The Fern - An Ecotel Hotel, Lonavala — Hotel in Maharashtra

Disappointing Stay I was incredibly disappointed with my recent stay at what is supposed to be a 5-star property. While the location might be nice, the actual experience fell far short of expectations. You will have to scroll a bit down to read my positive comments here. I have a huge list of negatives.

Right off the bat, upon entering my room, I discovered the cloth liner in the bathroom needed immediate replacement as it was dirty and had hairs tangled all over the liner. Thankfully, housekeeping rectified this issue promptly after I brought it to their attention. I thought it might be a miss because no one checks liner everyday. However, this initial encounter set the tone for a series of inconveniences.

One particularly concerning issue was the bathtub water. The water once had a disconcerting pale yellow tint, making it unusable for the rest of my stay.

The biggest letdown was the unreliable Wi-Fi. The reason, why it was so unreliable, I am not sure, but neither my mobile phone nor laptop could connect. It felt like a network issue, not a problem with my devices. The IT team, though helpful, couldn't fix it. What made it worse was their initial dismissal of the problem, claiming it was related to my laptop's workplace settings (which wasn't the case), They tried after resetting my laptop settings also. If the laptop had issue, why my personal mobile was not able to connect? Then suddenly using some guest coupon it seems to work with my phone. Again, the phone disconnects frequently based on my position at hotel. It works near welcome desk but not in my room, which is just above it. The four frustrating hours were wasted with troubleshooting before they finally give up on network problem. Unfortunately, due to the unreliable Wi-Fi, I had to cancel my planned activities and return home early. To top it all off, the IT team couldn't even provide a functional LAN cable – the first few they brought were faulty! This entire ordeal wasted a significant portion of my stay. When staff got changed for evening, nobody was there to atleast talk about LAN cable or provide any update.

The lack of organization around electric vehicle (EV) charging was another major concern. Guests like myself had to wait for charging spots because a petrol car was parked in one of the designated EV slots. Ideally, these spaces should be strictly reserved for EVs, especially considering they're often used by travelers on the go. When I politely inquired about the situation, the desk staff member displayed an alarming level of indifference. He simply suggested I wait, possibly until check-out time, or the maximum I can wait. His flippant smile after I had just described the Wi-Fi problems further solidified his disinterest in addressing guest concerns.

Finally, the check-out process itself was unnecessarily time-consuming. Guests had to wait for their check out, apparently while staff meticulously checked for any potential wrongdoing. This level of scrutiny felt misplaced – surely if the same diligence was shown during check-in, some of these issues could have been avoided in the first place.

Overall, this stay was far from the luxurious 5-star experience I anticipated. Considering the price tag, I would strongly advise potential guests to look elsewhere for their accommodations until you see some good reviews on the board.

While the overall experience fell short of expectations, I would like to acknowledge two staff members who truly embodied the hospitality one would expect at a 5-star establishment. Pratiksha, at the check-in desk, and Amol, the manager in the dining area, both displayed genuine empathy towards guests. Their attentiveness and willingness to help, made a positive difference...

We took a standard (city view) room for a night. Our package included breakfast and one meal.

Right off the bat; excellent location. The area is quiet and yet accessible from the highway and city. It's just 10 minutes from the railway station and very, very close to the highway. There are open plots/fields around the hotel so it doesn't feel boxed in. Although we went in summers, this would be excellent in rains. Despite the proximity to the expressway, the area was quiet, especially during the night.

The rooms are nice and spacious, not like the counterparts in Mumbai. We had a small balcony in the room that was a nice touch.

The check-in process was quick, staff was courteous. We arrived a bit earlier than the check-in time and they were happy to accommodate us. Having said that it's a little strange that while I had filled a pre-requisite form online, a day earlier, we were asked the same details (+ Aadhar copies etc.) again. The staff had no clue about the online form.

The service is a hit and miss. While the staff was prompt when we asked them for water, we ordered some wine in the evening and some staff member called us in the room and tried to upsell a slightly expensive wine, despite our choice being available. There was a bit of confusion because I thought the wine we asked for is not available but that was clearly not the case.

The dinner, that was part of the package, was basically any thing on the menu (as long as it is not sea food) plus dessert. We ordered room service since my partner wasn't feeling well and wanted to dine in the room. The service was quick and we got all item, sans the dessert. I was too tired at this point and just wanted to eat and sleep, hence did not bother to reorder the dessert.

The food itself was very average. For the lunch, we had tandoori prawns and chicken curry. Decent quantity, taste was just what you would expect. Dinner was tandoori chicken, mutton rogan josh, and garlic naan. The tandoori chicken was good, minus the strange garlic garnish that felt out of place. Rogan josh was a bit undercooked, but edible. Garlic naan was hard and spongy.

The breakfast spread is standard for what you would expect in a 4-5 star hotel. Fruits were fresh and the live counter service was reasonably fast. The coffee, that the staff prepared, was a bit over-steamed. The milk seemed a little burned, happens when you steam it for too long.

Checkout was smooth. Staff was courteous. However, there is a bit of miscommunication from Fern. In a welcome email they sent, the check out was mentioned to be at noon. The property said it's at 11. We were a little delayed but the staff was accommodating. This being a weekday in peak summers, and thus off season, helped as there wasn't a lot of rush.

We did not try the other amenities - pool, spa, gym etc. Although, we did check out the gym and it seemed a bit inadequate. There are some games (carrom, air hockey, and table tennis) available to play but they were broken.

All in all, this was a decent pitstop for one night. There were a couple of issues with the service, particularly the staff trying to upsell an expensive product despite lacking the expertise to make that suggestion. The rooms are nice and the location is good. I would not recommend having food here, as there are definitely better options in the city. Not that the food is bad, it's nothing worth singing about and will cost a lot more than...

We recently stayed at The Fern An Ecotel Hotel, Lonavala, and overall, it was a pleasant experience, though with a few areas for improvement.

Property & Location: The hotel definitely feels more like a 4-star property despite being rated as a 5-star. It is located a bit away from the main city, so having your own vehicle is highly recommended. Public transport isn’t easily available to get you into the city, and walking is not a very practical option since the city center is around 3 km away. However, returning from the city is not a problem as Autos are easily available.

Rooms: The rooms are spacious, clean, and comfortable, with good interiors. I particularly loved the bathroom – it was large, well-designed, and equipped with all necessary amenities. The balcony view was nice and added to the overall comfort of the stay.

Facilities: The gym was a bit disappointing. It is not well maintained and seems like it is rarely used. The equipment looked dated and the upkeep wasn’t what you would expect at a 5-star property. On the other hand, the swimming pool area was clean, well-kept, and inviting, a good place to relax.

Dining & Breakfast: The breakfast spread was decent with good variety, but the menu remained almost the same throughout our 3-day stay. A little variation each day would have made it much better. The service during breakfast could definitely improve – it was not as prompt and attentive as one would expect.

Service: In general, staff service was good in most areas of the hotel, polite and helpful, though not consistently exceptional.

Ambience: The interiors of the hotel, including the lobby and common sitting areas, were neat and had a modern yet warm feel. It gave a cozy vibe, though again, not quite the luxury level expected from a 5-star.

Final Verdict:

It was a good stay overall, and I enjoyed the spacious rooms, good bathrooms, and the pool area. However, the gym, breakfast variety, and service quality at breakfast leave room for improvement. The location is slightly inconvenient without your own vehicle.

Would recommend for a short stay if you don’t mind the distance from the city and are okay with a few compromises on the 5-star...