Bougainvillea Resort by Vibescapes — Hotel in Maharashtra

A Disastrous Stay at Bougainvillea Resort Mulshi – A Complete Letdown!

Our stay at Bougainvillea Resort Mulshi was nothing short of a nightmare. We booked their most expensive pool villa for Rs 24,000 for two weekday nights, expecting a luxurious, 5-star experience. Instead, we were met with sheer incompetence, apathy, and a complete disregard for guest comfort. This resort is an absolute scam for the price they charge, and I cannot stress enough how disappointed and frustrated we are.

Issue #1: No Hot Water for Two Days!

The most basic amenity any hotel should provide is hot water, but Bougainvillea Resort failed miserably. The hot water in our villa didn’t work for the entire duration of our stay. After multiple complaints, we were told the solar panel was faulty. Instead of calling an electrician to fix the issue immediately, they offered us two buckets of warm water to bathe. TWO BUCKETS! For Rs 12,000 per night, this is beyond unacceptable. To add insult to injury, they didn’t even bother to change our pool towels the next day. Is this the "luxury" they promise? Pathetic!

Additionally, management suggested that we keep the tap open for a minimum of 30 minutes to get hot water. Not only did we have no option but to comply, but even after wasting so much water, we didn’t even get warm water. This is not only inconvenient but also a huge waste of water, which is irresponsible for a resort that claims to care about sustainability.

Issue #2: Freezing Cold Pool in Winter The pool in our villa was ice-cold, making it impossible to use, especially during the winter season. For a property charging such exorbitant rates, providing a heated pool should be a no-brainer. But no, they couldn’t even manage that. What a joke!

Issue #3: Outrageously Overpriced Food The food prices were nothing short of daylight robbery. Rs 400 for gravy, Rs 350+ for starters, Rs 100 for a single roti, and Rs 55 for a bottle of Kinley water? Are you kidding me? To make matters worse, the staff informed us that the Tandoor would only be operational if 5+ rooms were occupied. So, despite being willing to pay for quality food, we were forced to settle for overpriced chapatis at Rs 40 each. This is not hospitality; this is exploitation.

Management’s Apathy and Lack of Accountability

It’s shocking that Mr. Shetty, who owns 7-8 properties under Vibescapes, allows such appalling service. The staff, though polite, seemed scared to speak up about the management’s incompetence. The management doesn’t care about guest satisfaction. They charge premium rates but deliver subpar, third-class service.

No Compensation, Just More Disappointment

At checkout, as a "compensation" for ruining our holiday, they offered us unchanged food items. Seriously? How does that even begin to make up for the inconvenience and frustration we endured? If not a full refund, they should have at least considered a 50% refund to acknowledge the sheer inconvenience and poor service we endured. Instead, they couldn’t even manage that.

Final Thoughts: A Complete Waste of Money

Bougainvillea Resort Mulshi is a textbook example of how NOT to run a luxury resort. They charge exorbitant rates but fail to deliver even the most basic amenities. The lack of hot water, freezing pool, overpriced food, and apathetic management made our stay unbearable. We wasted Rs 24,000 for absolutely nothing. I will never recommend this property to anyone. Mr Shetty and his team should be ashamed of themselves for taking guests for granted and providing such shoddy service. Avoid this place at all costs unless you enjoy throwing your money away and being treated like an afterthought.

Rating: 1 Star – And Only for the Polite Staff

The only saving grace during our stay was the polite staff, who, despite being overworked and underappreciated, tried their best to assist us. If it weren’t for them, this resort wouldn’t even deserve a single star. The management, however, deserves ZERO stars for their complete lack of accountability...

Very mixed reviews about this place

Ms. Poonam was absolutely amazing in her approach and revert : thanks for all the help while booking and attending to my crazy requests 🙏

Beautiful rooms, big size, decent washrooms, very good looking bed : aesthetically pleasing (P.N : No dim lights, so if you need some light at night, please carry a 1W bulb with a holder)

We parked, found it difficult to locate the reception, but I managed after 5 minutes to locate it! We checked in. Clean rooms, Clean upholstery, No green tea but other standard refreshments were available

The pool water : clean Use? Hush - You need to be a super human to have the guts to enter the water! Imagine the heat at 34 degrees outside with a patra on top, but the water 💦 freezing. I am surprised. But yes, I somehow gathered the guts to enter the pool and be inside for a few minutes 😋.

Restaurant : hhmm. Mix of very good and bad! Like the breakfast is just 2 dishes : so so so disappointing for the price they charge. Chaotic buffets. For surely inability to manage large crowds was largely evident. Available just for 1.5 hrs, the poha we were served had uncooked mustard seeds and was ice cold. Option 2 was choley bhature : humse na ho paayi savere savere choley bhature. Slightly expensive but theek hai! Veg pulav was good, Tomato soup was nice. Some advice : Multiple options available outside to eat too! Every neal has a limited timeline in the restaurant

While they took care, inside the rooms I don't spot a lizard 🦎, I spotted 1 just outside over the door in the balcony area. So beware : all doors to be kept closed always! Alas : despite precautions we had a little rat 🐁🐀 that entered our room to cause a few mintues of Havoc! Out bags were open, my pet puppy's water bowl and food open etc etc : it was scary. No pest control : I somehow fail to understand for the money they charge you for 2 nights. Its a bomb you have to pay. Plus guys : no services at the reception post 9pm. They give u a 24hr contact number : but at times the number is unanswered for a few minutes too. Be careful and aware. We panicked when Mr. Chooha entered our room as to get support it took more than 15minutes and we werr finding it tough to keep a track of its movement

Infact, for the bomb they charge : 2 items on the breakfast buffet : seriously? Mediocre

Absolute no place to even take a stroll in the property, recreation area has carroms, bass!

While they are supremely pet friendly, Thanks tons, there is no place for the pet to run or play too. Like cramped to the t the place is.

We being super frequent travellers, will we be back to this place again? I doubt Absolutely unjustified charges against the offerings. Not even high tea is provided for.

1 ac for a superior pool villa is not really enough, but it's just about manageable.

Services : People are awesome. So down to earth. Mr. Surya Ghosh and others, so so so full of energy and always willing to help. But at times I found delayed or no service. Just in the garden area, which was so small, I found a heap of potty done by some dog which was drying and had too many worms on it. I requested for a clean up - alas, it wasn't done in my 2 days stay. There are some strays too, that randomly enter your corridor, but didn't seem very unsafe, no idea.

A few power cuts. But theek hai

Nice decor in the room! Balcony door really tough to close.

Loved the asthetics. Missing the same too :)

Not the best holiday, but not a bad one too!

Cheers guys for creating something like this. Thinking out of the box and making a beautiful place. Nice drinks, some music and the pleasant night is indeed very relaxing.

And yes, they provide shower gel, shampoo, dental kit and handwash : all good quality. I read reviews that said they don't provide soap and all!

And they don't charge for extra chutney and all too.

Don't go by extreme reviews!

Reviews and your expectations=...

Bougainvillea Resort is a delight and a super unique experience every couple needs to experience... I was here for my first anniversary... I wanted a private plunge pool and this place ended up giving me so much more... They got tents, cottages and pool villas... I would recommend the pool villas because the others are just usual accomodations you would find anywhere in Mulshi / Maharashtra / India... The pool villa is a spacious and huge room with a well heighted tatched roof hut type ceiling, hard bed (not the fluffy ones u wud just sink into) but really comfortable, bean bags, lounge couch, well sized bathroom with copper bathing buckets and your own private plunge pool in your room and usual amenities... Even after all that, the room still has surplus space... If this wasn't enough, the villa includes your own outdoor seating space with a small garden... The outdoor area isn't totally private but still good enough... We went here for a night but extended it further by a night because we fell in love with the place and moreover, since they were offering the second night at a 50% discount... What was impressive was the extensive usage of wood everywhere... It gave the place a rustic and yet luxurious feel... This place is a treasure and I didn't find any other place with a private plunge pool at this price. They set up the room before our arrival and also offered to make candle light dinner arrangements in the courtyard... The restaurant had limited options on the menu but the staff was extremely courteous to make some customizations... We went in March (hot and off season) and it was like we had the whole place to ourselves

Now, the botherations which some folks may have :

1. Water in private plunge pool : Well, it's not temperature controlled and the quality isn't as you would find in a high end 5 star swimming pool. They run the filtration plant during the day time and the water is replenished and clear but during nights, one can see soot / insects which have mostly just dropped from the tatched roof above. The water was on the cooler side and it's best to take a plunge in the afternoon when the filtration plant is running. You can just soak ur legs in the water at night and listen to some music while u sip on your favourite drink

2. Bring your own booze : The place doesn't serve alcohol and wine shops in the area are hard to find. I don't think they would be able to provide your specific choice of booze. So, it's best to bring your own. The room does have a mini refrigerator

3. The place isn't listed on travel portals and reviews are confusing : I had to call them personally and book it after getting their contact from their website. They share photos on WhatsApp to give you a sense and then u need to transfer money to a bank account. Reviews are confusing since they have so many varieties of rooms and also they operate another resort (barely 2 kms from this place) by the name of Basho's Resort... Reviewers often mix the two

4. View of Mulshi Lake : Basho's Resort has a better and direct view of the Mulshi lake while Bougainvillea is perched on a small hillock offering distant views of the lake... I do feel that sunsets can be better enjoyed at Bougainvillea rather than Basho's

I loved the place so much that it deserves this long essay like review and I would certainly recommend for couples and most likely, visit this place again for a short relaxing and unwinding break...