Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Palais de Mahe (a CGH Earth experience) is situated in the French quarter in Pondicherry, India. The architecture of this beautiful boutique hotel is in keeping with the French colonial style of the region. It has 18 luxurious suites, a lovely courtyard with a swimming pool, a restaurant and bar, and a poolside cafe.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth hotel captivates guests with its tranquil and charming atmosphere, boasting spacious rooms with high ceilings that blend heritage with modern comforts. The hotel's staff are frequently commended for their exceptional service, adding a special touch to guests' stays.
While some visitors may find certain amenities lacking, the hotel's cleanliness, diverse dining options, and well-maintained pool are often praised. Nestled in a prime location, the hotel is a short stroll from the promenade and local cafes, enhancing its appeal for those who enjoy exploring on foot.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Soothing
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Since 2003 we are spending our winter holiday ( January-February) in South-India and mostly at CghEarth properties. They are eco-friendly, charming, perfectly maintained and have a staff of excellence. We came back to Palais de Mahe where we had stayed 5 weeks in January - February in 2013,2014,2015,2017, 2018 and 2019 for a 2 months stay ( 3rd January-2nd March 2024). The hotel in French colonial style with classy furniture and mirrors is strategically located in the French Quarter within walking distance to the beach, key attractions, restaurants,shops and the Tamil Quarter. From the moment we arrived until the moment we checked out we experienced the gracious hospitality of General Manager Dinu Ramakrishnan and his friendly and efficient staff . We stayed in Room 206 which is palatial, clean, with a large king sized bed, a sitting area, dual airconditioning very easy to control, minibar, fans, tv, safe, wifi, hairdryer and a very nice view on the swimming pool. The excellent breakfast served " à la carte"( see photo 1) includes a variety of freshly prepared fruit juices, a nice fruit platter, honey, jam butter, dosas, different preparations of eggs as well as croissant, toast and curd. We opted daily for Masala tea and French pressed coffee : both very good. We went several times to the elegant restaurant ( 2nd floor) overlooking the pool on one side and the street on the other side. We especially liked Tandoor chicken, squid ularthu ( a quick sauté with onion ,tomato with Kerala spices) and fish moilee . At Palais they have a nice selection of indian wines; Our favored were LA RESERVE ( red) and rosé wine both from the GROVER factory. We daily enjoyed a very relaxing swim in the charming pool.On 25th February we celebrated Jean-Paul's birthday with all the staff.Jean-Paul received beautiful and useful gifts and flowers. GM Dinu Ramakrishnan offered a delicious cake prepared by Arul with dark chocolate . It was shared with the staff. That day the housekeeping staff with the help of some members of the engineering team decorated our room with pictures of Rolande , Jean-Paul and the friends at Palais.They also installed a great number of little lights which brought a festive and romantic atmosphere . The ladies from housekeeping ( Muthulakshmi , Datchayani and Selvi ) made a beautiful Happy Birthday KOLAM in front of our room.Everything was just magnificent. An unforgettable day to cherish. We also had a guided visit by Uma in charge of the Villa , a new property of CghEarth close to Palais. It is an elegant mansion with classy furniture and includes 3 spacious rooms all very nicely decorated; This beautiful house is complimentary to Palais de Mahe. The outstanding service we received at Palais de Mahe continues over the years to reach the level of CghEarth excellence.Coming back to this hotel each year we can confirm the continuity of an impeccable service. A special mention is made to GM Dinu Ramakrishnan who is deeply committed to the highest standard of leadership and creates opportunities for his team not only to contribute but also to shine. We like to pay tribute to all the staff of Palais . At the reception Amaljith, Fakhruddin, Kalai and Jyoshna are truly outstanding in solving administrative problems and helping guests with sightseeing and shopping. Chef Kathiresan and experienced Chef Bala guide a great set of young cooks : Arul ( Bakery), Iyyanar, Antony,Arun, Vellapandi, Midhun and the passionate, talented and creative Jagadesh ( photo 2).At the restaurant Johnson, Prasad, Nithya,Veeraragavan,Dharani, Mani, Saroj and Deepan are doing a great job.All members of housekeeping ( Jinto, Santosh,Dinesh,Mutulakshmi, Datchayani, Selvi, Vijay, Sridhar, Alfin and Tony always smiling accomplish their daily work to perfection and the laundry done in the house arrives the same day. A special mention to Santosh( photo 3) whom we have seen flourish all over the 10 years we know him to become a skilled and experienced house keeping team player. He helped us each year solving practical problems and packing and made everything possible.Nikitha ( Human Resources) the teams of Engineering and Security as well as the Accountants also play a key role in the organization of Palais de Mahe.
Huge Thanks to all the staff for making our stay so very memorable and special
Warm regards
Rolande and Jean-Paul
Knokke-Heist
Belgium
PS We highly recommend this hotel
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CGH Earth, General Manager at Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth
Responded 3 Nov 2024
Dear Guest Thanks for sharing your thoughts of stay at our property. Very pleased of your continued reliance in us. We at Palais are privileged to host you again. Any Hospitality professional would strive for a pleasing experience to their guest. Such words would definitely boost the morale of the team. Your detailed feedback reflects the warmth and professionalism of the staff, the impeccable service, and the overall excellence of the hotel and it's wonderful to hear about the special touches and personalized service that made your stay unforgettable. A big thank you for your continued reliance & gratitude. We hope to welcome you back again soon! Regards Dinu Ramakrishnan Manager Palais de Mahe
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We stayed only for one night at this amazing hotel. Starting from the hotel reception to the restaurant staff, everyone was really friendly and courteous and made us feel comfy, warm and welcomed. The hotel is so aesthetically done in pure Pondy vibes..Yellow and white walls, clean pool, dreamy rooftop restaurant and spacious vintage rooms (we stayed in the Deluxe room type). Also, just a stone's throw away from the Rock beach! The place was very well maintained; cleanliness and sanitization was top notch. Temperature checks at the reception and restaurant was religiously done. Multiple sanitizer bottles were placed in the lobby area. We had a light dinner of White Sauce Pasta, which was just perfect. The breakfast had a set menu (written so cutely on a black board), which was a combination of French and South Indian dishes. Each and everything we tried was just lip smacking. The croissant was cotton soft and the Blueberry Danish was yum. The Masala Uttapams and coconut chutney was literally, one of the best, I have ever had. Whenever I visit Pondi again, I would definitely visit Palais De Mahe again!!
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from From the, General Manager at Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth
Responded 12 Dec 2020
Dear guest, Thank you for taking time to write a review on Palais de mahe and appreciation. I am glad that you had an overall good experience .Palais de mahe is one of the latest additions to CGH earth experience hotels and kindly do visit our other destinations also. Looking forward to your next visit to Pondicherry. warm regards Dinu Ramakrishnan General Manager Palais de mahe
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Excellent stay and hospitality experienced at Palais de Mahe. The hotel and each of their staff is so friendly and hospitable. Ad soon as we arrived at the hotel we were greeted by Mr. Amaljith at the front desk. We werevery happy to see that all Covid19 protocols were adhered to making us feel safe in the property. The room including the bathroom was so spacious and immaculately clean. Rooms are designed beautifully with French architecture. The GM of the property Mr. Dinu paid personal attention to our every need and demand. It was like u name it and it was made available. Right from the spa n pool tofood; everything here is exceptional. The Chief Chef Mr. Kathir and his team made all the dishes according to our palate making each meal so scrumptious. The head of service, Mr. Johnson ensured that we were served piping hot meals and in minimal time..such is their teamwork. The housekeeping staff headed by Mr. Arun made sure that the rooms were always kept spotless, clean and fresh at all times. In fact the art of towel origami was taught to my daughter in his free time. The beautiful property located in the French quarter is at a walking distance to the famous Promenade beach and very close to all the popular eateries and bakeries. Thank you so much team Palais de Mahe for making our Pondicherry holiday so special and unforgettable.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from From the, General Manager at Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth
Responded 13 Apr 2021
Dear guest, Thank you very much for the lovely review on Palais de mahe and appreciation of the staffs. I am glad that you had an overall good experience. Palais de mahe is one of the latest additions to CGH earth hotels and recommending you to visit our other beautiful locations also. Looking forward to your next stay at Palais de mahe. Warm regards Dinu Ramakrishnan General Manager Palais de mahe
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I have to sgree with most of previous positive comments about this hotel.It is a lovely building. However we had booked a room with a private terrace and while both were lovely they were directly below the restaurant ( room 208). Endless very loud scraping of chairs from one morning at 6am until around 10pm. Breakfast lunch and dinner are all served and in between the chairs are dragged along presumably for cleaning and setting different table arrangements. Also there is a very large development site next to the pool which isgoing to be an extension to the hotel. There is a great bit green sheet above the wall by the pool. Work starts early in the morning until around 6pm. While this noise was generally less intrusive is does go on at various levels during the day some more peristant than others. There are however lots of things to like. Rooms were spotlessly clean. Air con was excellent. Bed comfortable. Service from reception very helpful. Location perfect. Breakfast is basic but pleasant. Service in the bar and restaurant seems quite muddled and slow or incredibly speedy with starters being cleared before being finished. The food was fine. I would stay here again but would choose a different room. There are restaurants with better service and similar food quality nearby
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Date of stay: March 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FEEDBACKfromCGHEarth, General Manager at Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth
Responded 19 Apr 2020
Dear guest, Thanks for the review on Palais de mahe and for sharin experience with other travelers. We are glad that you enjoyed your room facilities. We are very sorry to hear that there were some big noise issues throughout your stay. Our heartfelt apologies. We have taken this issue very seriously, assuring you this will not happen on your next stay with us. Continually we are trying to improve our food quality, assuring next time a grand breakfast. warm regards Dinu Ramakrishnan General manager Palais de mahe 9442127519
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I visited Pondicherry with my cousin recently and stayed at Palais de Mahe. The hotel has a very warm and welcoming vibe. From the time we checked in, the courteous and efficient staff was always available look after us. The entire property is kept very clean.
Arun Kumar and Santosh from housekeeping surprised us by decorating our room with different towels crafts each day, whereas the chef and Johnson with team from the restaurant took care of our meals. The reception team helped us with transport and sightseeing.
The GM, Mr. Dinu Ramakrishnan was always around personally looking after the guests.
The hotel only needs to improve their food.
However, if we go back to Pondicherry we will still stay at Palais de Mahe.
Evelyn David
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from From the, General Manager at Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth
Responded 13 Apr 2021
Dear guest, Thank you for taking time to write a review on Palais de mahe and appreciation. I am glad that you had an overall good experience. Palais de mahe is one of the latest additions to CGH earth experience hotels and kindly do visit our other destinations also. Looking forward to your next visit to Pondicherry. warm regards Dinu Ramakrishnan General Manager Palais de mahe
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This was my first tryst with a hotel from the CGH group and the experience has been terrific. Right from the beginning, we were welcomed by very friendly staff who helped us with our check-in. Also greeting us was the GM of Palais de Mahe, Mr Dinu Ramakrishnan, with whom we had an extensive conversation about the CGH group of hotels, especially it's primary goal as a eco friendly sustainable hotel chain.
The hotel itself is quite an old heritage property. Located at less than 100 meters from the beach, its conspicuous French style construction can be seen in the high ceiling, thick white pillars, medieval style doors and windows and the bright yellow walls.
We had a scrumptious dinner and breakfast at the rooftop restaurant Les Alizés. Special mention to the head chef for cooking up some really lip-smacking delicacies consisting of Kerala style spicy fried Calamari, Crispy Baked Pork Chops, Prawn Mango Curry and Appam.
We also took the ayurvedic massages at the in house Spa which we found to be extremely relaxing and well worth the money.
Me and my girlfriend thoroughly enjoyed the one night stay and would be definitely stay again here on our next visit to Pondicherry.
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Date of stay: February 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Not someone who is into writing a review but this really needs to be told. This stay is one of those really good, safe place to go. Been with my girl gang and had absolute blast. Staffs were amazing, supportive and highly professional. If you are planning to go on a vacation during the pandemic, this is the safest place to relay on.. Temparature checks are done, rooms are sanitized before hand and well maintained. Food was amazing and so was the place..
Well, leaving it right here.. If you are around pondi and want to have a peaceful stay , this is for you..
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from From the, General Manager at Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth
Responded 12 Feb 2021
Dear Guest, Thanks for sharing your thoughts of stay at our property. Very pleased you had an overall good experience at our place. Very pleased of your mention of staff and their dedication. Please do try our other destinations for a experiential holiday. Regards Dinu Ramakrishnan Manager Palais de Mahe General manager Palais de mahe Pondicherry
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CGH Earth's Palais de Mahe is an absolute catch - it has won multiple accolades and for good reasons. This sustainable hotel is eco-friendly, the food is excellent (try out their South Indian food) and the rooms smell divine. The look of the hotel is sure to transport you to the 18th century with its canary yellow walls, fat pillars and high ceilings. Almost out of a literary novel. Hospitality is without a doubt top notch; please ask for Mr. Dinu Ramakrishnan when you are here, he's the best person to take you through the property. I also highly recommend taking the spa treatment because they're the ultimate and then flop down in the corridor with a tea to soothe your senses. We only stayed one night but it was SO worth it. Definitely check this out.
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Date of stay: February 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from From the, General Manager at Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth
Responded 13 Apr 2021
Dear Guest Thanks for sharing your thoughts of stay at our property. Very pleased you had a overall good experience at our place. It makes us very happy you were pleased with our service.. Please do try our other destinations for a experiential holiday. Regards Dinu Ramakrishnan Manager Palais de Mahe
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The Palais de Mahe has opened up for dining post lockdown and I visited their restaurant and was extremely satisfied to see the protocols in place to keep their guests safe. The taste of their cuisine, the hygiene and the service is excellent and I would highly recommend the Palais de Mahe for family get- togethers. Their menu is extensive covering Indian and Continental cuisine perfected by Chef Kathir while the service team led by Mr Johnson and Manager of the Property Mr Dinu Rajakrishnan is always ready to serve your needs to the greatest detail.
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Date of stay: January 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from From the, General Manager at Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth
Responded 2 Feb 2021
Dear Guest , Thank you for leaving a wonderful feedback about your dining experience at Palais de Mahe and appreciation of staffs, . We would convey your experience of delicacies with our chefs, they would be pleased. Thanks a lot for being a valuable ambassador of our place. Palais de mahe is one of the latest additions to CGH earth experience hotels and kindly do visit our other destinations also. Regards Dinu Ramakrishnan Manager Palais de Mahe
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We were longing to go to a place where we are sure we will be safe and after reviewing lots of options across India, we finally decided to stay four nights at this beautiful property. There was extreme pressure from the near and dear ones against this venture during Covid and the night before our trip we were told that Pondy is not safe to travel. We have stayed at various properties of Cgh Earth and are very familiar with their world class service standards and that gave us the real confidence to take the plunge. We were the only guests at the hotel when we checked in on 30/9/2020, but that did not deter them in providing the utmost care and comfort. We are in a time when the scheduled flights are often cancelled in the pretext of technical snags when the airlines did not have adequate bookings and there will always be a dent in the service standards. We were pleasantly surprised by the managements extra care to make our stay extremely safe and comfortable. This property being one of the very few operating in Pondicherry, from 1st October onwards they were almost full. Palais de Mahe is a minute away from the famous promenade and to our luck the local authorities have opened the promenade from 5 am to 9 pm. A walk in the morning here will purify your heart and soul with the beautiful sun rise and melodious sea. They have extremely professional and courteous staff to serve you and pamper you starting with their General Manager, Mr Dinu and they all work in complete harmony. One and all at the front office, Restaurants and housekeeping are always ready to happily serve you . Their Chef, Kathir is a wonderful person and always willing to cook something special for you and he is supported by a group of dedicated staff members. Overall we had a wonderful experience and looking forward to visiting this safe and beautiful home away from home in the near future. Let me take this opportunity to thank each and every one at Palais de Mahe for their world class service and we really really felt sad leaving this home.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from From the, General Manager at Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth
Responded 12 Dec 2020
Dear guest, Thank you for taking time to write a review on Palais de mahe and appreciation. I am glad that you had an overall good experience . I conveyed the message to the chef also. Palais de mahe is one of the latest additions to CGH earth experience hotels and kindly do visit our other destinations also. Looking forward to your next visit to Pondicherry. warm regards Dinu Ramakrishnan General Manager Palais de mahe
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Chennai (Madras), India10 contributions3 helpful votes
Yes, there is a dedicated car parking space on the backside of the hotel. The Hotel will also help you park if a car owner finds it difficult to maneuver the car in the parking
There are more places to choose from in the Pondicherry area.
PRICE RANGE
₹27,576 - ₹37,604 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
IndiaUnion Territory of PondicherryPondicherry
NUMBER OF ROOMS
18
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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Are there any historical sites close to Palais de Mahe - Cgh Earth?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Vedapureeswarar Temple, Puducherry (0.7 km), Church Of Our Lady Of Good Health (4.1 km), and Arikamedu Archaeological Site (3.4 km).
