Raj palace in Chennai

We had booked this place via a travel agent. When we got there, the guy at reception was on his mobile phone and did not even have the courtesy to tell us he would be with us shortly.
He made us wait and then we had to take our bags to our room( no help). We asked for another room and we were taken to another room on the side street which was horrible.
The room had a strong smell and was not comfortable.We complained about the lack of hot water for showers- they said turn the tap to the left. Utensils used at the restaurant was not clean and food was of low quality.
We had booked for a 3 nite stay but had to check out and find another hotel after 1 night.
The manager came and said as we were checking out he would change the room but we had enough of their attitude and felt unheard. Definitely would not recommend this place if you are looking for comfort stay!!
Cannot even have a proper shower and unpleasant smells

Upon checking in with my family, the reception was really dark and the service was slow—a disadvantage after a long travel. The breakfast was mediocre, but the cleanliness was an absolute mess and seriously unhygienic. I am seriously concerned for the food there, as some of the ingredients (sugar, etc.) were near the floor, which can be a health hazard. When returning to our room, we tried unlocking the door via the access card; however, the door refused to open, and after informing the reception about the matter, they brought in 3 people to check the same thing, and finally they opened it up, but later on blamed us for locking the door (when it was airlocked from inside—it doesn't make sense). Their first action was blaming the customer and disrespecting us. I am truly disappointed with this experience and will never come back!

I honestly do not understand how Raj Palace Hotel, Chennai has received positive reviews.
We checked in at midnight after a long journey, only to be questioned about whether we had paid in full. The receptionist had no proper record of our confirmed booking. This level of disorganization at the front desk is unacceptable.
Worse, the cleanliness is highly questionable. From the lift to the corridors, there was a strong, unpleasant odour throughout the property. It felt unhygienic and poorly maintained.Even bedspread.
Very disappointing experience. Basic standards of hospitality and cleanliness were clearly not met.

Extremely Poor Service and Maintenance
I stayed at this hotel during an official visit, and the experience was disappointing from the very beginning. When I informed the receptionist that my client had booked the room, he simply said the booking was confirmed and the payment was already made. There was no courtesy, no explanation of the facilities, and no effort to make me feel welcome.
After completing the check-in formalities, an attendant escorted me to the room. The corridor had a foul, stinking smell. When I asked about it, the attendant casually replied that his nose was blocked and he couldn’t smell anything.
The room itself was in terrible condition. The furniture was old, dusty, and clearly not maintained. On the table, there was a Bisleri water bottle marked as chargeable, and a glass bottle filled with water of questionable quality. Thankfully, I had my own bottled water and avoided using theirs. The kettle provided was dirty, so I had to wash it myself before use. There were no tea bags initially, and only after calling reception did another attendant bring a few sachets of tea and milk powder. To make matters worse, there was no coffee mug—I had to use a water glass for tea.
The view from the window was equally unpleasant, directly facing a garbage pile. Later, when I ordered prawn biryani, I was shocked to find a piece of chicken in it.
Overall, this was the worst stay I’ve ever experienced. The staff seemed to have too much attitude and were more concerned about making money than providing even basic service. As a frequent traveler, I have decided never to stay here again, and I’ve already advised my client not to book this hotel in the future.
Verdict: Poor service, unhygienic environment, and complete lack of professionalism.

They charge exhorbitant but the rooms are nothing as the pictures.