Squirrel Nest Guest House

Having the beach so close meant I could walk there after waking up and meditate by the water before bed. That kind of routine is hard to find without spending a lot. This was a nice, affordable guest house, and you can hear the beach when you step outside. There’s no power backup, so if the electricity goes out, be prepared for a regular-water shower. It didn’t bother me much. A car would be useful for getting food from the main city, since the seaside restaurants are extremely expensive.

At 1,500 a day, I expected better maintenance and cleanliness. The toilet was dirty when we were shown the room, and we had to ask for it to be cleaned. The chairs, cloth stand, and furniture were dirty too. The sheets looked okay, but the extra pillow had a pretty filthy cover. There was one bar of soap for two people for two days, no tissues, and no geyser. The host seemed to be cutting costs: an Odonil air freshener was sitting there with its packet unopened, just for show. They will fill your water bottle if you take it downstairs and ask. The fan was very noisy and needs repair. Water leaked from the washbasin pipe when we turned on the tap, the basin pressure was very low, and the small flush tank took 15 minutes to refill. Good luck flushing. The host watched how much we used the AC. We had the back door open while it was on, and he cut our connection without saying anything. When it happened again after the power came back, he called and was very rude. We were running the AC at 29 degrees just to get some air because of the noisy fan. I tried explaining that, but he said the AC would use too much power and too much water would fall. He may be right about the power use, though 28 degrees isn’t that low and it wasn’t very hot outside. Still, he shouldn’t have spoken to us so rudely. The rooms need serious maintenance, so this isn’t all the guests’ fault.

The owner and his wife were cordial and good people, and the location was quite nice, with the beach only a short walk away. Food can be ordered on Swiggy or found at a nearby place. Parking was manageable, though the lanes are narrow. We eventually moved somewhere else because there was no power backup or hot water. It felt more like a guest house than a hotel. The power cut made it difficult to stay there with our little one.

The owner, Madhavan, made this stay especially memorable. He was warm, attentive, and shared local tips that added a lot to the visit. I felt at home as soon as I arrived. Squirrel Nest is just a couple of steps from the beach, a handy base for exploring Mahabalipuram and its UNESCO World Heritage sites. The town has a calm, storybook feel. The accommodation itself was peaceful, clean, and comfortable, with what I needed for a relaxing stay. I’d recommend Squirrel Nest to anyone heading to Mahabalipuram.