OYO Flagship 479 Royapettah

I’m Subra from Malaysia, and I regret booking this place. I paid Agoda in full for six days, from the 18th to the 24th. Before booking, I called to ask about the surroundings and food options. The staff said everything was good, but what I found was very different. The standard room was so dirty and smelled bad enough that I couldn’t sleep in the bed. My body started itching too. They moved me to a deluxe room around 7 pm on the second day, then charged the full deluxe rate. I paid the extra amount in full on the third day. Towels were filthy and torn, with holes, and the rooms weren’t cleaned properly or stocked with daily toiletries, even though I was charged for them. Breakfast was among the worst food I’ve seen. The plates and utensils were dirty and hadn’t been cleaned properly. Wi-Fi meant dealing with a different password every time we went out and came back, written in tiny print on badly printed slips. The staff couldn’t speak English beyond saying “no English” or “don’t know English.” The front desk staff were rude and behaved badly toward customers. It was a waste of the money they charged.

The staff were pleasant, but that doesn’t make up for the lack of basic amenities. The rooms look nothing like the OYO app photos, and they’re cramped and not very clean. There’s poor ventilation in both the rooms and corridors, so there’s a constant smell. You get used to it after about 15 minutes, but notice it again whenever you come back from outside. The complimentary breakfast was awful, with neither quality nor quantity. Bathrooms were untidy, though manageable. It wasn’t worth the price, and I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

The breakfast was just a plate of cold Idli, vada, and poori, with sauces placed haphazardly. It didn’t meet food safety standards. In the room, the linens and pillow were covered in lint and loose fibers. I suspect they hadn’t been washed in months, though that’s only my guess. The room service menu was tattered, and the toilet hadn’t been cleaned properly. The facilities seemed badly maintained. The bed’s backboard had come away from the wall, the AC was partly broken and badly needed a new filter, and the mats and chairs had dirt and debris in them. There was dirty water pooled in the mini fridge, and the bathroom door looked as if there were a hole through its doorknob. The room also didn’t look nearly as clean as the photos. I’d used OYO a lot in its early days and was happy with the price for the quality. After living elsewhere for a long time, I came back to visit and expected the same standard. The last few OYO stays have made it clear to me that quality has dropped. I picked this hotel because the reviews were good and its photos looked clean and modern, though maybe it was better maintained before. The cleaning staff seemed unmotivated, and the room was still being prepared when I arrived, despite my having waited at least half an hour to check in. The staff were cordial enough, but I wasn’t given a room key. Every time I went out and returned, I had to ask someone at reception to open my door. That was inconvenient and made me feel I had no control over access to the room. I’m open to giving businesses another chance, but this hotel needs new management and proper maintenance and housekeeping teams before it can be considered livable. If you have another option, I’d choose it and avoid this hotel.

The room had a good design and was very nice, but it wasn’t ready when we arrived at 5 pm, even though we’d told the staff five hours earlier. There were leftover food plates from previous guests, and the bed was a complete mess. We had to ask several times for a towel and still didn’t get one. The staff’s carelessness and the poor maintenance were the worst parts.