Hotel Kalinga

We reached Kalinga Hotel, Odisha at 4:00 a.m., but the manager wouldn't answer the phone. The security guard wouldn't let us inside, which was humiliating. There was no waiting hall, and many people, including four children, had to wait outside reception. Despite repeated requests, nobody arranged seating until after 8:00 a.m. The room came very late, making things especially hard for families and children. Reception staff were careless and unprofessional, and the receptionist seemed to be under the influence of alcohol. All four rooms we'd booked were filthy, with unhygienic bathrooms and cockroaches roaming around. Food service took a long time, and we had to ask repeatedly. The food was poor, while the tiny breakfast area was overcrowded and badly kept. The kitchen looked dirty and unsafe. The property wasn't worth the price, even at ₹1,500 a night. The guard was rude, and when we tried to leave, the door wasn't opened, leaving us inconvenienced and feeling insecure. MakeMyTrip wouldn't let any of us post a review, which raises real concerns for me about transparency and inflated ratings. The online ratings are highly misleading. This was one of my worst hotel experiences, and I strongly warn future travelers to avoid Kalinga Hotel.

A quiet, peaceful place away from the busy lanes and close to puri stadium. Getting around is easy if you hire a scooter. The staff are polite and well behaved, and the hotel is great for the affordable price.

The main disappointment is how misleading the MakeMyTrip rating seemed. We chose the hotel because it had a 4+ rating, but all four families tried to leave reviews and couldn't. The app kept saying “You have already submitted a review,” which wasn't true. It makes me seriously doubt whether the ratings reflect the hotel's actual condition. I'm posting on Google so others don't get misled as we were. We paid nearly ₹4,000 a night, but it didn't feel worth even ₹1,000. The rooms were tiny and dirty, the bathrooms smelled bad and weren't clean, and we saw cockroaches. With two suitcases in the room, there was hardly space to walk. Breakfast was below average, and the small dining area, with barely four tables, felt crowded and uncomfortable. The location wasn't an advantage either, since it's not close to Puri Jagannath Temple. Overall, a very bad experience.

There's little good to say, so please avoid this hotel. It's far from Jagannath templ, too far to walk, and not near the beach. The small, damp rooms were dirty, and I saw a cockroach. The dining area wasn't clean either. I booked through MakeMyTrip after seeing good reviews, but the app wouldn't let me leave feedback. It said a rating had already been given, although I hadn't rated it. Don't trust the MMT rating.