The Palms ECR Resorts and Banquets

The sunrise and sea views from the resort were the best part of our Chennai visit. Our room was comfortable and well kept, and we enjoyed a peaceful stay. There was no food or tea available at the property, so we had to head to the main road for meals. Still, it's a lovely place to unwind if you want a beautiful view of the sea.

We booked 12 rooms five months ahead, and room availability was about the only appealing thing. The place has gone downhill badly over the past 3-6 months. There were hardly three room service workers, and they only spoke Odia. The manager was extremely irritating and didn't know how to treat guests. We were paying lakhs, yet staff argued with us over 400 rupees and took photos of our private belongings. The receptionist flatly lied about whether we could bring a pet, and the owner seemed unaware of what was going on. People from the nearby village kept wandering in, so I wouldn't bring valuables. Rooms were handed out without the owner's knowledge and weren't entered in the register. Only three of our rooms had hot water, and the bathtubs were yellow and kept rocking. The halls are good but expensive, and the parking isn't adequate for the property's capacity. The lift had been under maintenance for three weeks, as far as we could tell. There was a sewage smell by the main entrance, and garbage was left there for days without being cleared during our two-day stay. Staff were rude and unprofessional, acting as though we'd been given the place for free despite our payment of lakhs. They also tried to charge us for damage that wasn't there. We didn't use the in-house food because reviews were bad and it was expensive for what was offered. We also had no choice but to use the in-house decoration. SriFlowerDecorators (Shakti) took three months to arrange a simple setup, charged more than premium decorators in Chennai, and still hadn't finished or cleaned the entrance decor by 6pm for an event scheduled at 5pm.

We paid ₹4,395 through Agoda, and the room wasn't worth that price. It was poorly maintained, full of mosquitoes, and the staff behaved very badly. We'd booked a sea-view room with a bathtub for my kids but were given a regular room. Breakfast was listed online as complimentary, but none was provided. Most rooms were empty while we were there. I wouldn't recommend this place for families; it seems suited only to boys coming for enjoyment. My rating is 1/5.

Our balcony room with a beach view felt worth the money, and the pool on the second floor was lovely, with a view of the beach. The resort sits in a beautiful area and is close enough to walk to the beach. Staff were friendly and professional, and we felt looked after throughout our stay. A nice place to relax.