Royal Meriton Hostel

The worst two-week stay. They charge Rs.10500 a month for four sharing with AC, plus a Rs.5000 advance, and they don’t refund your deposit.

The location is the only good thing. I stayed three months because my office was nearby, but I’d suggest looking at other PGs in the area. If you’re willing to spend a lot for an unpleasant stay, go ahead, but think about your well-being first. The monthly costs as of July were Rent 6,500, Rent with three meals 10,500, EB 300, ADV 3,000, maintenance 1,500, and 500 INR to book or register a room. The food was very mediocre, so another food service might be cheaper. There were serious problems with upkeep. Water was terrible, the bathroom looked just as it did when I first saw it, the kitchen tap water stank, and no one seemed to clean or care for it. The whole hostel smelled bad. They only swept rooms with a broomstick and wiped the surface tiles with plain water. The cupboards had termites, though a small personal locker was provided. There were power cuts sometimes. The wifi was terrible and unreliable, and the washing machine was too. They supplied a pillow, but you had to manage without a pillow cover or bedsheet. The lobby was occupied by students, and the food, cleaning, and maintenance issues were difficult to get addressed. When you reported a problem, they said they’d discuss it with management, but in my experience there was no management. One person named vijay said this, and I believe he was behind the scam. He’d get irritated if you argued and give childish reasons to raise maintenance prices. No matter how respectfully you spoke to him, he wouldn’t acknowledge issues unless several people backed you up, and even then he might not fix them. Getting your advance back was another problem. Even if you told him two months ahead that you were leaving, he wouldn’t acknowledge being told and would complain that you hadn’t given notice. If he agreed to return anything, he asked for a formal letter and said the transfer would take 2-3 buisness days. He told me to write one for my remaining amount of 600. It felt like a scam. The warden would argue with you, but stayed quiet when vijay was wrong, and always praised him. They’re from the same native, which may explain it.

The rooms are neat and clean, and it’s a nice place to stay, though the rent is a little expensive. The food was the main problem for me. They serve the same thing from breakfast through dinner, and after a while I felt like throwing up. Also, watch out for the warden or caretaker in charge. He loves to loot money. Otherwise, it’s good if you’ve got plenty of money.

The kitchen was clean, the dormitory AC worked well, and the bed was comfortable. I liked the lobby too, though students always occupied it. There are facilities, but the administration and other residents don’t maintain them responsibly. Staff won’t make up the bed unless you ask, and there’s no locker key for a dorm shared with strangers. The sandals area was poorly kept, and administration misplaced my sandals in the name of cleaning. The dining area and shared bathroom were in bad shape, with residents not using them responsibly. People from two rooms shared one bathroom and toilet, which made cleanliness worse. Residents also ran the fan while the AC was on, each following their own preference in the shared dorm. The top floor where you might hang wet clothes stank, probably because the toilets weren’t maintained. Trash bins were left open with discarded food parcels.