the hotel was pricey but it surely was tasty. Breakfast buffet was great. A-la-carte dishes were tasty as well. Pool was clean and had a fantastic view to the sea. Rooms had balcony as well as sea facing glass-walls. While falling asleep we watched the lights of fishing boats deep into the sea, twinkling like fire-flies. We woke up to the sight of rolling waves every morning. More » « Hide

Go to Review »

Arcadia Regency Hotel Alappuzha (Alleppey)
6.1		rating
19 People reviewed this Hotel View all reviews

The hotel is located 3-4 km within railway station. The hotel is advertised as a city hotel, so... .. The hotel is located 3-4 km within railway station. The hotel is advertised as a city hotel, so do not expect a breathtaking view from windows. The appearance, cleanliness and hygiene is excellent. I should say the cleanliness and hygiene (as of March 2009) is comparable to the best anywhere in world. The value-for-money for this hotel is solid. More » « Hide

Go to Review »

Shanthi Guest House Hampi
5.7		rating
24 People reviewed this Hotel View all reviews

Hampi is a nice combination of historical ruins and natural beauty. Hence the destination is... .. Hampi is a nice combination of historical ruins and natural beauty. Hence the destination is rated 7 star. The guest house is on other side of river. Rustic ambience. About 5 to 10 minutes walk. So pared down the star rating to 6. Personally I would have liked to go with seven but then I am an \'easy to satisfy\' customer. The appearance is very serene and rural. Would have liked to give a 7 here too but let us get realistic. A Taj hotel will also get a 7. It is an overstatement to call the booking place as a booking \'office\'. See it for yourself to appreciate this comment. However, whatever you choose to call the booking \'office\', it is just right for the purpose. Hence going with maximum rating on booking/front-office experience. Due to almost full booking status during peak season, the service is a little slow. However when the \'service\' is finally done, it leaves little room for complaints. Most of the rooms are straw covered cottages. Nice swings \'jhulas\' outside every room. However, straw covered roofs are not everybody\'s cup of tea. Bathroom is also small and wet. Could have been a little drier. Hence pared the rating down to 5. Food and drink are really good, quality wise. Sometimes it seems funny to get such an extensive range of exotic international food in such a quiet rural ambience. However, the prices are as high as you will get in big cities like bangalore. Thanks to the huge number of firangi (read foreign) tourists. There is not much to do on activities front inside the guest house. If you go there with a crowd, you can all sit together and have a nice chat after it gets dark. I personally enjoyed lying down on the jhula and grazing at the clear night sky for hours together. There is no river backwater within 500 metres of the guest house. So effectively there is no waterfront experience. More » « Hide

Go to Review »