Castle Residency

It’s an easy walk from the central railway station, which is the main advantage. The AC worked well and there are curtains in the rooms, but the rooms are just average. Some washrooms are better than others, the walls are dirty and need repainting, the water is too salty, and the pillow covers are yellowish. If you need somewhere urgently and can be flexible, you could choose this place.

The reception people were very helpful, and Chennai Central Railway Station is only a seven to ten minute walk away on the main road. I stayed about five hours, from 4:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., in a ground floor room. For this budget, the bed and bathroom were satisfactory, though the fan ran very slowly because its controller was broken. The old hotel could be one of the best in the area with proper maintenance. It needs improvement.

I was there for only a few hours. The location is fantastic: Chennai Central Railway station, The Park railway station, and Metro Station are all an easy walk away, and the hotel sits beside the main road near Chennai Corporation. It seems the place used to be quite good but now relies on its location. The reception is basic, and the lift works OK. My smallish room was more or less clean, with fresh-looking linens and good cupboards, but there were no hangers. It badly needs maintenance and painting. The TV was there, though I didn’t turn it on. The AC ran continuously. The AC room cost RS.1500.00, which seemed OK for the location. The toilet was so so. Everything worked except the centrally maintained hot water system, and no toiletries were provided. Seems suited to travellers staying a short time.

At checkout at 6 am, we were 30 minutes late and the manager demanded 3000 Rs extra. He had no empathy and started abusing us. It felt like they’ll loot people any way they can, and it’s pathetic that people like this stay in Chennai. The place was full of mosquitoes, the water was bad, and the helpers were the worst. I wouldn’t suggest staying here even if you were getting paid.