jen B.
Google
I had high expectations for The Lodhi given its reputation and price point, but my stay was overwhelmingly disappointing due to a pattern of broken promises and poor coordination.
Noise — A Nonstop Problem
When I arrived after a long journey, a wedding reception was underway. I asked the staff member checking me in whether it would be loud, and she assured me I wouldn’t hear a thing. She was wrong. The music was very loud, and when I called the front desk, they apologized and said they’d try to turn it down. I could hear the live and DJ music for hours thereafter. The event ran until midnight, and the teardown — equally loud — went on until around 3 a.m. My first night was essentially sleepless.
I was told that I could change rooms, but as I had unpacked and in my pajamas when I was given this option, I was not keen to change. In order to make a decision on whether to change rooms, I specifically asked both the woman at check-in and the front desk agent whether there would be any more events that weekend. Both assured me there would not be. Of course, the very next day, a baby shower with live music took over the courtyard, running loud until past 7 p.m. On my way to dinner that evening, a manager stopped me to ask if everything was okay. I told him about the noise issues, and when I asked whether they’d be breaking down the baby shower event that night, he promised they wouldn’t — said he’d tell them to wait until the next morning. When I returned from dinner around 11 p.m., they were breaking it down. Loud. Again.
I felt repeatedly placated — staff kept telling me what they thought I wanted to hear rather than being honest. Not once, not twice, but over and over by multiple people. If there’s going to be an event, just tell me. Don’t promise me a quiet night and then let me discover at midnight that it was never going to be one.
Small things added up.
I ordered a gin and tonic and it arrived without ice. My room wasn’t cleaned one day because they said I had the “Do Not Disturb” sign on — which I must have brushed against on my way out. I had spoken to housekeeping earlier that day and specifically asked them to clean my room in an hour. Each of these things alone would be minor, but stacked on top of the noise issues, it painted a picture of a hotel that simply wasn’t paying attention.
The restaurant staff were friendly — almost too friendly. There was a clear lack of coordination: I’d order coffee, and two minutes later someone else would come by asking if I wanted coffee. I’d place a food order, and moments later another server would ask if I was ready to order. I found myself repeating everything multiple times.
That said, the food itself was excellent. I had what might be the best Eggs Florentine of my life — every egg was cooked perfectly. The chefs clearly know what they’re doing.
In general, the staff, a few mistakes aside, were doing their best and responding to the directions of management. The real issue is the decision to host loud events in an open courtyard surrounded by guest rooms. It’s a fundamentally flawed plan. The Lodhi is trying to capitalize on creating a venue space out of what should be a quiet retreat for hotel guests, and it puts everyone in an impossible position. The guests paying for their rooms are forced to endure hours of noise they didn’t sign up for, and the people hosting the event are under pressure to keep things quiet at their own celebration. Nobody wins. If The Lodhi wants to host events — and clearly they do — those events need to be held in enclosed indoor spaces like the restaurant areas, not in an open-air courtyard where the sound carries directly into every room.
Bottom line: the staff were friendly and well-meaning, and the food was genuinely impressive. But for the price you pay at The Lodhi, the experience should match. Between the relentless noise from events, the repeated broken promises from staff, and the general disorganization, I would not stay here again.