I have a weakness for Rajasthan. Its history and heritage have always bewitched me, courtesy, Abanindranath Tagore’s "Raj Kaahini" - a wonderful collection of children’s stories in Bengali based against the historical backdrop of Mewar. This is a book, especially the hand drawn sketches by the author himself, which taught me to romanticize on period sagas - how Badshah Allauddin Khilji was mesmerized by Rani Padmini’s image reflected on the surface of a ripple-free pond, how Meera Bai had left the cool comfort of the royal palace to walk barefoot on the scorching sand dunes of Thar in search of her beloved Lord Krishna, how the forlorn Shubhaga had been blessed by the Sun God who had appeared to her in his dazzling white chariot drawn by a fleet of seven, well-bred horses and how the same blessing had turned into a curse one lonely night and more. As a result, expectations were sky high, when after a gap of almost four decades I and my sister decided to visit this beckoning Land of the Kings. I have already written about the city of Alwar, which was our base, for touring Bhangarh.
However, Alwar was a mixed bag. Greater was the disappointment when it came to lodging in the city, which in the mind’s eye of an over-imaginative lady, could offer nothing less than regal retreats. In reality, it was just the opposite. Since, the idea of exploring Bhangarh had germinated in my fertile brain, the onus of making the entire arrangement(i.e. travel itinerary, food, lodging, transport etc.), full proof and hassle free, fell on my two fragile shoulders.
Being a PSU person, I have a tendency to rely on anything and everything sarkari. Bad habit? I know. But all said and done, I cannot get over this over-dependence or fetish, whichever, one may call it. So, when it came to arranging accommodation, I fell back upon Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation(RTDC), scanned their website and phoned their office to find out where exactly we should be putting up in order to have a comfortable/convenient(in terms of proximity) tour to and fro Bhangarh. The answer was Hotel Meenal in Alwar. Now, while writing this review, I wonder why they did not suggest Sariska which is closer to Bhangarh than Alwar.
I checked on Hotel Meenal - first on the website and then over telephone with the contact persons at the Hotel. The pictures posted on the website were impressive with reasonable published tariffs:
Single non-AC room= Rs. 900/-+ tax per day
Double non-AC room= Rs. 1100+ tax per day
Single AC room= Rs. 1100/-+ tax per day
Double AC room= Rs. 1300/-+ tax per day
Additional bed= Rs. 400/- extra
(Non-AC rooms are without TV)
However, as is usually offered, the tariff did not include any complimentary meal, which was a let down(though a 10% discount was made available on the room rack rate). Was I asking for too much?
The staff was courteous and answered my queries patiently and nullified all my apprehensions in a jiffy. Yes, the hotel was meant for families, thus, obviously safe for two adventurous ladies who had dangerous plans to snoop around an infamously haunted fort!
It was an overcast day, drizzling intermittently. Four and a half hours and a series of directions (shot over mobile by the hotel staff) later, we finally reached our destination - the only RTDC hotel in Alwar - Hotel Meenal. It is conveniently situated near the Railway Station. The Circuit House is close at hand which is a beautiful example of medieval architectural splendour. Alas! It was beyond our reach.
Fortunately, as the hotel was absolutely vacant, being off-season, we were given the rare opportunity of selecting the rooms of our choice.(I was surprised when told that the hotel remains choc-o-bloc during peak season). The premise is substantially large(for a small hotel) consisting of two blocks of buildings - the main one which houses the double occupancy rooms and the annex, segregated from the main building by the lawn, which houses the single occupancy rooms.
Despite being well-located, Hotel Meenal was a disappointment in more than one way:
(1) Most of the rooms had peeling plasters due to heavy seepage
(2) The commode seat in the attached bathroom of our room was broken
(3) The geysers ran on gas instead of electricity - a kind of primitive technology. Consequently, we hardly got hot water supply when required as gas took more than reasonable time to heat up( or did not at all?) the water. Please remember it was mid- December!
(4) There was no generator back up in the hotel. As a result, once when the lights went off, we were given candles to lit up the room
(5) Though we were promised ghar ka khana, as per order, the hotel had very limited menu with a tendency to garnish all dishes with an overdose of red and green chilly tadka which was breathtaking in the literal sense of the term
(6) The staff consisted of two to three aged locals who lacked agility
(7) Just as we were wondering how the hotel met its day to day running cost that we realized that its mainstay was the bar which was frequented by the locals regularly in the evening. According to my manfriday this fact should have been taken into consideration(by me) before making the bookings as it was not at all becoming for two unchaperoned middle aged ladies to stay in a hotel where there was reportedly a bar, which decidedly spoilt the atmosphere and raised security concerns. One late evening, there was an incident of drunken brawl, however, we came to know of it the next day.
(8) The kitchen needed to be refurbished, maintained and kept clean.
(9) Throughout our stay, no housekeeping showed up. Hence, the bed-sheets, towels and other linens remained unchanged during our two-nights-three-days’ stay.
It would be unjust to underscore the negative points without mentioning the few positive ones that are there:
(1) As mentioned above, the premise is really large and advantageously located, the main commercial center of the city being at stone’s throw distance. So are many of the sites of historical importance of the city, though having a conveyance of your own is a must and definitely more convenient. At the back of the hotel is a posh residential area. Further down the road is another four/five star hotel.
(2) Needless to say, the rooms are naturally large and spacious and a special mention for the beds which were soft and highly sleep-worthy
(3) The huge lawn fronting the hotel, though in need of greater care and innovation, is good for morning walk and evening gathering.
(4) An early riser may get opportunity to feed the national bird(s) which flock in at the early hours of the day
(5) Surprisingly, the room service is fast and punctual, whatever the quality of food be served
(6) There is no hesitation in reiterating n number of times that the staff conduct themselves in exemplary manner, whatever their limitations be.
The hotel has only 12 rooms in total with a huge dining hall and a wide reception area. Maintained adequately, it can be an ideal and cozy haven for families and small gatherings. Minimally furnished, one should not look for signature decors which generally hotels(even three star) flaunt. There is sufficient parking area. Though, the bar is segregated from the dining or reception area, sundown drinkers spread over the lawn. Ambiance, therefore, during daytime is okay. By mid-afternoon the regular bar-visitors start streaming in and by evening time it is rather awkward for families to stroll in or past the lawn even if they wish to do so.
The hotel staff was candid enough to confess that funds from the government do not flow in as briskly as they should to meet the running/maintenance charges. However, neither the complaint register was offered nor remarks from the guests were asked to be recorded in the check-in register as is routine in hospitality sector. I wouldn’t strictly recommend Hotel Meenal to families(especially those who are averse to alcohol consumption and do not want their children to be exposed to bar culture). For colleagues, who had patted my back for choosing an RTDC hotel(from safety point of view), I would say think twice before opting for this one.
Hospitality is a highly competitive industry. It is government’s upper hand to have such good and cultivable property in hand and a reflection of very poor administration and wrongful governance not to utilize the same to the optimum undermining the concept of value for money. Some of the information available on website are also incorrect like availability of internet etc. So are the pictures posted of the hotel misleading.
RTDC wake up!