The Park Chennai

This was one of the worst hotels stays I have had. First of all, this is NOT a 5 star hotel. Maybe it once was but it cannot claim to be one anymore. I don't know of any 5 star hotels that don't have running hot water. I had to call someone from reception when I needed hot water for a bath and someone brought hot water in a bucket with a mug!! There was a musty moldy unpleasant smell throughout the hotel. The first room I got had such a strong smell of mold and the bathrooms smelled of sewage so I asked for a room change. The rooms are super old and in need of an update. Nearly all the pieces of furniture are scuffed, chipped and damaged. My bed linen was stained as was the chair in the room. Cleanliness is not at all a priority at the park. There was dirt and grime on the corners of the room, the windows had not been cleaned in ages and the carpets in the halls were littered with matchsticks and little pieces of trash. There were towels soaking up water on the floor in some places in the hallway. The worst part was that I got very sick from the food after ordering room service in the night. I was up throwing up all night because of it. The chef and staff very apologetic about this later which I appreciate. The breakfast spread was also decent. Everything is super over priced though including the food, the shuttle service(Rs. 2200 for airport v/s Rs.360 on OLA) and the room itself. It is worth less than half that in my opinion. My understanding is that the only reason this place continues to operate is because of its proximity to the US consulate. It is a short walk away and was super convenient. However, the convenience was not worth the hit in comfort of stay and I will never be staying in this hotel again even if I have work at the consulate. Save your money and stay some place else and invest the money in cab fare.

For my 7 days trip to Chennai this time I decided to book 3 different hotels just to choose the best one which I might choose the next time I visit. Previous stayed in residency tower but was fully booked this time. Anyways, it’s true that this ain’t a 5 star hotel. More to a 3 star perhaps. But the hospitality was really great. The 23 year old (if I remember correctly) needs a lot of revamping. Walking to a bar which was very noisy wasn’t a good impression together with the not so welcoming lights. Their staff were very helpful. Walking towards the room was also not pleasant as there was a kind of stale smell. Like old, or maybe wet floor and cockroach smell or something like that. But to their defense I didn’t see anything crawling around. Inside the room I had the same smell which really bothered me. But I didn’t complain as there was nothing they can do about it. If only the room sliver finishing could be cleaned properly like the sink hole and all and the smell of the hotel itself can change, maybe it will give better vibes to customers. It’s a good hotel and I wish you could be great one day…..