Cambay Sapphire

The food was excellent, the staff were hospitable, and the activity area was good. For the price, it felt like good value. There aren’t many nearby places to visit, though. We were told our rooms had been downgraded because the hotel was fully booked, but it didn’t seem to be. Maybe there’d been a last minute cancellation. In that situation, I’d have expected an upgrade to what we originally needed. The pool area smelled bad, and the carpets weren’t clean. Only one lift was working. We also had no TV cable for a long time. Some music would’ve helped keep guests occupied while it was out. If they sort those things out, this could be a very good place.

The hotel’s online photos look like they show a much better past. When we got there, the lobby and hallways felt spooky, and the place seemed like a horror palace. We’d booked three rooms for a family trip, but basic things like clean bathrooms, ice cubes, and proper dental kits were missing. Staff were rude and pressured us to book an extra room. They weren’t supportive and seemed focused on getting more money from us. At night, we read reviews saying three people had died on the seventh floor in 2015 because of a short circuit and hotel negligence. That scared us, so we checked out as soon as we could. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

The restaurant food was good, though there was no buffet because hardly ten people were staying there. We were the only ones on the third floor. Parking was ample, and the bedroom in our executive room was spacious. The local staff tried to help, but all the problems pulled down the experience. I’d stayed at Ramada before, and would choose it over Campbay. Apart from the building, I can’t see what makes this a four star hotel. I’d give it two stars. We were here for one night in April 2019 with our two month old baby. Check in took about 15 minutes even though we were the only guests checking in. The lobby AC didn’t work, and there’s no central AC system. On the third floor, the carpet was loose and hadn’t been vacuumed. The living area in the executive room had just one chair and a small table, with no TV or proper furniture. The kitchen had a small empty fridge and a kettle, but no hot plate or utensils, so I didn’t understand the point of having it. First the lights wouldn’t turn on, then the AC, TV, and room key all failed. The boys tried to fix things, then a woman came, called everyone, and got them working. The AC still didn’t cool. We called the AC technician twice, but by 5 in the morning we were soaked and had to move to a standard room. That room was good enough, but the electricity was switched off at 9 AM. There was no hot water, possibly because there’s no central water heating, and the phone didn’t work, so we couldn’t report either issue. The pool was dirty, and the reception floor hadn’t been cleaned properly. It seemed like they swept once in the morning and left it at that. The power went out five to seven times in one evening, and it took 15 minutes to start the generator.

The shower tap was broken, and the power went out twice with no backup. The bed was covered in insects, with more on the table and in the breakfast food. Cleanliness was basically zero. It was a horrible stay, and I wouldn’t recommend this hotel.