Bella Vagues

I checked out feeling peaceful and well rested, which was just what I needed after arriving exhausted. I had a first-floor room that was spacious and comfortable, and the bathtub was a real treat. I made myself a drink and soaked in the hot water. The place is very quiet, though there seem to be very few staff. I saw just one person, and no other guests while I was there. There's no restaurant, but you can order from a nearby one using their menu. The balcony seating and dining area felt like a private room, with a distinctive pebble floor. You can book a room for under 2,000, and I thought it was worth that price. I'm a hotelier with over 10 years' experience in the five-star class, so trust me when I say this is a place I'd happily return to.

The one thing going for this homestay was its location near the beach, but getting a Rapido or Uber there was difficult. There was no restaurant nearby and no kitchen at the homestay, so finding food was a struggle. I booked through MakeMyTrip a week ahead and paid in full, since the app showed a good price. When I arrived around 11 pm, they said they wouldn't accept the MMT booking amount and demanded extra money. At that hour I couldn't easily find another hotel, so I had to pay. Oyo could have told me earlier that the MMT rate wouldn't be accepted. They supplied only one litre of water a day, charging for an extra bottle, and there was no room cleaning for the whole week I stayed for work. The service was terrible.

It felt like a safe area, and the room service was good. The hotel is close to the beach road and worth a stay, though restaurants are 2 km away. Outside food isn't allowed.

Thiruvanmiyur beach is just a three-minute walk away, and the location is good. The rest was a poor experience: bad service, a dirty bathroom, a front desk that seemed clueless, a TV that didn't work, and a towel I couldn't bring myself to touch.