Sterling Houseboats Lake Palace, Alleppey

Все было шикарно. Каюта уютная с большим окном, повар отличный, персонал замечательный. Получили огромное удовольствие от незабываемого путешествия.

The boat is lovely and rooms on board are comfortable and have air con. The opportunity to see life in the backwaters was fantastic and the crew prepared a good lunch for us.

The boat is part of a resort and so once we came back from the cruise at 6pm it stayed mored at the resort the rest of the time and we were told to eat dinner and breakfast at the resort which was not what we were expecting , to not be a bit more in nature and no morning cruise back. We could have just paid for a 5hour trip.

Lovely boat

It was moored up more than exploring the backwaters. You do not start off till1pm, finish at 6. Food was eaten in the hotel, full board!!! Not cooked on board. You were moored right in front of the hotel!! There were no drink facilities on board. We had to ask for drinks for over night, water, tea, coffee. I would recommend only doing one night .

Beautiful location, a lovely welcome to the hotel, incredible food, a stunning river tour and beautiful boat with extremely comfortable and clean rooms. One of the highlights of our trip

This house boat stay and hotel was very close to being perfect if it wasn't for a couple of disappointing things. Despite a warm welcome when we arrived, on departure it felt like we were just thrown out, no goodbye or thanks for staying from staff, no help with our bags, breakfast wasn't ready when they said it would be so we missed it out on that too. Communication before the trip and during the was terrible failing to answer our questions. The fridge was broken or missing on the boat so we had no way to keep our drinks cold although upon request the hotel did eventually supply a cooler box with ice. When we actually got on the boat there it wasn't really explained to us if we had food and drink and how it would work which caused some confusion including us ordering prawns from a local market we definitely didn't need as there was plenty of food already. The crew were really nice on the boat but we felt the guide giving us information on the boat wasn't necessary and spoilt the tranquility of the moment a bit.

The staff were very polite, attentive, and helpful.

It finished too soon.

We rented a houseboat from Lake Sterling Palace in Alleppey after reading many reviews, as we wanted something clean, comfortable, and quiet, without crowds. The houseboat itself was comfortable, clean, and well maintained. The staff on board were polite and friendly. The tour was stunning.

However, overall the experience did not meet our expectations. 1. Fish market scam attempt Before booking, we had already read reviews warning about a common scam: guests are taken to a fish market, encouraged to buy fish at inflated (European) prices, and then the staff splits the profit while offering to cook it for you. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened within the first five minutes on board. We immediately refused and asked to speak to the manager. To be fair, the manager was understanding and handled the situation calmly — but the attempt itself left a bad impression. 2. Limited houseboat operation (not clearly communicated) Only after booking and paying did we receive a message stating that the houseboat operates only from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM, after which it returns to the hotel and docks there. Breakfast and dinner are then taken at the hotel. This completely defeats the purpose of paying a high price for a houseboat experience. Had we known this clearly in advance, we would not have booked it. 3. Extra charges for drinks All soft drinks and alcohol must be paid for separately and immediately. Combined with the other issues, the whole experience felt more like a money-making machine than a genuine hospitality experience. There was no soul to it. 4. Hotel restaurant cleanliness The hotel restaurant was not clean. There were visible stains and oily handprints on doors and windows, which was quite disgusting and unacceptable. Recommendation: Before booking, clearly ask whether the houseboat returns to the hotel or continues the journey and docks elsewhere (we later learned some boats do continue). Honestly, a better option is to stay at a hotel on land and rent a smaller boat for the canals, which can access areas large houseboats cannot — and offers a more authentic experience.

Yes and the staff was really helpful specially Aymaan and Sayan

Just that they should add some morning cruising time. If only breakfast could be served while on cruise and check out time is way too early! Rest this is the perfect cruise experience. On board staff is helpful and cuisines cooked are flavourful 😃