The Serai

The Serai Chikmagalur is a wonderful place! The entire property was exceptionally clean and tidy, which made for a very comfortable stay. The staff truly stood out with their great hospitality. A special shout-out to Suma, who was incredibly helpful and kind to the kids in the drawing room—she made their experience extra special. The rooms were fantastic, and having an attached swimming pool was a major highlight. Overall, it’s a great place for a getaway!

We recently organized a corporate offsite for a team of 52 people at The Serai Chikmagalur, and unfortunately, the overall experience was quite average and disappointing considering the expectations we had. To begin with, the rooms were good, and most of the staff were courteous and supportive. However, our experience was significantly impacted by the behavior of the F&B Manager, Wilfred, who mentioned he has been with the property for over 18 years. Despite his experience, his approach towards guests lacked basic hospitality. He seemed to have an issue with almost every activity we were conducting and came across as unaccommodating and difficult to deal with throughout our stay. We had traveled all the way from Bangalore for team bonding and relaxation, with some team members even flying in from different parts of India. Naturally, a corporate offsite involves interaction, activities, and some level of celebration. However, we were repeatedly told that our activities were “disturbing other guests,” despite us being mindful. For example, on the first night, we hosted a cocktail gathering. Music was played only until 11 PM, after which we switched to a small personal speaker at a very low volume. The staff present during the event were kind and cooperative. However, the next morning, I received a call from the F&B Manager stating that he would refuse to provide previously agreed arrangements such as the screen, projector, and outdoor setup for our town hall. This was extremely unprofessional, especially since these requirements had been communicated well in advance. What was more concerning was the tone and attitude in which this was conveyed. Additionally, the food quality on weekdays was quite basic and below expectations, though it slightly improved over the weekend. Based on this experience, it felt like the property is not equipped to handle large corporate bookings. If managing group dynamics and activities is a challenge, it would be better not to accept such bookings in the first place. As someone from Chikmagalur, I have always taken pride in recommending The Serai for its hospitality and reputation. In fact, this was the primary reason we chose this property for our team. Unfortunately, this experience has changed that perception. I sincerely hope the management takes this feedback seriously—especially in terms of guest handling, flexibility, and training of senior staff in hospitality etiquette. For anyone planning a large group or corporate booking in Chikmagalur, I would recommend exploring other options that are more accommodating and experienced in handling such groups.

I recently stayed at your Chikmagalur property for a 3-night booking at Villa 27. At the time of making the reservation through your website, there was a clearly stated offer of a ₹5,000 food and beverage voucher applicable for stays of 3 nights. The booking was completed using the “Book Now” option provided on the same page where this offer was displayed. However, upon check-in, I was informed that this benefit would not be honoured. I raised this concern during my stay as well, but unfortunately, it remained unresolved even at the time of check-out. I would like to clarify that this is not about the monetary value of ₹5,000. For a stay exceeding ₹1 lakh, the amount itself is relatively insignificant. However, the denial of a clearly communicated offer—despite being highlighted—is concerning and reflects poorly on the overall experience. This benefit was part of the proposition presented at the time of booking and played a role in my decision. Not honouring it, without a clear explanation or resolution, feels inconsistent with the standards one expects from your brand. Additionally, an email sent to the company in this regards has not been reverted to since a week.

The ambience, service, location are good. Staff is courteous. They have baby sitters who keep the kids engaged. Buggy service was helpful. The kids care taker Suma is very friendly and courteous and good with kids. Uday, Pradeep are also very helpful and courteous. Overall experience was good. Food is little spicy. They should have few items, less sweets and desserts. Rooms are clean and spacious.

We had team meeting it was exelent stay the service was super awesome food restaurant staff mr raghavendra and Mr gufran Mr anish over all team super well taken care thanks to everyone