The Red House

I paid 4500 per night for the Christmas weekend, which felt far too expensive for the service. The property is vegetarian, but that wasn't mentioned anywhere. There was no view from the room or even a TV in it, and the outside area was too dirty. The toilets had extremely low water pressure. Vintage doesn't mean a place shouldn't be maintained. I'm not happy with this stay at all.

Before we had even seen the hotel, someone from the office kept calling to ask for advance payment. The breakfast was only idly, coffee, and bread. The real place didn't match the ambience or photos on Booking.com. The rooms were very old, had no televisions, and the bathroom flush didn't work properly. Don't go here, it made the trip frustrating and spoiled the mood.

We spent three nights and four days at Red House, and the kids really enjoyed the antique feel. It felt like a royal stay and made for a memorable visit. Amith and Ashish Jain, the caretakers, took excellent care of us the whole time. Breakfast was simple and tasted home-cooked. I'd definitely pick Red House again on my next visit to Ooty.

The repeated reminders from the receptionist/caretaker about checkout between 10:30-11 AM became so frustrating that I checked out early just to end the interaction. The rooms were only decent, and the rooms and bathrooms smelled, which made the stay uncomfortable from the beginning. The complimentary upma was a letdown compared with the “exceptional breakfast” description on Booking.com. Even smaller cottages provide better food and service. Since the property dates to 1935 and is sold as a heritage palace setup, I expected charm and good upkeep, but it fell well short. Cleanliness, service, and hospitality all need serious improvement. It wasn't worth the hype or the money.