Review of Hotel Basant Vihar Palace 4*

The facilities here are fantastic by local standards (albeit overdue for a refurbishing). It's a shame the same can be said for the service and the atmosphere. While I was staying there were some families who would leave their doors open, allowing their shrieking kids would run out into the hallways, back and forth for hours at a time, creating a very loud and uncomfortable environment. But it was one particular run in with hotel staff that ruined it the most for me. I had a friend staying at an adjacent hotel come and join me for a meal at the hotel restaurant. While ordering the waiter inquired about whether my friend was a guest at the hotel. My friend replied that he was not. After the meal we went to the reception to pay the bill and organise a taxi for my friend to go back to his hotel. The whole time three staff members stuck around stickybeaking and watching like it was some kind of novelty. I then walked him out the front steps and he left to catch his taxi. At 11.20 I am awoken by a buzz on the doorbell. It was the same nosy waiter, come to ask whether the guest is gone. Bemused I told him yes, he has gone, the entire reception staff saw him leave. I then called reception, who then got the manager to call me back. I asked to know the reason why I was disturbed so late over such a petty matter. He told me he didn't know, but he would check with the staff member responsible. I rang management to inquire as to why such an intrusion was necessary given reception staff had seen him depart. Never heard back from him. The following morning I experienced yet another breach of etiquette. After taking my bags down to the restaurant to order my breakfast, one of the hotel staff approached me mid-meal to ask for the key, hours before my official check-out time. Seemed like the staff really could have benefited from some basic etiquette training. I wouldn't recommend staying in this hotel.