Make My Trip review
Recently I booked the above package with MMT for myself and a friend with our spouses. We customised the standard package with 2 Nights in Jaisalmer, 2 Nights in Jodhpur and 3 Nights in UDAIPUR we had requested for 3 star Plus hotels and were assured of the same. We booked a private car for the full tour.
The following was my experience:
Flights:
Probably the only saving grace of the package. The flights were good.
Hotels:
1 night in TRIPLI STAY INN DESERT CAMP. JAISALMER The experience was good.
1 night in SKY PLAZA Jaisalmer. Though this was not a 3-star hotel the only good hotel we experienced in the whole trip.
2 nights in PARKK BOUTIQUE Hotel JODHPUR. It might have been a good hotel in last decade. Now it is very rundown and cockroaches infested. It is nowhere near 3 Star. Service was atrocious and Breakfast was at best mediocre both days. Entrance staircase was so high I doubt if it is friendly to old people. They were too stingy in supplying Drinking water as they provided only 2500ml water bottles for 2 people. There were no Tissues provided.
3 nights in Hotel GORBANDH UDAIPUR. This again was touted as a 3 star hotel by MMT which is nowhere near the truth. This cannot be even classified as good A Grade Hotel. The rooms we were given were Stinking as soon as we entered the rooms. The flush in our room was not working and when we complained initially they tried to repair it superficially only when we complained again and demanded to change the room did they repair it properly. Still the water was leaking continuously making sound all night. They did nothing about the stink. The shower head was leaking so much that half the water was spraying upwards instead of through the shower head. The mixer needed change may be for the past 2-3 years but no one seems to be bothered.
The second day they did not even clean the room. When complained I was told I did not ask for it. In my 45 years of International and Domestic travels no hotel ever told me that I have to ask for cleaning. It was automatic.
CAR:
We booked a car for the entire trip. The car was clean and Good. The Diver was good initially. Only problem with him was that he will take us to only those places where he will get commission or a free meal. Usually these places are very expensive Tourist Traps. When we didn’t take the services at these places The Driver would get Very disappointed and surly and uncooperative for a long time afterwards. He would tend to drive a minimum he could get away with. Always trying to run away at 3-4 Pm. He would never give us any information unless asked for. Example at several temples and monuments where photography is restricted he could have told us before hand to leave the cameras and mobiles in the car. Instead we would only find that when we reach the place and were told by the security.
Interaction with MMT:
When MMT finalised the Package, they have not given us any Detailed itinerary. They have only given us Air travel Tickets and Hotel Booking Details. For local sight seeing they just put Day at leisure. Which means we were at the mercy of the Driver. On day two he told us he is leaving us at 3 PM in JAISALMER. When we insisted that he should take us to the lake and puppet show he became angry and sullen. On day 3 when we reached Jodhpur at 3 PM he just Dropped us at the hotel and went away. We could have visited the garden and one more place that evening. When asked MMT service Desk about this they took the complaint and told me they will call back in 30 min which they never did. Next Day morning when I called again a new agent checked and told me that Sightseeing is not included in our Package. (As if we were Idiots to go all the way to Rajasthan to sit in the Hotel). They never clarified about the sightseeing and the driver. Car Scope.
On Day 5 when we reached Hotel GORBANDH and found it to be not suitable I contacted Mr. Santosh Kamble Local Tour Manager in Udaipur, and requested to see if the Hotel can be changed He told us he will get back to me. Next Day afternoon when I received a call from someone claiming to be from MMT, To my surprise he informed that they are (MMT) not handling our Hotel bookings but are sub contracted to local vendors.
With all the above experiences and adversities I fail to understand why MMT is charging us so much money and subcontracting everything. Their claims of 3 star hotel seem to be their own star rating.