I had a chance to stay in the Hotel Lake View at Ooty. I reached the hotel on 6th of April 2007 at around 2:30 pm. I arrived at the reception and showed my booking confirmation. They asked me to pay 1500+taxes more, though I had already paid 50% advance while booking. I asked them when I will check out I would pay the rest of the amount but they started arguing with me that it is not a hotel it is a resort but I said what if the service I find here is not satisfactory. They said that previously the people just ran away without giving the money so they are taking advance. I don’t know how they are running the hotel. They themselves might be cheat that is why they see others also like them.
They didn’t allotted me any room until I paid the balance amount. Well they then took me to the cottage which they say as Executive Suite. But believe me a simple deluxe room of about 800-1000 INR is much much better than the Executive suite of this hotel. The basic things like tube lights were not there in the room. The intercom was not working at all. I complaint them about it at the reception then they repaired it from the exchange. Moreover, the television was not there in the bedroom, which it supposed to be but was in the drawing room and that too its remote was not working properly. I had get up every time to change the channel.
Though I was tired and did not had much time for the site seeing so I didnot complaint about it on that day as then I would miss the sight seeing on that day and I had already gone to reception complaining about the phone so I didnot took the endeavour to go again. Well compromising on the present situation, as all the rooms were full on that day, I ordered the lunch. I had ordered Mutter Paneer with two pranthas. It took them almost half an hour to serve it to my room.Then we went out for sight seeing. The hotel is also far off from the lake. Don’t get misguided by the name you will not be able to view the lake from the hotel. The next day in the morning I had to catch the train to Conoor. I ordered the breakfast I called them several times but even after one hour the breakfast didnot reached my room. So I had to go without breakfast as I was getting late to catch the train. Now after full day roaming around I came in the night and had to order the’pathetic food’ of the hotel as it is very far from the main market you will not find a single food outlet nearby. I picked up the phone and again second time I found it dead. So I just waited for 10 mins thinking it may come up but in vain. I had to go out to the reception in my night suit to order the dinner. I complained about the phone and other things which I saw previous day. The person started arguing with me saying that the phone is already working. He then called to that phone and told me that it is working but I said why I would have come in the night suit to the reception to order food if it was working. He seemed like quarreling with me. Then he told that the pantry is closed now as they take order upto 9:45 pm. I said the phone was not working that is why I had come here and moreover it is clearly mentioned in the menu that closing time is 10:00 pm, how can you close earlier, well after lot of arguing they took the order and served me the food.
Then comes while checking out from the hotel. I asked them the feedback register they did not gave me the register easily they wandered me here and there for 15 mins till I firmly asked them about the register. So in short I had a very bad experience in Ooty which was my first visit to that place.
I recommend you not to go by the name and I feel you would find better rooms in the lodge as in their Executive suites.