Country Club Kovalam Beach — Hotel in Kerala

As a part of our Kerala trip (January 2013), we stayed in this hotel. From the pictures, it seemed a great place to be but we were very disappointed.

Locaiton: The hotel is located near one of the most popular beaches, Ashok beach. But don't be misguided as some reviews say, it's a "private beach". It's not a private beach. It's completely public crowded beach. It takes around 200-300m walk to reach the beach. The path is not well maintained either. It stinks and dirty. Because of that you can't visit the beach in the night even if you want to. The rooms aren't well maintained either. The look very old and in need of maintenance. While checking out, I even heard some guests complaining about bugs/cockroaches found in their room.The nearby property, KTDC Samudra, is much better managed than this.

Service: This was probably the worst part of the stay. The room we were provided was stinking until they had to use air freshener. The hot water wasn't coming in the bathroom. The housekeeping came and kept repairing for an hour, when we were wasting our time there just waiting. After which he told us that we'd have to shift the room. The new room had the same stinking. After some time, the A/C started leaking in the new room. The shower wasn't working well and in spite of requests, it was never fixed until we left. Overall, killed our experience.

Food: We opted for MAP plan (includes breakfast and dinner). From the looks of it, the buffet had variety, but overall the food was not satisfying at all. If there is one good item, rest assured, it'd be empty at the table. Most of the standard food like corn flakes, were of below par quality.

Overall, during our stay one of their representatives was asking us to opt for Country Club membership. After such a poor service, I doubt anyone would go for...

Visited End of November 2021 The property was not maintained after the lockdown. They should have taken all the steps to clean the property when they decided to open up for tourists. Even after 4 months of tourism back to normal, they have not maintained the property well.

Pros:

Good location and nice ambience Service guys and cleaning staffs were responing properly

Cons:

The moment I stepped in to the room, it was a great disappointment. The room was stinkig and the towels was not clean at all. The white towel had turned brown (I asked for room spray and next day, requested them thorough cleaning which was done right. And towels were better. But I still wonder why had they provided that stained towel in the beginning)

The food was a nightmare. Ordered friedrice, Pooribhaji, gheeroast and biriyani a. Friedrice was overcooked and not tasty b. Breakfast for poori bhaji and ghee roast it took them 1 hour and 15 minutes to deliver and all the food was cold AF c. Above all, the price was rocket high. (I came to know that their old chef is not with them, currently they are running with a temperory arrangement. Why they have to charge for something which is not even half worthy d Biriyani they bought from outside, they said since it was not available with them, still they charged their menu price

There were many insects, centipede within the room (Picture attached). I even got stinged by an insect from the pool.

Sanitarywares within bathroom was not at all clean anf was broken. Shower was damn dirty and we dont even feel to switch them on. Dirt particles was coming through tap

None of the intercomm was working

Verdict I don't recommend visiting them, unless they are ready for...

Overall Rating: ★★★½ (3.5/5 stars)

Positive Highlights:

1. Restaurant Staff: Exceptional customer service from the restaurant team. The staff were consistently friendly, helpful, and created a welcoming atmosphere.

2. Dining Experience: Good food quality and generous portions that satisfied guest expectations.

3. In-Room Dining: Standout service that deserves special recognition. The in-room dining team demonstrated professionalism and attentiveness.

4. Room Accommodation: Spacious room with a generously sized bed and all basic amenities provided, ensuring a comfortable stay.

Areas for Improvement:

1. Pool Maintenance: While the pool area is visually appealing, it lacks depth and requires immediate attention to cleanliness. The presence of bird droppings around pool borders indicates a need for daily cleaning and maintenance.

2. Resort Information: The resort's website appears outdated. Critical information, such as the spa being non-operational, was not communicated in advance, which can lead to guest disappointment.

Detailed Observations:

Hospitality: ★★★★½ (4.5/5) Food and Dining: ★★★★ (4/5) Room Comfort: ★★★★ (4/5) Facility Maintenance: ★★½ (2.5/5) Information Transparency: ★★ (2/5)

Recommendations for Management:

1. Implement daily pool area cleaning protocols
2. Update website with current resort amenities and services
3. Communicate operational status of facilities like the spa before guest check-in

Conclusion: A pleasant stay with friendly service, good food, and comfortable accommodation, slightly marred by maintenance issues and...