The HighGarden

The one positive is that the hotel is within walking distance of cafes such as Anma and Third wave coffee. My family and I stayed here for a vacation in April 2025, and the restaurant staff were so unfriendly that even the gray stray cat outside seemed kinder. Since the management changed, the staff quality has gone downhill. The restaurant now looks like a dusty basement, and both the food and service were terrible. On one occasion, a waiter offered to serve my coffee in a used cup. When we complained, staff interrupted us and barely listened.

The restaurant was the worst part of our stay. Lunch dishes tasted terrible, and even the curd rice we ordered for relief was shockingly bad. At breakfast, included with our booking, the buffet had run out of everything by 9 am, leaving us waiting 15 minutes. The bread we requested came untoasted, and the omelette was a tiny torn piece. When my daughter asked for coffee, they pointed to someone else’s half-drunk cup and asked if they could refill it. The restaurant manager was unapologetic and refused to acknowledge the problems. He wore the same shirt two days running, which I found creepy and unhygienic for restaurant service. We paid for breakfast but ate elsewhere for the rest of the trip, and swore we’d never return. We booked High Garden Hotel in Conoor through makemytrip and were disappointed. The business uses both High Garden Hotel and Hotel Vivek, listed as separate entities on makemytrip, which felt unnerving and shady. The property is decent, but poorly maintained, with some of the worst towels I’ve seen. We reminded staff to clean our room and they still didn’t. The staff generally seemed confused and undertrained, and couldn’t suggest nearby places to visit. Overall, very disappointing.

I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to families or anyone wanting a comfortable stay. The rooms smelled foul, the bedding was stale, and conditions were unclean. Drains were clogged, and one room had no flush water. Room service and reception couldn’t be reached by intercom. Morning tea wasn’t available until 8:00 AM. There was no escalator, so guests had to take the stairs, and only one elderly person was at the bell desk. After this experience, I strongly suspect the hotel’s ratings are inflated. It was the worst stay I’ve had so far.

Parking was difficult during the busy season, though we somehow found a spot each night. The food was decent, and Highgarden made our stay comfortable. Our room was spacious, clean, and had hot water around the clock. The staff were courteous, polite, and always smiling. I’d definitely stay there again and recommend giving it a try.