Grand Kalinga Hotel

The room smelled awful and was visibly dirty. There were stained, unclean floors, three cockroaches on the bed and two in the bathroom as soon as we checked in. The lights barely worked, and the room was extremely dark, with just two dim lights. We checked out right away, but didn't get our money back. The hotel has had bad reviews about cockroaches and the smell, yet there's been no improvement or response. Don't trust the photos they show on other platforms, as they can be misleading.

Mr. Kiran Kumar, the new receptionist, turned our stay around. After our travel agent put us in touch with him, he listened carefully, showed empathy, and promptly moved us to an upgraded room that resolved our concerns. His calm, professional manner and emotional intelligence really stood out. The higher-ups should recognize him, even promote him. At first, though, we were disappointed. We'd asked for a double bed and extra bedding, but got a small room with an untidy bathroom. That put a damper on things at check-in. Kiran Kumar's handling of it made a big difference.

The breakfast was poor, just idli, vada and dry bread, and none of it tasted good. Most of the electric plugs didn't work. Only one did, by the head of the bed, which was inconvenient. We stayed one night, and it was extremely disappointing. The management and rooms were in very poor condition. There was a terrible smell, the bed and bathroom were in awful shape, and cockroaches and insects on the bed and in the bathroom made the place uncomfortable and unhygienic. The sheets, pillows and curtains were extremely dirty and unpleasant. If I could, I'd rate it minus 5 stars. One of the worst hotel stays I've had. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

The room was comfortable and good value for money. Breakfast came with the stay, but it was very basic, with few choices, and there wasn't proper staff support during breakfast. Reception could also be more guest-friendly, to make people feel welcome and want to return.