The Crystal Residency

There wasn't even soap in the bathroom, though fortunately my companion had a piece. The fan kept making a loud noise, and there were no curtains on the window. Every passing vehicle's lights came into the room, then from about 6.45am the sunlight did too. I got to the hotel at 2.am and wanted to sleep a little longer, but couldn't.

The bathroom and toilet were awful. When I switched on the fan, it started sending out sparks. Luckily the weather was cool, so I managed to sleep without using it. We were sent to a parking area behind the hotel, then had to climb iron steps in the dark in heavy rain. The staff member used the torch on his mobile phone to show us the way. I had booked through OYO, but we had to ask for the OYO kit and drinking water, and they also wanted us to pay for the complimentary breakfast. When I argued with the manager, he took offense and told me to check into their luxury property if I wanted more amenities. Don't be fooled by how the place looks from the roadside.

Our pre-booked room had already been given to someone else by the time we arrived for check-in. They said they'd assumed we weren't coming because we reached late in the evening. They arranged a non-AC room at another hotel instead, and it was very dirty.

Mr Zahan, who was both the counter staff member and room boy, was the bright spot. His kind hospitality helped sort out almost all our complaints. Without him, we'd have checked out within minutes of arriving. There were plenty of problems with room #204. The mattress was so poor I could feel and count the springs against my back. The ceiling fan had no speed regulator, and I was sure switching it on could cause a fatal injury. We didn't even have a glass in the room or any drinking water. For two guests they provided only one bath towel, and we had to argue to get another. The washroom was unclean and smelly, and the landline didn't work when we tried to call reception with requests or complaints. Other guests were shouting in the corridor from 1150 PM, keeping us awake. The receptionist also insisted we fill in all the register details in our own handwriting, saying it was a police regulation.