[Safety is Param]

Hi , requesting some help here.

Planning to drive down to Kodaikanal during the Good Friday weekend.

Not able to decide on hotels based on travel portals (Travel Guru, GoiBibo, Expedia, etc.). And it looks like very few vacancies remain.

We are planning for a 4-night stay, with a budget of 3/3.5 k per night (considering this is the peak season), inclusive of breakfast, at-least (though I would prefer Dinner to be included as well)!

Priorities are : A/C Rooms suitable for a family, secure car parking. Nothing else since I have not planned it well in advance.

Please pitch in with your experience, thanks!

[gurminder_81]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Hi , requesting some help here.

Planning to drive down to Kodaikanal during the Good Friday weekend.

Not able to decide on hotels based on travel portals (Travel Guru, GoiBibo, Expedia, etc.). And it looks like very few vacancies remain.

We are planning for a 4-night stay, with a budget of 3/3.5 k per night (considering this is the peak season), inclusive of breakfast, at-least (though I would prefer Dinner to be included as well)!

Priorities are : A/C Rooms suitable for a family, secure car parking. Nothing else since I have not planned it well in advance.

Please pitch in with your experience, thanks!

We went to Kodaikanal recently and stayed in Villa Retreat hotel near coaker's walk. It was very nice stay. Rooms were clean and hotel staff was courteous. It has got the best view in town with a deep valley on one side of the hotel visible from some of the rooms. It is ranked no 1 hotel on trip advisor. Food was not that great but was OK. Hotel is very near to major attractions as well.

I would certainly recommend staying there. Valley view rooms are the best. You can do online booking only through their website. They do not offer bookings on any other site. Price would range from 3.5 to 5k including bf.

Check tripadvisor for ranked hotels in Kodai.

Enjoy ur trip.

[500ContyCruiser]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Hi , requesting some help here.

Planning to drive down to Kodaikanal during the Good Friday weekend.

Not able to decide on hotels based on travel portals (Travel Guru, GoiBibo, Expedia, etc.). And it looks like very few vacancies remain.

We are planning for a 4-night stay, with a budget of 3/3.5 k per night (considering this is the peak season), inclusive of breakfast, at-least (though I would prefer Dinner to be included as well)!

Priorities are : A/C Rooms suitable for a family, secure car parking. Nothing else since I have not planned it well in advance.

Please pitch in with your experience, thanks!

Yeah.. looks like most the hotels are filling up fast.

We had been to Kodai in the month of February and booked via Expedia.co.in site. We booked at Apple Valley.

At Apple Valley website and other travel sites (including Expedia.co.in) the price was coming up to 2,000 + Tax per night. Later found some other site (dont remember now) was giving at 1,200 + Tax for the same room.

Expedia does price matching, we got the room for Rs. 404/- (including Tax).
So, we saved 1,600+ per night.
We stayed there for 2 nights and the total price was 808/- only

Service was good, private parking, clean rooms & bathrooms and decent food. Also it is right in the middle of Kodai, walkable distance to most the restaurants.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Hi , requesting some help here.

I doubt if you would get any place. Its very close to the holiday weekend and the place would be brimming with people. And more importantly thanks to the season (AND the weekend) the rates would have gone through the roof.

[benzbala]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Hi , requesting some help here.

Planning to drive down to Kodaikanal during the Good Friday weekend.

Not able to decide on hotels based on travel portals (Travel Guru, GoiBibo, Expedia, etc.). And it looks like very few vacancies remain.

We are planning for a 4-night stay, with a budget of 3/3.5 k per night (considering this is the peak season), inclusive of breakfast, at-least (though I would prefer Dinner to be included as well)!

Priorities are : A/C Rooms suitable for a family, secure car parking. Nothing else since I have not planned it well in advance.

Please pitch in with your experience, thanks!

try quality Inn sabari resort. rooms are good as is the food too.
btw, I don't think that you would find an AC room anywhere in Kodaikanal. Lol just kidding .
my other suggestions would be kodai resort or kodai international hotel or siva priya hotel

[CliffHanger]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Hi , requesting some help here.

Planning to drive down to Kodaikanal during the Good Friday weekend.

Not able to decide on hotels based on travel portals (Travel Guru, GoiBibo, Expedia, etc.). And it looks like very few vacancies remain.

We are planning for a 4-night stay, with a budget of 3/3.5 k per night (considering this is the peak season), inclusive of breakfast, at-least (though I would prefer Dinner to be included as well)!

Priorities are : A/C Rooms suitable for a family, secure car parking. Nothing else since I have not planned it well in advance.

Please pitch in with your experience, thanks!

Safety Is Param,

Kodai will be very crowded during april and may. Being a school holidays season the place will be jam packed and traffic on the hills, chaotic.

I assume you already thought about it and were Ok with it. In case, otherwise, you can consider the following alternative -

Since you have 4 days at your disposal, you can consider Kotagiri or Coonor and a day or two in Ooty, that is if you have not already been to these places. You can either stay in Kotagiri or Coonor, both will offer you wonderful weather.

[Safety is Param]

Thank you Gurminder, 500CC, ampere, benzbala & cliffhanger for your inputs.

I have decided to drop this trip as of now because -

1) Tough to get a decent accomodation at this stage.

2) Even if I was to get one, I would be paying atleast 1.5 times the actual rates.

3) Given the season and time of the year, the situation will be no less than a crowded Bangalore mall during weekends.

I have noted the hotels mentioned in your replies, and will prioritize them when I am finally ready to make a trip to Kodaikanal.

There is an alternate plan of one-night Yeracaud and 2-nights Pondicherry in the making. Lets see if that materializes.

P.S. Was looking for AC rooms since the climate nowadays in the plains and hills is almost similar, unless one is in the vicinity of snow capped mountains.

[Ddrive]

Another one is 'Holiday-Home', away from the crowded lanes of the town.
You can read about the place in this travelogue.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ms-length.html

[vindrider2626]

Originally Posted by 500ContyCruiser

Yeah.. looks like most the hotels are filling up fast.

For this week, Apple Valley is going at 4000 per night .I find it hard to believe that you got it for Rs400 two weeks back.

[500ContyCruiser]

Originally Posted by vindrider2626

For this week, Apple Valley is going at 4000 per night .I find it hard to believe that you got it for Rs400 two weeks back.

Couple reasons I can think off.. else the hotel price was around 2000+ / night.

1. It was off season
2. I did price match between multiple sites and Expedia guys give good discount as their price was high during that time.

[Mr.Boss]

Planning a 2 day Kodai trip by the month end (Christmas to New Year) Any recommendation towards average hotels? (not a budget one and definitely not something beyond 2.5k)
Requirements:
- Neat rooms
- Car parking

[hillsnrains]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Planning a 2 day Kodai trip by the month end (Christmas to New Year) Any recommendation towards average hotels? (not a budget one and definitely not something beyond 2.5k)
Requirements:
- Neat rooms
- Car parking

You can try Hotel Grand Palace.
I have stayed for 2 days during October 2014. You will get very good room for 2k per night during this time of the year (parking is available, which is most important for BHPians ). Staff is very good and food also ok. May be you can have breakfast there and try lunch/dinner outside. Location is convent road and quite close to lake.
Hope this helps!

[abirnale]

Anyone here been to Villa Retreat, Kodaikanal recently? How is their property and service? I see a decent rating on the Tripadvisor but feedback here would any day beat it

[ampere]

Originally Posted by abirnale

Anyone here been to Villa Retreat, Kodaikanal recently? How is their property and service? I see a decent rating on the Tripadvisor but feedback here would any day beat it

I had been there almost 10 years back! I cant even believe its been that long! Off late I remember some one posting that it was getting renovated.

I know this post wont help you at all. But after seeing the the place being mentioned, I had to write about it!

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by ampere

I know this post wont help you at all. But after seeing the the place being mentioned, I had to write about it!

Thanks because I booked it seeing your first post on this thread about Villa Retreat Moreover, I saw their website, at least pictures seem better/ TripAdvisor rating is decent. And now knowing that it was being renovated sometime ago, must be in good shape now. Nevertheless, it should not be an issue even if things are little here and there. We are travellers, love to travel more and crib less