Liwa Hotel, Bangalore

The best part of my seven-day business trip was how the staff treated me, especially at the restaurant on the 4thFloor. They listened whenever I had an extra request and made sure I was looked after. The rooms were also well maintained, and the architecture and look of the place met my expectations. I’d rate the food 4/5: it wasn’t outstanding, though calling it poor would be unfair. Still, the taste and standards could better match the hotel’s other strengths, particularly its service and guest experience.

Being near the airport is the one real advantage, though there’s a lot of construction going on nearby. The rooms don’t match the pictures and have an unpleasant smell, and the curtains don’t work properly. The TV also wasn’t HD as I expected. Service was disappointing: staff kept apologizing but couldn’t resolve the problems.

A transit hotel should let you get ready for your next trip, but there was no hot water for freshening up. I called every number they provided and got no answer. At checkout, when I asked why they hadn’t picked up, they demanded proof that I’d called. Apparently I was expected to go to reception just to get hot water. The service was awful, and the staff’s behavior was terrible too. Honestly, I don’t know how this place got its rating.

We stayed for three days because the hotel was near our venue and would help us avoid Bangalore traffic. From the outside it looks lovely, but inside the rooms are large and so dimly lit that it’s hard to see clearly. They supplied just two 500 ml bottles for a double room, then charged double the market price for each extra one. Some basics, including lockers and a shaving mirror, were missing, and we had to ask for the dirty sheets from the previous stay to be changed. I also left my headset behind. When I returned later that day to pick up my luggage, nobody had the courtesy to mention it. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.