We arranged a 6-night stay at the Hotel Annamalai International, Pondicherry where we had planned to meet our son for his 25th birthday - something he was totally unaware of, as we'd arranged it with the help of his girlfriend and her brother with whom he was travelling throughout India.
The booking was made direct after finding the hotel on the internet, and I was pleasantly surprised by the consistent email communication whenever I had a query.
First impressions were, well, impressive; the whole place was spotlessly clean, and staff were seemingly everywhere. The greeting at Reception was warm and handled with efficiency. The atrium foyer of the hotel is magnificent, a great place to relax whilst waiting to dine. A pair of glass lifts whisk you up the 5 floors of accommodation to the sub-roof level, where a few steps will take you to a large rooftop area with swimming pool, loungers and great views of surrounding Pondicherry.
The King Suite we stayed in was excellent, with mini bar re-stocked regularly, a well-appointed bathroom, TV, phone and large area for seating and relaxing etc. It was also air-conditioned, which kept the room pleasantly cool, so we had no trouble from mozzies.
The laundry service was terrific - same day service, and clothes come back neatly folded or ironed, just like new!
Two restaurants - one specialising in Indian cuisine, the other caters for European tastes, but has a good selection of oriental dishes. As the earlier review suggests, if you're visiting from Western Europe, Canada or the US, you'll be fine with the food here.
The front desk manager, Mr Neelangadan, went out of his way to help us create a great surprise for our son, and the entire hotel was in on the deal by the time we sprung the surprise party! Needless to say, our son was dumbstruck when he arrived in the bar to find us there!
Internet access is available for 50 rupees per half hour, which I felt was quite reasonable.
The Annamalai International is an excellent hotel, which we chose in favour of various others reviewed on TripAdvisor. There was only the one review on this hotel from Canada, but we would certainly stay there again, and definitely recommend it to others.
A little about the area of Pondicherry surrounding the Annamalai International Hotel.
The road past the hotel is very busy, but a quick auto-rickshaw ride to the main shopping area takes 10 minutes (just ask to go to 'Casablanca' - a briliant mini- department store right in the middle of the main shopping area) and should cost between 20-50 rupees, depending on your haggling skills. The French quarter of Pondicherry is lovely, very calm and, well, definitely French with Indian influences. If you're feeling nibblish, and want a proper cake, croissant or similar, head to 'Daily Bread' on HM Kasim Street - it is up a flight of steps and attracts plenty of tourists, but prices are very reasonable. The pastries are terrific - best we tasted during our trip.
Both men and women will need to be somewhat mindful of dress when walking in Pondy,- don't go wandering around in beach wear, as the local people tend to get very upset. Covering up is the order of the day, and you'll notice that clued-up westerners will do just this. It shows respect for the local population, and it can also prevent the demon mozzies getting stuck into you! From dusk 'til dawn, these little monsters are active, so get the Deet out.
If you're asthmatic, don't go anywhere without inhalers, as the air is thick with fumes until you reach the French quarter and the ocean. It's probably a good idea to wrap a scarf or similar around your nose and mouth too, when charging around in a rickshaw - it really is tough when you get stuck in heavy traffic, but this goes for most places in India, I guess.
Overall, Pondicherry is a great place, a place we'd travel to again. The Hotel Annamalai gets a big thumbs-up, and I recommend it without hesitation to anyone thinking of traveling to this area of India.
