OYO 24347 Hotel Sunrise View

A low-cost place that might suit young people exploring Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi, but I wouldn't call it good for families because maintenance is poor. The corridors smelled of dry fish, literally, and I kept hoping they'd clean them, but they didn't. Most guests seemed to be young adults, though families stayed too. Room options included A/C and non-A/C, with a queen bed in family rooms and multiple single beds in bachelor rooms. An A/C room for two cost Rs. 950 plus tax. Amenities listed were A/C, TV, toiletries (I booked through oyo and don't know if those are otherwise provided), and R. O. Water. I'd give hospitality 2/5. The staff didn't seem professional or happy to have guests, though I can't say they were rude. Getting help meant asking, and there was sometimes an annoying, spoken expectation of a tip. Cleanliness gets 0/5: the room was badly maintained, toilets weren't clean, walls looked stained and unpainted for decades, and there was loads of dust under the bed. The red OYO runner sheet was dusty in a drawer, the cupboards were dusty, and the R. O. Water dispenser area was filthy and stinky, as in the photo. I booked trusting oyo's standards, so I'm shocked they haven't noticed this. There were several young adults at reception, but as a new arrival I shouldn't have to figure out who's in charge. I expected someone to greet us or ask if they could help, but we had to start the conversation. Sad to say I won't choose this hotel next time I'm in Rameshwaram.

At least the hotel is close to the entrance for Morning Mani darshan, but the rest of our April visit to Rameswaram was frustrating. Reception didn't respond, and on our first visit to the city it was worrying that we couldn't reach them on the first try. There was no hotel parking, so we had to leave the car about 300 metres away. The directions were vague and it took effort to work out where to go. A hotel worker carried our luggage, but he was very rude. We assumed the service was free, then had a hard time negotiating with them and were finally charged 150 RS to take the luggage to the parking. So expect non-responsive reception, paid parking 300 metres away, and bargaining with locals if you have lots of bags.

There are small restaurants in front of the temple where you can try South Indian food, and electric cars run from 6am to 6pm. The government has restricted transport around the temple for the past five years, so cars have to be left in public parking. Even from nearby hotels, you still have to walk to the East Gate for the rituals and bath. In my opinion, staying here may be the best choice. It's right opposite the Temple East Gate entrance, which is useful after the pilgrimage ritual of bathing at the 22 wells, since you can change clothes straight away. Pilgrims can also see the temple for whole days. It has spacious rooms with amenities like a Flat TV, 7mm bed, geyser, and AC, plus a lift available 24 hours. It was a well-maintained hotel and one of the best in Rameswaram till 2009.

I can't rate this any lower. We prepaid for three rooms through Oyo, but when we arrived at 2 Pm, staff said there were no rooms and we'd have to wait a couple more hours. They said we could wait or find another hotel and get a refund. Because it's so close to the temple, it seems they give rooms to shrine visitors for a couple of hours. They didn't value the pre-booked guests and seemed focused on money. I've run into this problem twice with guests who matter to me, so I wouldn't recommend booking ahead here. Service is poor too, you can't even expect a bottle of water on time when you need one.