Flagship Al Haramain Home Stay

There are only about 3-4 rooms, so it feels more like staying in a house. It was quiet and the price was good, 1500 for four people for 24 hours. Hot water and drinking water were available. It was a bit hard to find, and there’s no dining, so treat it as just a place to sleep. No alcohol or smoking is allowed.

I ended up paying double for half the space after spending the night looking for somewhere to stay in Ooty. I’d travelled there for an event, and OYO had switched my booking to Al Haramain after the original property denied it at the last moment. When I arrived, the owner said the place hadn’t been listed with OYO for over a year, and that he was tired of turning guests away all day because OYO wouldn’t answer his calls. It was an awful situation to be in. My bigger issue is with OYO: why confirm a booking and then cancel at the last minute? Even if an owner is greedy, OYO should take responsibility. Otherwise, what’s the point of booking ahead? The whole thing felt unethical and unprofessional. I won’t book through OYO again, I’d rather contact a hotel directly.

There wasn’t even clean water, and the bedsheets were missing. The hot water geysers didn’t work either, and there were no towels, soap, or shampoo. I couldn’t find any good restaurants nearby. Just a terrible stay, don’t waste your money.

You only get three rooms, not the whole villa, and the owner is always watching. His room is on the same floor, and there’s CCTV inside the house, so there’s no real privacy. The owner only tells you alcohol isn’t allowed once you arrive, even though that restriction isn’t in the policy. The service was poor too. I wouldn’t recommend it.