Taj Connemara, Chennai — Hotel in Zone 9 Teynampet

*Visited this property a few days ago with my partner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. *We booked the - Heritage room with a bath tub directly via a call directly to the hotel, also putting in a request for a cake to celebrate it in the hotel, for which the concerned staff over the call clearly specified that the cake can be arranged and it ll be sufficient for two people and I requested them if it could be delivered to the room at midnight so that we could celebrate the occasion for which I was told it can be done and during check in I just had to confirm it with the staff there. *The Heritage room was booked specifying that we’d want the bath tub facility so we wanted the Heritage room and nothing else. *Confirmed our reservation a day before check in for that particular room we’d wanted and they said it’s booked and they let us know our check in time. *Upon reaching the hotel we were greeted with a welcome garland and a complimentary drink as we were going ahead with our check in and we were told to wait for a while as the room was getting ready wherein I made sure to ask her about the cake and asked her if the delivery could be moved to the next day after breakfast instead of midnight, for which she said she has put in a request for the same and it will be done. *We had reached the hotel before the check in time that was 1400 hours, we were there around 1330 hours. *After the wait and the formalities were completed along with the payment to be made then itself we were taken to our room along with a very friendly staff around 1417 hours. *When we entered the room to my surprise it wasn’t the room I had booked, it was a room which was above the budget of my room and it was not at all what I wanted. *Upon asking the staff who accompanied us she said this was the room that was allotted to us. *So when we were leaving the front desk the staff there told us to dial 0 from the room landline if we had any queries. *Instead of coming all the way back to the front desk I thought why not call them from the room phone itself. But the phone was not at all working. So we had to come down back to the front desk to inquire about the same. *When asked she told us that we got an upgrade, for which I stressed out again that I didn’t need an upgrade I just wanted the Heritage room with the bath tub. *The response was she had to check if a Heritage room was available and we were asked again if we wanted the bath tub, for which we were like please check for a Heritage room and only if not then it’s fine. *After having waited for some more time we were finally allotted another room and this time it was the Heritage room just as we had booked. We finally got to our room at 1457 hours. *When checking out the room I found a hair strand (probably of a male) in the shower chamber and also in the bath tub (pictures attached). *There was dust accumulated at the leg of the coffee table (pictures attached). *After having rested for a bit we wanted to use the pool in the evening, so we called the room service to ask them if towels are provided by the pool or were we supposed to carry our own towels from the room. For which the response was that towels are provided by the pool but it would be better to carry it from the room. *Upon reaching the pool side I was shocked to see Taj standards. The sun-beds were all dirty with dust, dried leaves and stains. There were tables which were used and not cleared later. There was a cup of tea which had fallen next to a sun-bed on the floor which was not cleared and the broken cup was just lying there on the floor (pictures attached). There was no staff around in the pool area to assist the guests with anything plus no one to provide fresh towels. *Later after dinner I was setting up the bath tub for my partner wherein I found small strands of body hair (probably of a male) in one corner of the bath tub (couldn’t click pictures of this as my hands were...

My stay at the Taj Connemara wasn’t your average stay and your average hotel - it was more like being welcomed into a truly magnificent stately home by the most amazing family, who all went way beyond their duty to take care of me and make me smile every day - despite being under the most incredibly challenging events at the start of the pandemic and lockdown in India. I arrived at The Connemara under very difficult circumstances from its neighbouring sister hotel the Taj Clubhouse on March 24th - the day India went into full lockdown. Sadly the Clubhouse was forced to close due to the situation and the few remaining guests were moved. This was my third hotel move in 5 days, a nerve-wrecking situation after I had become suddenly stranded in India during medical treatment when UAE closed it’s borders on 19th March without warning. With all the precautions, a driver was sent to collect me, and from the moment I arrived in the magnificent lobby and was warmly greeted by Duty Manager Dinesh Kumar with a refreshing welcome drink and a wonderful smile, I felt safe, secure, relieved and happy. Having been confined and unable to leave my previous hotel rooms due to the safety precautions required, I almost cried tears of joy when the management upgraded me to a Colonial Suite with a large terrace - I could finally sit in the glorious Chennai weather, overlooking the incredible tropical gardens of the hotel grounds, whilst in complete isolation and safety. Every day I was called to make sure I was happy and had everything I needed, nothing was too much for the team who ventured out for medication and personal care items on my behalf. My favourite part of the day was when Abhi from Kolkata - always smiling to replenish my tea, or Chintan, Kuheli and Ajay would come with my in-room dining - every one of them just brightened up my days with kind words and impeccable service and care. Chef Gocol and his team created delicious set menus for lunch and dinner for all the guests - and I got to try the amazing variety of South Indian cuisine. On 20th April, I was extremely lucky to get a seat on a repatriation flight to the UK, when I checked out at reception, the team arrived with a “Bon Voyage and Good Luck” cake created especially for me - my heart melted! I honestly cannot thank the whole team enough for taking such wonderful care of me during what was one of the most stressful periods of my life. I am truly blessed to have spent this time at the distinguished Taj Connemara, you’ve made a loyal fan now and I shall return again in...

A hotel with such a rich legacy and history stands modestly with no frills, right on the Binny road next to the Spencer plaza. A 5-star property standing the tides of time for close to 170 years, this oldest hotel in Chennai is one must-visit place for all the people who want a slice of the amazing city's heritage and history.

A welcome fit for a king! We were welcomed with sampangi maalai. We had booked the luxury grand king room and we were pleasantly surprised to have our room upgraded to a suite. The room was very spacious and the amenities that came with it delighted us all. They had kept a complimentary fruit basket containing 7 different fruits along with cutlery for cutting it. Also kept was a jar full of assorted dry fruits to munch on. Then came the butler with a dish serving 3 unique and tasteful sweet dishes as a part of turn-down service apparently.

In spite of having a central air conditioning with temperature control for each room, i loved the part where a heritage model fan was also in place. The fans switch and regulator was placed on the fan itself in addition to switches by the bedside.

The washroom was all finished in premium Italian marble giving it an amazing look.

The swimming pool was large enough to take laps. The only downside is that it lacks depth. The change room is equipped with a steam bath as well.

Coming to the best part of the stay, the breakfast! With an elaborate spread consisting of some significant authentic South Indian dishes, the breakfast needs a lot of attention. With an amazing pool view and live music playing by, the mood was perfectly set for breaking the fast. The menu had a wide variety of freshly baked products such as croissants, sourdough, breads, rolls and cupcakes in addition to three cheese varieties, a range of breakfast cereals with options for toppings such as whole seeds and premium dry fruits. The menu continued with cold salads and some Lebanese cuisine. Then came a spread of South Indian dishes like Pongal, kanji, idly and dosa varieties with options for chutney, some chettinad style gravies, a few North Indian cuisine like bature, chole and some dessert options and fresh fruits. There were some significant options for non-vegetarians as well. The coffee was served in the traditional brass davara tumbler and tea in our own tea kadai glass.

The hotel is adorned with photos of the property and Chennai and the photos weave a wonderful nostalgic story of how both collectively have survived and are living to tell...