FabHotel Silver Lake

Salim made sure I had a great stay. He’s the tall team member in a sports shirt with a bright complexion and shining eyes. He even timed the door-to-door breakfast so the food arrived hot when we were ready to eat. He deserves recognition and a raise for that effort. I was booked here through my company, and the experience was A1, really wonderful. All the staff were helpful, whether at the front desk, in housekeeping, the kitchen, or elsewhere. They seem to know how to make the customer experience better. The hotel is in a great location, right near Pheonix Marketcity Mall, which has offices for various multinational companies.

When I arrived, they put me in a ground-floor room. Staff kept banging doors and making a lot of noise late into the night. The next day was much worse. Around 1 pm, we were told to leave our rooms right away because the BMC people had arrived. We had less than two minutes and were told to keep our luggage in the rooms. Nobody explained what was going on, just said it would be sorted in two minutes. We went outside and saw BMC people demolishing part of the hotel, first a ground-floor room and then one on the first floor. They kept saying not to worry and that it would take about 15 minutes. Families with children, older guests, couples, and foreigners were all left outside, trying to understand what was happening. After nearly an hour of repeatedly asking for an explanation, we were finally told to pack and that they’d move us to another hotel. We made clear we wouldn’t pay extra there, and thankfully they agreed. The power had been cut, so the hotel was dark while we packed. I had to use my phone torch. I was glad to leave. We were eventually moved, which I appreciate, but the hour of shock and confusion was awful and inconvenient. I’d stayed with Fab Hotels in other cities, so this was a disastrous experience. This kind of thing doesn’t happen out of nowhere. If they’d received notice from the BMC, why keep taking so many bookings?

If you haven’t booked yet, you’re lucky. My booking was changed without telling me: I’d reserved a room with breakfast, but they switched it to one without breakfast. Customer care was useless when I tried to sort it out. They kept hanging up or claiming they couldn’t hear me because my “audio was breaking up.” The room itself was filthy too. Dust covered most of the furniture, the sheets weren’t clean, and cockroaches were in the bathroom. I wish I could give a negative rating. Stay away.

The rooms are tiny and have no ventilation. I booked for three people through Cleartrip, but when we arrived the hotel said they wouldn’t put three guests in one room. Then why list that option on the site? They should check what Cleartrip, booking.com, or agoda says about their rooms. Thankfully, Cleartrip kept at it and helped us get the room without paying extra. If I were reviewing Cleartrip, I’d give it five stars.