Palais de Mahe - a CGH Earth Experience

Palais de Mahé Expensive hotel but not a luxurious experience. When I booked 3 nights at Palais de Mahé I was expecting a top and unique experience. A couple of points have been contributing to my below par level of satisfaction - 3 days without wifi in our room despite asking the reception for addressing the issue. Was working only in the restaurant and lobby. Not acceptable in such a property. 4G was even not working in our room. - Lack of personal touch making a hotel unique and classy. When having a tea next to the pool, there was no biscuit/sweets when even basic places are providing this small add on. No flowers in the room, only one armchair for a double occupancy room. - Breakfast: ok but nothing great for such a supposed to be top range hotel. Very narrow choice of marmelade, average quality bread basket including no French bread (only toasts on request) in a city where French bread is easily available. Croissants were not excellent when u can find very good ones at Bakerstreet, an address itself recommended by the Palais de Mahé's reception as potential a place to have coffee with Danish pastries! - Transfer to Chennai Airport done in a car without Air Conditioning. We have been informed at last minute that AC was not working giving us no opportunity to ask for an another one. Having said that the staff was doing its best to help us and was very friendly. We have been under the impression that this hotel is managed by real estate/interior design specialists BUT not by experienced hospitablity experts.

Stay at PDM was truly relaxing. The hotel blends a heritage ambience with modern comforts. The staff went out of their way to make our stay very comfortable. They were always smiling, helpful and courteous. The location of the hotel is fantastic, only a short stroll from the promenade street and walking distance from most of the nice cafes in the town. Their restaurant, where they serve the breakfast, is open air and sunny. The portions are smallish and instead of a buffet they have an ala carte menu. This is interesting and each of the 5 days we stayed there, the menu was different and stayed interesting for us throughout the day. The food was uniformly tasty and flavorful. The swimming pool in the hotel though small is very clean and well accessible from the 18 rooms in the property. The only downside is probably in certain cases there is preference on form over function- be it toiletries in the bathroom or cushions on the chairs in the room.

This hotel is so beautiful that people take selfies of themselves outside the front door. It is about 100 yards from the Ocean, and in the middle of the old French city. It is convenient for the shops and the sights. Our room, and the others that we saw, were gorgeous. Large, high ceilinged, with chairs, tables and the most enormous double bed. The room opened onto the colonnade with a view of the lovely pool below. We ate at the top of the hotel, where the breeze from the Indian Ocean kept us cool, and the food was a fusion of French and Indian. A wonderful choice, especially at breakfast. There is a pleasant bar, which does beers, wines, spirits and cocktails. Coming in from the street means walking into a cool and calm interior, past all the selfie-takers, where you find the desk with the unfailingly polite and helpful staff. This was by far the nicest hotel of our 3 week stay in southern India. I would love to stay again, and if I am ever in Pondicherry it will be my first choice. Anyone giving this fewer than 5 stars wants their head examining.

A charming hotel in a charming town and with exceptionally charming and helpful staff. We stayed for two nights in a spacious room on the second floor and although we had arranged to go out for dinner, we were very impressed with lunch at the Palais on our first day. Breakfast offers a huge choice and is delicious, only the rather weak French press coffee needing improvement. I tried the swimming pool, which is very clean and an ideal size for a few refreshing laps. We both tried the massage but I was disappointed with mine, finding it a bit lacking in skill and care, although my husband was happier with hi masseur. Would certainly stay here again….

Palais de Mahe is an amazing place to stay in the french quarter, Well located in the heart of the city.The architecture was so beautiful given the colonial French feel.The service provided by the staffs is excellent. Breakfast was amazing.Kudos to the team...

Excellent service. Amazing food. Great location. Minutes from the beach front. Look forward to visit again. Thanks Fakhruddin, Adrian, Arun chef, especially Prasad at restaurant. Lunch at sister hotel Perumal was outstanding. Recommend highly