The South Park

I was in town for a business event and found the location handy, close to Palayam Market and the Secretariat, with local shopping nearby. South Park Hotel is well maintained, and the team seemed to genuinely care about guests. Staff were courteous, quick to respond, and available when needed. My room was comfortable and had the facilities I needed. Breakfast was included, with a good spread to suit different preferences. There's also a swimming pool on the 2nd floor, open until 8 PM. A comfortable, pleasant stay, and one I'd recommend to business travellers visiting Trivandrum.

We arrived as a family at about noon on 2nd February 2026, and after I pointed out that the Booking.com details showed complimentary breakfast, the front office employee kept us waiting for over an hour before continuing check-in. He first claimed breakfast wasn't included. Once we had our key and paid, no one came to carry our bags. Then we took the lift opposite the lobby, and both lifts got stuck. We pressed the emergency button several times, but no one came. We were trapped for more than 20 minutes while reception staff watched and made no attempt to open the doors. We finally pulled them open ourselves and got out, then cancelled our booking. The staff showed incompetence and complete disregard for guests. The lobby also gave the impression they only cared about tour groups bringing in more customers. Management needs to address how front office staff treat guests.

The meal finished on a lovely note with payasam and brownie with ice cream, and the team even gave our group a cake for free. Around 15 colleagues came to Hotel South Park for a get-together. We had asked about the menu ahead of time, and they suggested a buffet at ₹750 + taxes. It had chicken, beef, fish, Kerala parotta, roti, naan, freshly made appams, two kinds of rice, and plenty of vegetarian curries. The paneer butter masala was especially good, with very soft paneer, and the beef fry and chicken were tasty too. We all enjoyed the food. A good option for office or group gatherings.

At checkout at 12:00 PM, we asked for a proper tax invoice and waited until 3:30 PM, but the hotel still couldn't provide it, repeatedly saying the system was down. We also had an uncomfortable night because the room was full of mosquitoes and the AC broke down in the middle of the night. The Duty Manager wasn't available when we went to the lobby for help. Only after repeated follow-ups and a long argument did reception agree to move us, at around 1:30 AM. That caused a lot of disruption for our family. On top of this, the room's electric kettle didn't work, something that should be checked before guests are put in a room. The service was careless and poorly managed, far below the hotel's claimed premium standards. We'll reconsider staying here.