My wife and I knew we were in trouble when we arrived at the hotel reception – a small room exuding the charm of an Indian police station… We had selected the Surya Samudra based on its website, which describes a “lush resort” with cottages surrounded by “luxuriant foliage” and a “fine beach”. The photographs on the site depict what appears to be a luxurious property consisting of charming, light-flooded heritage cottages with beautiful interior designs. And with charges of 200 to 280 Euros per night for most rooms (a lot more than, say, The Aryani in Malaysia or the Damai in Bali – both amazing boutique resorts), surely this had to be a top-end hotel?
Unfortunately not. The Surya Samudra is at best a mid-range resort, with several serious flaws: The grounds were in a dilapidated state, with muddy pathways connecting the various structures. The beaches were hardly accessible and covered with trash. The restaurant, advertised as offering “excellent Indian and European cuisine”, had nothing of the refined atmosphere shown on the website and disappointed with unimaginative dishes and unprofessional service. The biggest disappointment were the accommodations: Our sea front room turned out not to have regular windows but only partial wooden shutters, making it impossible to keep insects out. Some of the furniture was visibly worn, and the towels were shoddy and dingy. When we asked for a room that would at least permit us to properly close the windows, we were offered a larger, but much darker cottage that was damp and smelled strongly of mold – at an even higher price. At these price levels, we do expect that the hotel and properties adhere to international standards.
We checked out within hours of arriving at the Surya Samudra. To add insult to injury, the hotel’s management refused to refund any of the room charges, which we had been required to prepay weeks in advance. (We are still in the process of sorting this out with the help of local authorities and our credit card company.) A senior official at the Kerala tourism department in Trivandrum, with whom we discussed our experience, confirmed that the Surya Samudra has long lost its status as one of the top choices in the area – “poor management”, was his impression.
Bottom line: If you are looking for luxury accommodation in this neck of the woods, stay as far away from the Surya Samudra as possible. Try the Leela instead or, if you prefer a heritage hotel, check out the villas in the nearby Travancore.