Alaya Stays 3BHK Riviera Residence Villa

This is a bed-and-breakfast place that's been converted into a StayVista villa. It's right on the main road, so there's not much privacy. For such a large house, it's surprising that none of the rooms has a smart TV, though the owner kindly got us a Fire Stick. It might suit single guys or individuals, but I wouldn't recommend it for families with kids.

The location made it easy to explore Alappuzha, with restaurants and attractions close by, and the calm atmosphere was lovely for unwinding. Inside, Riviera Residence was clean, beautifully kept, and had what we needed for a comfortable stay. We were greeted warmly when we arrived, and the host made sure our needs were taken care of. Mr. Suresh, the caretaker, was especially sweet, polite, and helpful. The thoughtful touches were nice too. We had a fantastic stay and would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a clean, comfortable place. It exceeded our expectations.

I wouldn't recommend this place for anyone travelling with women. The owner's behaviour towards women was very bad. I wanted to give it zero stars.

We were six family members and the three bedrooms suited our group well. At about INR10k plus tax, it was decent value for us. Mr. Bobby was a very nice owner, warmly welcomed us, made us feel at home, answered most of our questions, and suggested places to eat. He also offered to book water sports if we wanted. Mr. Suresh helped with our bags. The market area is convenient for shops and restaurants, but it was noisy enough to make sleeping difficult. The villa is about five minutes by car, or a 40-minute walk, from both Allapphuzza beach and the backwaters. The sign outside says bed and breakfast, but our booking didn't include meals. That wasn't a problem since we found places to eat 600-750 metres away, though the sign shouldn't say that. It's an old building that's been partly restored. The main areas were clean, but cleanliness could be better: there was dust on the book rack, behind some curtains, and around the kitchen, plus fungus between sofa cushions and on some books in the common area. Most people may not mind, but it could bother someone with allergies. The fan in the upstairs bedroom only ran at full power; the ACs worked fine, and we mostly used the fan to drown out the noise. There was some cutlery, cups, plates and a microwave. The microwave was very old, but it worked. Overall, a good place for a group or family, though it needs maintenance and a deeper clean.