Cannot say enough good things about The Bangala. It is an incredibly well-run, friendly, reasonably priced hotel in a very interesting location. The service and food are better than we got in much larger hotels and the staff is simply delightful.
Traditional Chettinad cuisine is one of the highlights here -- delicious and served as if you were in a 4-star restaurant.
The hotel itself is also wonderful -- set in an old officers club with a charming garden and outdoor dining area. The rooms were spotlessly clean -- by far the cleanest hotel we stayed in in india even though we stayed in some more expensive ones. And the rooms have all the touches that mark a thoughful attention to comfort. Ceramic soap dishes, an actual hand towel rack (just why are these so rare in India?)-- 4 bottles of water replaced daily. Actual pillows and personal touches in the common area. There is simply no stinting on the details here.
Finally, the staff is really delightful. The owner, Meenakshi, perceiving that we were a bit out of sorts when we arrived (had to change our plans last minute), immediately provided everything we could have asked for, without us even asking! A fascinating guide, Meena -- a Chettinad herself, took us to the local mansions, market, temple, tile makers, weavers. Really gave us sense of the community as she was able to add all the cultural details from her own experience. Meenakshi also helped us with recommendations and a wonderful driver for the rest of our trip.
The day we were to leave my sister became ill. They allowed us every leeway as far as checking out late and then Meenakshi and Meena personnally got rehydration salts and biscuits for my sister before we departed. There is simply real genuine kindness as well as good service at the Bangala.
All in all, this is the whole package for a two to three day stop--a great place to stay with built-in culture and sights.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
