WelcomHeritage Fernhills Royal Palace — Hotel in Tamil Nadu

How should I begin - " A celebration of mediocrity". We started off on the wrong foot from the moment we landed at this property. We were "greeted" at the so called reception / lobby area (which is almost the size of my attic) by a man dressed like a pallbearer who found it extremely difficult to smile or show any warmth but rather stare back at you! When I was asked for an ID, which I readily gave, he proceeded to take a photo of it despite my repeated protests! From then on things started to go downhill very swiftly. We were not offered any welcome drinks / refreshments (mind you this is a heritage palace) which is standard across all properties of this stature. My first thoughts of the palace per se is not one of awe. The bulding though majestic is in a fragile condition with parts of it appearing to crumble. The interiors are cold and damp with a musty smell. However the old photographs from a bygone era that line the walls and the woodwork does render it a regal tone.|We were taken (I won't use the word ushered) into the Kotada suite which in itself is quite nice and well appointed in the old fashion way but definitely cold & damp due to the lack of modern insulation. The man at the reception also told us that hot water will be "available" in the room from 6am to 10am and 6pm to 10pm only - now how's that for a place tagged a luxury palace?!! It seems they want to conserve the diesel in the generator - quite strange!! Anyhow we spent the rest of the day outside sigtseeing and only returned back to the hotel later at night. There was one warmer in the room which was wholly inadequate for a room of that size - but we got through the night somehow. |The real disaster unfolded next day at breakfast. That is when I realized what a shambolic operation they really are. The entire place is run by complete amateurs with absolutely no clue what hospitality is about. The breakfast spread looked like a complete pig sty with bread slices on the floor, curry strewn on the table cloth and everything in complete and utter disarray. Most of the food counters did not even have any food in it. There was no labelling as to what dish was kept on the buffet table. The table we sat was filthy with food stains and no cutlery. Then about the waiters - there were two of them running helter skelter without a clue as to what was going on. Our food was served cold and in the most unhygenic way possible. The waiters were literally shouting out orders to someone standing near the kitchen. My son almost threw up after drinking the so called pineapple juice.|This was simply the most disgusting and discourteous breakfast experience I've ever encountered in a hotel. The Ananda Bhavan near by would have done a better job at treating their guests. By this time I had made up my mind and I was prepared to leave. We had one more night left to stay but enough was enough I immediately asked to prepare the bill for check-out. ||Normally I don't type out such an elaborate review about a rotten experience but I want the management to get a proper wake-up call and realize that they are cheating their guests about this whole luxuary palace experience thing - it is nothing short of shambolic!! I paid a pretty penny to book this place via the WelcomITC call centre thinking this to be an ITC hotels property (which they advertise as) but my understanding is they only manage marketing and the hotel is run by the Wadiyar group. This in itself is cheating the customer since we don't realize the property is run by someone else. So in a nut-shell if you are booking this property thinking you're gonna get the Udaivilas or Falaknuma experience - my God you are in for a rude shock. This place goes directly to my black listed hotels list - without a doubt. Unless they revamp the whole place and bring in a lean professional management, this place will continue to earn rotten reviews.||P.S - I met the hotel manager Mr Parasuram, just as I was leaving and had to give him a piece of my mind. He listened politely and sympathized but that does not change the...

How should I begin - " A celebration of mediocrity". We started off on the wrong foot from the moment we landed at this property. We were "greeted" at the so called reception / lobby area (which is almost the size of my attic) by a man dressed like a pallbearer who found it extremely difficult to smile or show any warmth but rather stare back at you! When I was asked for an ID, which I readily gave, he proceeded to take a photo of it despite my repeated protests! From then on things started to go downhill very swiftly. We were not offered any welcome drinks / refreshments (mind you this is a heritage palace) which is standard across all properties of this stature. My first thoughts of the palace per se is not one of awe. The bulding though majestic is in a fragile condition with parts of it appearing to crumble. The interiors are cold and damp with a musty smell. However the old photographs from a bygone era that line the walls and the woodwork does render it a regal tone.|We were taken (I won't use the word ushered) into the Kotada suite which in itself is quite nice and well appointed in the old fashion way but definitely cold & damp due to the lack of modern insulation. The man at the reception also told us that hot water will be "available" in the room from 6am to 10am and 6pm to 10pm only - now how's that for a place tagged a luxury palace?!! It seems they want to conserve the diesel in the generator - quite strange!! Anyhow we spent the rest of the day outside sigtseeing and only returned back to the hotel later at night. There was one warmer in the room which was wholly inadequate for a room of that size - but we got through the night somehow. |The real disaster unfolded next day at breakfast. That is when I realized what a shambolic operation they really are. The entire place is run by complete amateurs with absolutely no clue what hospitality is about. The breakfast spread looked like a complete pig sty with bread slices on the floor, curry strewn on the table cloth and everything in complete and utter disarray. Most of the food counters did not even have any food in it. There was no labelling as to what dish was kept on the buffet table. The table we sat was filthy with food stains and no cutlery. Then about the waiters - there were two of them running helter skelter without a clue as to what was going on. Our food was served cold and in the most unhygenic way possible. The waiters were literally shouting out orders to someone standing near the kitchen. My son almost threw up after drinking the so called pineapple juice.|This was simply the most disgusting and discourteous breakfast experience I've ever encountered in a hotel. The Ananda Bhavan near by would have done a better job at treating their guests. By this time I had made up my mind and I was prepared to leave. We had one more night left to stay but enough was enough I immediately asked to prepare the bill for check-out. ||Normally I don't type out such an elaborate review about a rotten experience but I want the management to get a proper wake-up call and realize that they are cheating their guests about this whole luxuary palace experience thing - it is nothing short of shambolic!! I paid a pretty penny to book this place via the WelcomITC call centre thinking this to be an ITC hotels property (which they advertise as) but my understanding is they only manage marketing and the hotel is run by the Wadiyar group. This in itself is cheating the customer since we don't realize the property is run by someone else. So in a nut-shell if you are booking this property thinking you're gonna get the Udaivilas or Falaknuma experience - my God you are in for a rude shock. This place goes directly to my black listed hotels list - without a doubt. Unless they revamp the whole place and bring in a lean professional management, this place will continue to earn rotten reviews.||P.S - I met the hotel manager Mr Parasuram, just as I was leaving and had to give him a piece of my mind. He listened politely and sympathized but that does not change the...

WelcomHeritage Ferrnhills Royale Palace spread over 50 acres of state with sprawling Greenwood, was the residence of quondam king of Mysore. Built in 1844, the palace resembles a Swiss chalet, and is superbly finished with Burmese teak and features a magnificent ballroom with a high vaulted ornamental Papier-mâché ceiling. The lobby of the palace has beautiful artifacts and handmade paintings of all the yesteryear rulers. Interestingly, all the rooms of the palace are addressed as suites due to its opulence and grandeur.

Standing against the beautiful Nilgiri Hills, enveloped with the tea gardens and cardamom plantation, the palace was once stamping ground for the British elites. To escape the scorching summers of South India, high rank Britishers undertook Ferrnhills as their retreat. This quaint scenery of Ooty was widely enjoyed by the Indian and British nonpareils. It also once served as the earliest club hotels during the times of British Raj.

Although India is free from the shackles of colonialism, Ooty has still preserved its ethereal beauty with a whisper of charming English influence. The majestic “Queen of Hills” is one of the most popular tourist destinations of India. With the wide expanse of hills and serenity, tourists visit Ooty for either a family vacation, romantic getaway or simply a weekend of relaxation, there’s something for everyone. Submitting to the mesmerising beauty of the Nilgiri Mountains whilst sipping freshly brewed tea or exploring the bustling town or simply riding the the Nilgiri Toy train, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ooty will win you over. Even after two-centuries of its existence WelcomHeritage Ferrnhills Royale still entices its guests with beauty, heritage, history, and glamour.

FOOD & BEVERAGE Curry & Rice : The multi-cuisine restaurant that specialise in Anglo-Indian cuisine. A cuisine that’s delectable and came into existence during British India Raj. During that era regional cuisines of Indian were infused with British culinary preferences and preparations, hence creating a beautiful melange of flavours.

CONFERENCES & MEETINGS Darbar Hall: Offers an ideal venue for hosting gala dinners, events, meetings, or social functions for up to 250 guests in theatre, 170 in class room and 150 in U-shape arrangements. Popularly used as Ball room by the royals, the hall has Papier-mâché ceiling and two galleries, one of them was used only by the ladies. A separate section was created for the musicians too. Board Room: can accommodate 35 guests in theatre, 30 in class room and 25 in U-shape arrangements. The board room was previously part of the dining area and now has all latest A/V equipments for organizing a successful meeting. Lawn: The lavish 30,000 sq. feet widespread manicured lawn was once used for the high tea by the Britishers is now aptly used for large celebration, holding upto 2000 people. Surrounded with serene verdure, some trees are as old as 200 years. The salubrious lawn set against the colonial palace can be well decked for ‘A Hilly Affair’ Wedding. Many Bollywood movies were shot in the palace and particulary this lawn.

EXCURSIONS Ooty Lake: An artificial lake constructed in 1824 for the purpose of fishing is now one of most sought after tourist attractions of Ooty. The lake is surrounded by the groves of evergreen Eucalyptus trees and a small railway track set alongside of one shore. The lake has a boathouse providing paddle, row and motor boats to tourists. This lake is just 3km away from the Palace hotel Doddabetta Peak: Known to be highest point of the Nilgiri mountains, Doddabetta peak is the vantage point of Ooty, serving picturesque views of the Eastern and Western Ghats. The reserved forest areas around the peak has Rhododendron trees and scratchy grasslands. The observatory with couple of telescopes at the top of the peak is a very spot amongst the tourists, for one can gage the panoramic views of the Bandipur...