Grand Continent Hotel, Rameswaram

Mr. Balaji at the front office was warm and professional, and helped us arrange temple tickets. His guidance made the visit smooth and memorable. Hotel Sremethila is close to both the temple and railway station, and the spacious, elegant rooms were well maintained. Restaurant service could use improvement: it was sometimes slow and a bit disorganized, especially when we asked for extra spoons or plates. Still, we had an excellent stay and will definitely return.

The one real plus was how close the hotel is to Rameswaram temple. The rest of our two-night family stay at Sremithila Hotel fell well short of expectations for the price. We had a family room with two double beds, but housekeeping never cleaned or attended to it during the entire stay, even after I called the front desk. Curtains were badly fitted, letting in lots of daylight and making it hard to rest after early morning temple darshan. The bathroom had loose or broken toilet fittings and consistently low water pressure, which made basic use difficult. Breakfast was disorganized too: the complimentary buffet often ran empty, so we had to wait a long time for dishes to be replenished. There wasn't much choice, and the food was poor value for the cost of the stay. The lack of service, maintenance problems, and general discomfort mean I can't recommend it.

The only real positive was the room: it was spacious and tidy, though amenities were very limited. For what they charge, I wouldn't suggest this place. There were very few staff and poor service, the power went off repeatedly at night, and the AC kept cutting out. The bed wasn't as comfortable as it looked in the pictures. Wifi wasn't available, and the hotel's restaurant had a very small menu with food priced high for its quality. Honestly, I don't think the other hotels in Rameshwaram are worth their prices either. This place should charge less and stop advertising itself as a 3 star hotel, or provide the amenities and service you'd expect from a 3 star.

Mr. Asabul, the manager, took personal care with the service, and the staff were courteous and offered good suggestions. Both the food and the cooking were top quality. The restaurant was outstanding, and I'd strongly recommend the hotel and restaurant for a stay in Rameswaram.