The Waverly Hotel & Residences

The best parts were the city and mall view, plus direct access to the mall from the hotel. The rest left me feeling the place has a posh image but weak hospitality underneath. It calls itself a 5 STAR hotel, but to me it’s closer to 3 Star, with the lowest room category costing Rs 7500 a night. I paid in full through Scapia and had booking confirmation, yet at the last moment the hotel wouldn’t let me check in until it got a discount from Scapia. Saurabh at the front desk said my Scapia/Cleartrip booking was at too low a price. I had to raise a case with Scapia, who spoke to the hotel and sorted it out. Saurabh then said they’d received the discount and could let me stay. My check-in was only confirmed at 4pm, although the stay was supposed to start at 2pm. The accommodation was average. The AC didn’t cool for one of the two nights because of filter issues, and the sheets and pillow covers had spots and dust patterns. Meals are arranged at Zaal, a restaurant in the mall. When I went for breakfast, a notice said that because of the Middle East crisis and a gas shortage, guests had to make do with items already prepared. I don’t know why they couldn’t tell us in advance, while still charging lavish prices. Parking means using the mall lot and getting a small card from security each time, then having the front desk sign it before the mall will let your car out. It’s a lot of logistics for working people trying to reach the office on time in Bangalore traffic.

Phoenix market place is right next door, with plenty of dining choices, and the rooms are spacious. Still, my current stay has been a letdown compared with my visit three years ago. The hallway carpets look shabby and dirty, and what’s called a king bed is two double beds pushed together, which isn’t comfortable. This feels more like a 3 star hotel than a 5 star one. Breakfast choices are limited, so I’d skip it if possible. I’d like management to look at the state of the rooms and the rest of the facilities and make improvements.

At a price of 5500, I found this a good value stay. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and the location is convenient between VR Mall and Phoenix mall on ITPL road. I was upgraded to a very large suite with a living area and bedroom, plus a mini kitchen with a stove, oven, induction stove, and cooking utensils. The bed and lighting were good. Towels and sheets were only okay, in a pale white shade, but toiletries were all supplied and the washroom was spacious. Breakfast was average, with a basic range: idli, dosa, pongal, vadai, dhokla, aloo, paneer, and gopi parathas, baked beans, sautéed vegetables, bread, croissant, muffins, juices, tea, and coffee. The hotel connects internally to VR mall, with a direct route to the pvr theatre. I believe it’s been renovated, and it had a bit of a colonial feel. Go without high expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised. If you expect something like marriotty or sheratony, this isn’t the place.

I booked this hotel for a short BLR layover, just needing a few hours’ sleep before my flight. The bed linen was disgusting for a place claiming to be a “5-star” hotel. I wouldn’t recommend it.