The Great Madras by Hotel Calmo

Kitty and I decided to treat ourselves to a staycation at The Great Madras by Hotel Calmo, booking a one-night stay through Agoda. We were initially drawn to the advertisement for a hotel room with a king-size bed, priced at $137. However, upon arrival, we discovered that our booking was actually for a hostel, not a hotel room. While the Agoda listing stated "hotel room," the service staff explained that we should have read the room details more carefully.

While the initial disappointment was real, I'm choosing to rate our stay based on the hostel experience itself, comparing it to other hostels I've encountered.

The hostel itself was located on the first floor and was incredibly small. Our room had a sliding door and very limited space to move around. The TV was defective, and we had to share common toilets located outside the hostel rooms. There was no electronic key for the sliding door, only a physical key. To make matters worse, the bathroom lacked basic amenities like body shampoo and lotion.

The air conditioning was also problematic. The temperature couldn't be adjusted, and the fan speed seemed to be fixed. The thin walls meant that conversations from the corridor and other rooms were easily audible, making it difficult to relax.

The hotel also required a $100 deposit upon check-in, which was refundable upon check-out.

While the service staff, Edward, was friendly and helpful, explaining the hotel bookings and providing advice on the best time to book, these shortcomings led us to give The Great Madras by Hotel Calmo a 3-star rating.

Important Note for Potential Guests: If you're booking The Great Madras by Hotel Calmo through Agoda, be sure to read the room details carefully before making a reservation. The price can vary significantly depending on the season, with low peak season prices as low as $60-$70.

I hope this review is helpful for others considering this hotel.