Seashell Port Blair

Dinner at Seashell’s rooftop restaurant was a great experience. The open-air setting was breezy, with wide ocean views at night and lovely live music. Everything we ordered was delicious and filling, and the mocktails stood out too. Our favorite dish was the Chicken steaks.

The mixed kitchen arrangement for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food could be improved. Aside from that, the hotel was well maintained, with clean rooms and premises and all the necessary in-room facilities. Staff communicated well and provided good service. We also enjoyed the live music on the terrace at night, and the hotel is close to the market.

Getting our bags into the property was a struggle. There are stairs at the entrance and nobody offered to help, so we had to haul the suitcases ourselves, however heavy they were. It also didn’t feel child-friendly. We were there for our 11th anniversary, but Mr Subaiya, the manager, was rude and arrogant. My wife asked for a cocktail with less alcohol and he refused outright, then didn’t check whether we wanted anything else. Even after we mentioned the anniversary, he showed no interest. Other guests seemed to get customized options, though they were paying nearly the same as we were. We choose branded five-star places because we want to feel welcome, and we didn’t feel that way at Sea shell - port Blair. We also stayed at Welcomehotel - ITC port Blair, where the manager was helpful and the hospitality made us feel looked after, despite the higher price. Sea shell felt overpriced and discourteous. I wouldn’t spend the money here.

Breakfast was good, and we felt comfortable during our stay. The service was good too, with nice rooms and a great atmosphere on the rooftop. It works well as a place to stop in Port Blair before heading on to the other islands. The property is very well maintained, though it feels more like a hotel than a resort. Food prices seemed a little high, even by Andaman standards.