Hotel The Raj

I felt unsafe and stuck here, especially since I was travelling alone. The lock on my room door didn’t work, and when I asked to move, they said there were no rooms available, which didn’t seem true. I had official meetings starting in about ten minutes, so I had to stay through them rather than leave. I checked out early the next morning, and they asked me to pay for a water bottle even though I’d already paid the staff member who brought it to my room. I was so intimidated by that earlier interaction that I paid just to get him out of the room. That happened after I ordered tea and water. The delivery boy insisted I pay him straight away, wouldn’t accept that I’d pay at checkout, and gave me his personal number for UPI. He said he’d record it and pay cash at the counter. When I asked for a bill, he said the water was 30 and the tea 20, and that I should give him the rest too. I’m happy to tip when I choose to, especially if I like the service, but this felt like pressure. I didn’t want an argument while alone. There was no apology from reception either after the man there rudely said, “aapka phone kharab he phir,” while I was trying the Wi-Fi passwords he was recalling. My phone connected after about 5-7 seconds, and I politely told him it worked but he should show some restraint. The room was in bad shape from the start. The first one smelled strongly, so I asked for another. I agreed to take it after they said they’d clean the bathroom, which had clearly been used and wasn’t clean. That never happened. The kettle I requested never arrived, there was no hot water, the linen was dirty, the bed didn’t feel fresh, and I saw bed bugs and cockroaches. There was also a strange smell in the room. Staff said they’d sort things out shortly after check-in, but nothing changed. I’d never recommend this place, particularly to women. Please clean the rooms, deal with the pests, and train the staff. That’s the bare minimum.

Please don’t book this hotel through Make my trip, Goibibo, directly, or another third-party app. I paid for a booking with breakfast through Make my trip 10-12 days ahead and sent the manager my details. He confirmed the booking but said breakfast wasn’t included at that price. I accepted that, but then arrived in the morning after travelling from Ahmedabad and was told at reception that the hotel was full and they had no room for me. If there was no room, why was the booking confirmed? I had a miserable start to the day. I wouldn’t book here again.

At ₹800/day, it’s a decent option for a stay and better value at that price. The front desk managers were helpful, though the other staff came across as arrogant. Raj hotel could also fix or upgrade the room switches and bathroom fittings.

The bathroom ceiling leaks, and there were cockroaches everywhere. They didn’t even change the sheets.