Hotel Arulmuthu Residency

I was passing through on my way to Chennai and stayed overnight. The hotel is very old, though the room is a decent size. There’s no lift, and the stairs to the rooms are very steep. Parking is behind the hotel, and there’s no restaurant on site. The temple isn’t as close as suggested; it takes over 15 minutes to get there without traffic. The roads are congested, so allow extra time in peak season and depending on the time of day. My room smelled strongly of naphthalene balls and had insects. Night reception staff were rude and acted as though helping guests was a favour. I booked through Agoda but was asked to pay extra at the hotel for no reason. That behaviour made the stay very uncomfortable, so I’m giving one star. They provide a bar of soap, but no bottled water, so you have to buy it outside.

The rooms were well kept, even though the entrance wasn’t much to look at. We’d booked on a website and told them our arrival time, so everything was ready and we didn’t lose any time. There’s room for car parking and room service, though no restaurant in the complex. Hotel Sabarees, just a few blocks away, serves tasty vegetarian food. The hotel is near the Western entry gate of Madurai railway station, so getting off on another side of the station could mean paying more for an auto.

The staff were friendly, drinking water was available, and there’s car parking at the back. The room was clean and good, and the toilet was well maintained. 4.5/5.

There’s plenty of car parking, and the hotel has an old-house kind of atmosphere. It’s near the railway station but around 3 km from Meenakshi Amman temple. Veg and non-veg restaurants are nearby. Smoking is allowed inside, and the smell is bad; there’s no designated smoking area, though having one near the parking would help family visitors. Bathing hot water is available only in the morning because the heaters are solar. For drinking hot water, you have to ask reception each time, then wait quite a while for the staff to bring it.