Secret Beach Bungalows

Arriving late turned into a nightmare and ruined our trip. I had read two or three bad reviews but decided to come anyway. They told us that because we were late, they had given our pre-booked rooms to someone else, and asked if we’d accept a guest house near the beach instead. The room there was so disgusting that cleanliness was beside the point. We paid 2k, and my wife and I woke up with a strong headache. At breakfast they said they couldn’t serve us at 7:30 am because it starts at 8:30 am. They said they were sorry, but it felt like they were just here to loot our money.

We booked six days over New Year and didn’t have other options, which felt like bad luck. The huts are extremely old, and I don’t know when one might collapse. There’s no proper maintenance. We didn’t get room service even once during the whole stay, despite reminding them every day, and the manager was very rude. Don’t rely on the pictures, and look at the other nearby places instead.

The one good thing is the location. My room was dirty, and the host, Ruju, tried to get me to pay more. Breakfast was included in the price, but they didn’t serve any. When I arrived, they couldn’t find my booking, so the host called the owner, "The french ". It took ages for him to find me. He should be here running the place.

I got a room with a view opening onto the arabian sea, which was a lucky find and the best hotel deal I got on my drive from bangalore to mumbai. The only issue was that there wasn’t hot water available 24 hours a day.