Gateway Madurai

Good colonial style rooms. Good for those looking for peace and quiet

The hotel sadly as and is a big let down. We arrived to find rooms were not ready so they sat us in the restaurant expecting you to order food and drinks whilst you waited. It was a considerable amount of time for them to bring a tea and coffee for the two of us, wasn't sure if this was because we didn't order food. The restaurant was very clean and presentable so no faults there but reiterating the service was unbearably slow. All the staff couldn't be anymore helpful or pleasant so no faults there. Our room however wasn't up to a great standard. The air-conditioning made the room smell extremely musty and unpleasant. The windows had been painted over so you couldn't see out nor could you open them. We ended up having to prop the door wide open to try air the room. Water was pouring out of the light fitting just outside the entrance of our room and it must be noted it wasn't raining outside. I personally found the room bearable aesthetically if you didn't look too closely at anything. The rest of the hotel and grounds I have to be honest are a disgrace. Filthy, neglected, and extremely run down are the words worthy of honest opinion. We sat outside the restaurant for a drink as this was the only place to go at 3pm we were told, Relaxing this was not. The chairs extremely filthy and the atmosphere horrendous. Work was been carried out on the floors above the restaurant and the noise was continuous and loud. We did have a peacock come and join us which was a pleasant surprise. Mini bar in our room had a can of tonic a bottle of fizzy water and a toblerone bar. Drinks however extremely overpriced the dearest in all the hotels we have stopped in whilst travelling around India. The food was acceptable but again not as enjoyable as other hotels that we experienced on our travels. Would we come back here most probably not sad to say as the building and grounds could be absolutely stunning a big let down. The pictures say it all

“An excellent resort with welcoming staff, set on a beautifully preserved colonial heritage property. The highlight of our stay was the spacious rooms and the delightful sight of numerous peacocks roaming the property. The food was outstanding, and the overall experience was exceptional. We received exemplary service from Eashwar, Pandian, and Gowthami, who went above and beyond to make our stay memorable. We will definitely return!”