OYO Home 82992 Sea Side Villa

We’d booked a week ahead, but an hour before check-in the lady called to say she didn’t want to rent the room at the OYO rate and wanted extra money. When she realized we wouldn’t agree, she started talking about her kids and husband. She was rude and hung up on me. After a five-hour drive to Trivandrum, she ruined all our plans. The lady is a scammer.

We arrived for the week we’d booked through Agoda, but the owner refused to check us in. She said the amount we’d paid wasn’t enough and told us to pay more or cancel. She spoke to us rudely, muttering that we were greedy for paying less, and threatened not to give us a room even if we went to the police. I’d tell anyone to stay away, especially with family or loved ones.

For a short stop before a flight, the place has some good points: the rooms were spacious and clean, it’s beside the domestic airport and the sea, and the beach is beautiful, though there was lots of plastic and rubbish. As far as I could tell, only one room faced the sea. The area is remote, with just two or three places serving very basic food, no interesting shops, and little information about sights, eateries, or scooter hire. The location was a downside for me. There was no WiFi, which is a real problem if you need internet for work, research, or future bookings. The owner offered her home internet, but I didn’t use it. My bathroom smelled, as many Indian bathrooms do, and the hot water switch had an electrical fault and didn’t always work. The owner’s children were lovely and I liked them, but they took my passport to copy and accepted payment without a receipt or telling me where my passport was. The owner never introduced herself, so I didn’t meet her.

Our booking through Oyo was made a week ahead, but at about 11 am on the day we were due to arrive, the owner called asking for extra money. She demanded double the price or said we couldn’t stay. The whole thing ruined our day, and we struggled to find somewhere decent at the last minute. I suspect the low prices shown through Oyo are used to draw tourists in. If you book, you may get a call on the day asking for more; without contacts nearby, you could be stuck with no options and feel forced to pay. If you want to avoid that last-minute stress, I suggest staying away.