The Bungalow on the Beach-17th Century, Tranquebar

The location is superb. Rooms are good. Clean washrooms. Decent food. Staff are nice and humble people. However while trying to book the room, when i called, i was informed that it is fully booked. After around fifteen minutes my father called and then he was able to proceed with booking a room. Not just one room, but he was also given the choice between 2 available rooms. I just couldn't understand why this happened. On top of this when we actually went there on one day there was only one other guest, on the next 2 other rooms were occupied and on the third we were the only guests! Step stools must be provided in all rooms, as the cots are really high. It wasn't there in our room. When i asked for one, one was provided from the next room. But after sometime, a person came and asked if we could return that and instead he would give us a small table to be placed there, because they needed the step stool in the other room for the next day's guests. I had to refuse and ask him if we too weren't their guests. All this left a negative feel . I just feel that the staff needs to be better trained and equipped. Basically felt like they were nice and sweet people but lacked the required expertise to handle guests. One other thing the maintenance of the building can be improved. Considering the age of the building, the maintenance is decent, even good. However, there were gaps between the woodwork joining the walls and roof because of which water was seeping in during the rains and also lot of insects and ants were getting into the room.. I don't mean to complain, but these are just my suggestions for improvement. All in all i had a good and comfortable stay. Just the minor hitches mentioned above.

Let me start with the positives.|The location gives great access to the historical town and the surrounding areas. You can enjoy a crowd free beach at sunrise.|The room is spacious with lovely heritage touches.||Now the negatives|The service was abysmal! The staff are busy chatting away in some corner. During meal times, I had to go to the reception to get someone to take my order. |Looks like the room was renovated and still had the new paint smell which triggered an allergic reaction from my child. |The food was another story. I did a mistake of ordering a caprese salad from the menu and was given processed cheese instead of mozzarella. So good idea to stick to local fare of sambar rice/dosa.|The pool and the hotel grounds needs a lot of work with over grown grass that was just impossible to walk on and grime on the swimming pool walls. ||You pay for the location. The rest of the resort isn't worth the price

Our stay was truly palatable due largely to an enabling heritage environment filled with superb hospitality extended by the staff with cheerful readiness to serve with profound sense of humility. |Jebamalai |Former Principal adviser to the Director General of United Nations Industrial Development Organization Vienna Austria

Excellent heritage property at the best location possible with the direct view of the Danish Fort and the sea. All points of interest like the Churches, Museums are within 5 min walk. The property has maintained the heritage look and even maintained heritage components like door bolts. Excellent courteous staff at front desk and kitchen adds to the experience. A bar is a must at such locations.

On a day's visit to Tharangambadi, we decided to stop over at The Bungalow on the Beach for lunch. When we arrived at the gate, the security asked if we had made a booking and when we said we had not, he said the restaurant was fully booked out and we would not be able to eat there. No sooner had we got into the car to turnaround, the security said he checked with the restaurant and we could eat. So we went to the restaurant and except for us, there was not a soul in sight!!! We didn't eat there finally and this is why. I wanted to use the washroom and both I went to were not in a good condition - one outside had wet floors and the flush seat was all wet and the one near the pool had an unclean toilet seat and basin. I did not expect this from a reputed brand like Neemrana and thought if what we saw was dirty and in such a bad condition, the kitchens would probably be far worse. We didn't want to risk eating there

I stayed for one night at Neemrana. The property has a charming ambiance but could definitely benefit from better maintenance. The swimming pool, in particular, needs more frequent and thorough cleaning. While the staff mentioned that wind causes leaves and insects to collect, I didn’t see anyone clean the pool during my stay. The debris I noticed at 3 PM remained untouched even by the following evening. ||On a positive note, the staff were friendly and helpful, which made the experience welcoming. Breakfast was tasty with limited but well-prepared options. Lunch and dinner are on the pricier side, but given the lack of nearby alternatives, it’s wise to plan accordingly. ||Overall, Neemrana has great potential, but a bit more attention to upkeep would make the experience even better.

A lovely and relaxing stay, lovely rooms and wonderful staff. The food was out of the world! Walks on the beach, in the lap of nature and history. The best Neemrana I have ever been to...

A lovely heritage bungalow right on the beach and ocean. Our room was facing east and we had the most amazing views of the sunrise on the waters. Sitting on the veranda listening to the sound of the waves at night was a magical experience. |The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, especially chef Satish. Highly recommend this place if you’re looking for peace and tranquility in Tranquebar!