Country Inn & Suites Jaipur – A Review
Country Inn & Suites Jaipur has a fantastic location right in the heart of the city, and yet not in the crowded part of the old city. The location is ideal for business travelers. While normally the rates of this property are high, I got a fantastic deal for it on an online site, and I was not disappointed at all.
First Impressions
Excellent security. There is a thorough check of the vehicle at the gate and barricades are removed only after the security staff is satisfied. Security at the lobby entrance is also good, with manual frisking by polite staff as well as x-ray screening of the bags.
Lobby is a bit small, but neat, clean and aesthetically appealing. What strikes you immediately is the absence of a reception counter. Instead, they have three desks where the staff invites you to sit while the check-in is processed, making the experience much more personalized. Not to mention polite and efficient as well. The staff manning the desks knows their job and the process is quick and painless. Within 7 to 8 minutes I was shown up to my room by a very polite bell-boy.
The room itself was quite spacious and pleasant, although I felt that the lighting could have been a little brighter. Nevertheless, it was very clean and comfortable. For a hotel with a small lobby, the room size is fairly big. The room allocated to me was twin-bedded and I must mention here that the size of the beds was quite big – each of them about 4 feet wide, with comfortable mattresses and pillows and spotlessly clean sheets.
The entrance foyer has a wardrobe with an electronic safe built in. The other room amenities include a luggage rack, a tea-coffee maker and a mini-bar, and two 500 ml bottles of complimentary drinking water. There is also a writing desk and a flat-screen TV. There is also ample space by the windows to accommodate a comfortable single seat sofa along with a foot stool, and a small coffee table, so one can comfortably stretch out in front of the TV. Even with the two wide beds AND the sofa, the room still does not seem cramped, with plenty of room still available for walking around.
Full marks also for cleanliness in the bathroom, through the bathroom amenities provided do not match the standard of the hotel. I could not spot any tooth brush or shaving kit. Just one observation on the bathroom – the length of the pipe provided with the health faucet (read hand shower for the w/c) is quite short, making it difficult to use. Otherwise no other issues could be found. The towels were also very clean.
The view from the room had nothing extraordinary to offer, as my room overlooked the main road and all I could see was traffic and the metro running over the bridge about 500 meters away.
Having checked in after enduring a train delay as well as a hectic work schedule immediately thereafter, I had checked in at about 1945 and being exhausted, I opted to dine in-room. I ordered a promotional package which was on offer, comprising of two drinks and a kabab platter as starters. The room service, though, is a bit slow as the order took quite some time to be delivered. But full marks for the food again. The chicken tikka was excellent and the portion generous. Any thoughts that I initially had of ordering something after that disappeared as I barely managed to finish the tikka platter.
Sleep quality was very good, and the bed comfortable. The air conditioning too was quite efficient.
Breakfast, which was included in the room tariff, was an elaborate buffet spread in their restaurant located on the 2nd floor. The buffet comprised of cereals, bakery rolls, fruits and a selection of Indian as well as Continental items, with a live counter serving paranthas and eggs on order. What was disappointing, however, was the juices being served. The “healthy” juice seemed to be a combination of carrots, tomatoes etc, was a bit too sour for my taste, but what was even more disappointing was that Orange Tang was being served in place of a proper juice. A bit of a let-down from a hotel of this standard. But other than that, no complaints.
The check-out too was as smooth as the check-in, and the staff displayed the same efficiency as was on display at the time of check-in. In fact, all of their staff that I interacted with were extremely polite.
Will definitely stay at Country Inn & Suites Jaipur again on my next visit.
Rajiv Bajaj asserts his right to be identified as the author of this work. Any views or opinions expressed in this review is that of the author. All copyright and pictures are the property of the author.
