I stayed at The Raintree, St. Mary's Road for two nights during one of the stops on my business trip across India. After reading numerous positive reviews on Tripadvisor and seeing the modern-looking rooms online, I decided to book directly through the hotel's website.
The booking process was straightforward and their website was easy to navigate. One of the benefits offered for direct bookings was their "26-hour stay" concept, which caught my attention as I thought I might need a late checkout. Shortly after booking, I received a WhatsApp message from the hotel asking about my arrival plans. When I inquired about the late checkout benefit, the person messaging me seemed to misunderstand and appeared to think I was trying to cancel my booking. It was a slightly confusing exchange, but nothing serious.
The hotel is located on a busy road, although traffic was not particularly disruptive during my stay. Upon arrival, the lobby looked clean and modern, and the reception staff were friendly and welcoming. I reconfirmed the possibility of a late checkout during check-in. One front desk agent seemed unsure about the policy, despite it being advertised as a direct booking benefit, but his colleague quickly clarified that it was indeed available. In the end, I didn't even need the late checkout.
I was assigned a corner room overlooking what appeared to be an active construction site. The room itself was spacious, modern, comfortable, and functional. At first glance it felt very clean, but a closer look revealed some shortcomings. The most noticeable was the handheld bidet, which was in disgusting and frankly not something I wanted to touch. Housekeeping also did not replenish bathroom amenities. the minibar also remained empty unless you specifically requested items.
The bed was comfortable and made for a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, my dining experiences were less impressive.
I arrived in the evening and had dinner at the buffet restaurant. The selection was fairly limited, and there was very little information provided about the live cooking station, not even a menu board showing you what you can order. A staff member asked whether I wanted some naan, which I happily accepted, but it never arrived.
Breakfast was served in the same restaurant and was similarly underwhelming. Again, there was little guidance regarding the live stations. At one point I asked a male host or manager about ordering eggs. The order took quite a while and when it was brought out, this male host/manager forgot who it was for and asked the chef to bring it back to the warming station until a female waitress noticed and brought it to me. I also only discovered on my second day that the breads and pastries were displayed outside the main buffet area. I mentioned to one of the hosts that many guests would likely miss them because of their location, but my comment was simply ignored.
Due to time constraints, we also had lunch at the hotel, which unfortunately followed the same pattern. There were a few highlights, particularly the beef dish and some of the desserts, but overall the food was average. Something as simple as finding a dessert spoon became an unnecessary challenge, requiring a wait before one could be provided.
Throughout my stay, the female waitstaff generally seemed attentive. In contrast, several of the male hosts and managers appeared disorganized, uncertain, and at times completely disengaged. Also at one point, while going out the elevator, a hotel staff just barged in without waiting for me to get out. Elevator etiquette would dictate that you let people off first before going in, but he seemed in a rush and ignored the fact that i was getting off the elevatore and it left me a bad impression.
Checkout was another area where things felt less polished than expected. A guest ahead of me was trying to exchange currency, and the receptionist seemed unsure how to process the request. Meanwhile, another receptionist remained focused on her computer rather than assisting me, and decided to help her struggling colleague first. The belloboy actually had to step in and suggested that one of them assist me first since my transport was already waiting outside.
Up until that point, I would probably have rated my stay four stars. The room was comfortable, the hotel looked modern, and the front office team was generally pleasant.
What ultimately changed my opinion was what happened after I left.
Within a single day, I received four separate emails asking me to leave a review. After eventually submitting feedback, someone from the restaurant decided to call me on WhatsApp while I was transiting through Amsterdam. There was no prior message, no introduction, and no explanation. When I did not answer, the person called again. Had they simply sent a message introducing themselves and explaining why they wished to speak with me, I would not have minded. Instead, it felt intrusive and unnecessary.
Overall, The Raintree remains a good hotel with comfortable rooms and a convenient location. However, improvements are needed in housekeeping consistency, restaurant operations, staff training, and especially post-stay guest communications. Had it not been for the excessive emails and unsolicited calls, this review would have looked very different.
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