Gateway Varkala - Ihcl SeleQtions

Kids enjoyed a lot.

It was average. The main highlight was pool and the staff. Breakfast was awful very average considering it was taj's unit. The resort is big and lush. It's under renovation currently and I would say not the best of stays during our Kerala trip.

We visited this hotel as a family in the month of July. We stayed here for two nights We arrived at the hotel around 5pm in the evening. There was no welcome drink but since they were serving evening snacks and beverages they asked us to help ourselves. There was good variety of sweet and savory snacks ***** with tea/coffee and fresh juices. Check in took a bit of time but that could be because they let us enjoy our snacks. We stayed in the sea view Deluxe room. The rooms are laid out across four floors atop a cliff. We stayed on the lobby floor, although our room was a few steps below the lobby. The hotel is currently upgrading its rooms. We stayed in a renovated room. The room was huge and modern. The king size bed was very comfortable. The room had a balcony overlooking the pool and Arabian sea at a distance. The washroom space is huge with a nice rainfall shower space inside the washroom. We had taken a breakfast inclusive rate. The buffet breakfast was standard and not as extensive as one comes to expect in such hotels. The food quality was good. Dinner and in room dining also was satisfactory. They did not have lunch or dinner buffet although this could also be due to low occupancy at the hotel. The service was a bit of mixed bag. Although every one was pleasant with a smile on the face, a few of the staff did seem lost. The in room TV although very modern and smart just refused to show us the channels we desired. When we asked the housekeeping to help they also seemed a bit lost. It was finally sorted when it was realized that the set top box was hidden so deep behind the TV that it was not able to recieve the remote signal. The other instance was with the welcome note for the guests. There were 3 welcome notes in our room, 2 physical and one digital on the TV. None were in my name but addressed to other guests. When pointed out to the staff, they just smiled but nothing changed. This remained the case until we brought it in notice of the GM of the property during a casual chat. The service was also a bit slow. We had asked for extra towel and dental kit. Even after a long wait, we did not get the same. We had to remind them twice before it finally arrived. But on the flip side the staff was helpful when we wanted to plan local visits. They helped us plan our local itinerary. The General Manager Mr. Kamlesh Cariappa was very helpful and accommodating. On the first day itself he gave us options of places to visit. When on the last day, we had a late flight back, we requested the reception for a late check out. The reception was unable to offer late check out but we requested the GM who gladly allowed us to stay for an extra 3 hours. We used the SPA. It was not the Jiva Spa of Taj but a local ayurvedic spa. The experience was satisfactory. The Resort is around 900m away from the Beach and around Rs. 100 ride in an auto rickshaw from the famous north/south cliff side. Overall even with the small hiccups, the stay was pleasant. My S