Citrus Chambers, Mahabaleshwar

What People are saying

Excellent stay and courteous staff

Jay Kon 27/08/2017 12:03

Rooms are neat and clean. Courteous staff and excellent food taste. Highly recommended to stay once for unforgettable experience.

Location is also close to the market and walking distance.

Breakfast is limited but good.

Vacation

NEVILLE Pon 21/08/2017 21:35

Firstly the staff was very courteous and welcomed us nicely to give us a feel at home type and the rooms were very cosy with clean and scented linen. The refrigerator was well stocked for my daughter's surprise. The food was awesome with chicken tandoori standing out of all. Want to visit again.

Rundown place...needs serious overhaul!

Anand Ion 21/08/2017 12:15

We stayed at this resort in the second week of May 2017. Though somewhat late, a review is in order.

Citrus Chambers was a near total letdown. We booked a room they called “suite” (charged @ 10K + taxes per day) - prices that compare with many premium hotel rates in India.

When we arrived, the driveway and the reception looked quaint and colonial, but it quickly got downhill from there. As soon as we entered the “suite”, we could see it was rundown. Broken window panes, cobwebs, dusty sills and door latches that did not snap shut … all so easily visible. The flooring in the room had worn out so much and chipped in some places, that it felt like a cheap dorm somewhere. How about trying some nice looking linoleum matting, or atleast covering up the damages with some attractive throws or inexpensive dhurries? After all this is supposed to be a premium resort!

The sofa set in the living area was so beat-up, that it was not even comfortable, let alone feel luxurious!
The central control panel for all things electrical did not work well, needing the electrician to come thrice in two days, and figure out that the panels for different rooms had got interchanged, and hence were not working predictably! Common!!!

The bathroom was another huge disappointment. The faucet was leaky and the floor would get wet EVERY time we used it.
The plastic soap dispenser in the bathroom was not just cheap, it was also cracked and leaking. When they replaced it, they forgot to fill it up with soap! (I thought this had leaked too and complained. They checked and reported that I had got my complaint wrong – that there was no leakage, and the problem was that the dispenser was empty!!!)
The consumables in the bathroom could have been standardised around one brand – but no, I got a Biotique for moisturiser, and then some other unknown names for soap and shampoo tubes – all in different sizes and shapes. With an assortment of that kind, I was not confident that the stuff was sourced with care. How hard is it to bring in some standardisation and some more class here? For a resort that projects itself as premium, what I experienced was way below par.

Wi-fi was pathetic. I could not connect to it most of the time. And the phone network was just not available. Nowhere did they mention limits to connectivity, so this was another downer.

Food was just average. Breakfast spread was nothing remarkable. The restaurant was small, and some of the food apparently had to be brought from far away (not the adjoining kitchen). So we faced an amazing delay for simple dal/roti that we ordered for lunch. The staff apologised for this too. We then decided to have all meals (other than breakfast) outside the resort so we could sample some local cuisine, which was completely missing in the resort menu.

In the play area for kids there was one working swing, and in front of my eyes the chain broke causing a child to fall from the swing. There were a few bicycles for use of the guests. I wish they were better maintained…sharp edges, uncomfortable seats...I kept cautioning my kid to be very, very careful while riding it. These are such simple things that can be a great attraction when done well… without having to spend a lot of money. Citrus has missed out on it.

As a premium resort in such a well-known tourist destination, I was wishing for far greater knowledge and awareness of the place, at the reception – to offer some degree of expertise with popular as well as off-beat touristy suggestions to the guest. But apart from the printed itinerary (which I think is common across all the resorts there) and a friendly attitude, I could not get more information and eventually had to rely on suggestions the cab driver had to offer, for all our explorations of the hill station. So, where it really could have made a difference, the human intervention could not get it right!

I must mention that the staff at the resort was very courteous, cooperative and responsive, but in today’s times we expect and get so much more from basic infrastructure in hotels that are half as expensive. Here so much needed to be fixed, and I found that human intervention intrusive on my time at the resort!

Overall Citrus Chambers did not meet expectations. At all. I would give it some stars for just the nice folks manning the resort, without which they might as well shut their doors to discerning travelers.

Pleasant and comfortable stay!!

Praxy08on 17/08/2017 17:32

Hotel location is good and at a walking distance from the market. We reached the hotel early morning around 7.30 and requested for an early check-in. The check-in was quick and hassle free and we even got an upgrade to the suite room. The suite room was very spacious (two rooms) and the bath had a jacuzzi. Free wifi was available but the speed was slow.
Buffet breakfast was included in our package and the spread was good enough including live counter for maggi, eggs, dosas, etc. The hotel also offered a complimentary high tea.
The staff at reception and the restaurants is very friendly and caring. One evening we were having tea at the open lawn restaurant and the lady serving tea (don’t remember her name) noticed that I was shivering in the cold and immediately switched on the heater in the lawn.
Swimming pool was closed during our stay but considering the cold weather I guess the hotel guests anyway would not use it.

Excellent Hospotality. Property Needs Maintenance

SDK01on 15/08/2017 12:38

This is a boutique property with a limited number of rooms. We had booked two 'deluxe' rooms - and got put up in two suites. The suites are quite spacious (two rooms). The bath has a Jacuzzi which we did not use. The hospitality of the staff was wonderful. The people were the nicest part of the stay.

But despite being full, the property had a deserted look. The spa was shut-down, no staff. One of the two restaurants was closed down. The garden hadn't been maintained for quite some time.

The food in the restaurant was tasty but spicy and oily. It did leave us with a bloated feeling. Our room included breakfast buffet and the spread was reasonable. The hotel also offers a complimentary high tea.

A quirk: The local vegetable market is right outside the hotel on Tuesdays. So you can't take cars in & out. The hotel informs you of this a day in advance, and the valet parks your car in a different parking lot 200 m away early on Tuesday morn. They also assist taking your luggage to the parking lot if you are checking out on Tuesday.