Welcome Heritage Banyan Grove

What People are saying

Wonderful host, beautiful setting.

SunnyandBuster on 29/05/2017 02:18

We have a lovely one night stay here. The staff was all very friendly and did their best to accommodate. Mr. Tony, the delightful manager, tended to all the details so we felt well cared for. It feels typical of many heritage properties we have stayed at in India...furnishings in the rooms are eclectic, choice of art a curiosity and bathroom amenities are variable. We had all we needed here, a clean room, a bathtub with shower, decent linens (always well worn). The food was very good. My only complaint about the food is that they give you so much we were stuffed by the end! We also enjoyed walking around the grounds...the eponymous banyan tree is huge!

Real Disappointment

ShwetaJindal on 17/04/2017 15:35

Such a beautiful property so horribly maintained and run. No menu, no rate card, no staff, AC not working, no ice, no refrigerator, beds too small to even fit a couple and then not even extra beds or mattresses to offer, swimming pool Shut down , stale bread with fungus for breakfast and to top it all an extremely rude manager.. Shut the place down if you can't run it but want to price it like a 5 star property. You ruined my holiday.

Beautiful spot but over-priced and under-loved.

Atko73 on 02/05/2016 11:16

Beautiful building in well-kept grounds, surrounded by tea plantations and friendly locals. What’s not to like? Well quite a few things but let’s start with the positives. The rooms – if a bit tatty in parts – were full of character and it was relaxing to sit out on the balconies to read, watch the monkeys and listen to the birds. The area is great for short walks – and the tour of the local tea factory (arranged by the hotel for a small fee) was fascinating . The guys working at the accommodation were very friendly and eager to help. Sadly it felt like they had no leadership, and it was all a bit haphazard. Some really simple things – them talking about the property, and things you can do in the area would make a real difference. It all meant the experience from beginning to end was a little odd . We were also left with the feeling we hadn’t been expected (despite booking) and being the only people there. After some delicious meals elsewhere in Assam at far more humble places – the food was disappointing. Unimaginative meat in gravy, boiled vegetables. etc and expensive for what it was . Again with nobody else there, perhaps this was of a worse standard than usual. And beer and soft drinks were at the price you’d expect at a city 5 star hotel, with costs not advertised anywhere. Oh. And this is in the middle of a tea plantation. So play on it…serve some decent tea. Put nice Assam tea in the rooms – not random mass-market teabags. While the rooms were generally nice, the bathrooms need work. Stained walls are not a big problem, and nor is the bath that feels like it is going to collapse any second – but could be easily fixed. And while it’s a small thing – putting a nice smelling handwash/soap instead of chemically Dettol would be a nice touch – especially in this price bracket. It was a shame the swimming pool – full of green murky water – was out of action during the visit.
Overall - for half the price it would have been passable but It was definitely not worth the money we paid (around 13,000 INR via MakeMy Trip) Also transport costs expensive. Fixed rate of 1200 INR for a 15 minute drive to Jorhat airport, and no public transport alternative. Neither a homestay nor a hotel this place doesn't seem to know what it is. I hope the owners will one day realize what it could be. It doesn’t need much money invested - but some time in training its lovely staff and some care. Bayan Grove brands itself as part of Heritage North East. In such a wonderful part of the world, the management should take more pride in that heritage.

Bliss

R V P on 30/03/2016 15:45

Right in the middle of hectares of tea plantations is this bungalow that epitomises the 'box wallah' culture of the colonial era. Calm and green with soothing views and chirping sounds, it takes you into another era. The staff are really attentive and make this stay truly memorable.

Colonial ambience

StephanieO34 on 16/03/2016 20:11

We arrived quite early in the day, and were able to select which room we used. As some of the beds were small doubles, we opted for what appeared to be the largest, for comfort for two large Europeans! The beds had very thin mattresses on solid baseboards, the sheets were imperfectly laundered, and the provision of towels was sparse. However, these were probably all reminiscent of the norm in the days of the British colonists. The electrics and plumbing also appeared to date from the 1930s.
The public areas of verandas, dining room and drawing room were well kept, with beautifully polished floors, and colonial style furnishings. No doubt the brick fireplaces could offer welcome heat in cold weather.
The gardens were well laid-out and beautifully kept, and the swimming pool looked attractive, although we were there in cool weather, so were not tempted to try it out. The Banyan Tree is absolutely huge, and obviously was there long before the bungalow was built.
The structure was what seems to be standard for the Assam area in the 1020s to 1930s; wood framed walls and ceilings with asbestos panels, and corrugated iron roofs, with small turrets with windows for lighting and ventilation. The thundering noise which woke us early on our first morning turned out to be a troupe of monkeys galloping across the roof, and getting into the attic space through one such central turret.
The food was good Indian fare at lunch and dinner, and a European style breakfast of fruit juice, cooked eggs, toast and tea or coffee. It was not always possible to communicate adequately with the staff, as apart from the manager, their command of English was very basic, but they were keen to please.
The golf course is just down the road.