The Leela Kovalam, A Raviz Hotel

We were very pleased with the service provided by the sunil at F&b. He was courteous, efficient, and ensured all our requests were handled promptly. Sunil ji made us feel truly welcome. His positive attitude, product knowledge, and attention to detail enhanced our overall hotel experience.”

This is clearly a luxury 5* resort. However , we were disappointed by a couple of issues. They have a big crow problem , so there is no alfresco dining , and even on your room terrace you are at risk . Even at Tides , the rondavals have permanent plastic screens , and they recommend staying indoors. This was a real "downer" for us. A few tables beside the pool (and for snacks) are behind netting. Restaurant service overall is disappointing , there are plenty of staff and managers, but not all are effective and it is easy to be ignore or to wait a while for a coffee. Likewise the "sky bar" lacked attentive service (despite its high prices) . The main restaurant is more like a cafeteria, quite plain, and really noisy (especially if kids are running around) , so not a place to linger. Although there is an extensive dinner buffet , with both Indian and western options , we were somewhat underwhelmed by the lack of choice and overall quality. (lots of vats of "curry". ) There is a somewhat better a-la-carte menu. The place is very popular with big wedding parties and functions , so expect a lot of coming and going. Although there are some loungers around the pool , there are no other areas to relax in the (very well manicured and attractive ) grounds. Rooms are very comfortable and have a "period" aesthetic. Although there is a "mini bar" , "it is NOT a fridge" (as a staff member told me ), so don't expect cold drinks in the room. . I wonder if the place is resting on its Leela brand name , as it is now being run under the Raviz brand. I think it needs to up its game a bit to retain its "best resort" awards.

Have visited Leela properties previously. Excellent facilities - Bismi was excellent as a butler - and Romy fantastic in the spa ! Food services fantastic as well as premises. Great staff from manager to door attendant!

Great diving - really nice dive master and surprisingly active house reef. Boat left on time, dive master was really good and and well trained, and led a safe and fun dive

Full Review of the Leela Kovalam Our stay at the Leela Kovalam was definitely a 5-Star experience with amazing food, exceptional staff, a beautiful setting and good accommodation. If you are looking for a resort that has it all and nice places around it then this is definitely worth going to. Food: - Choices were endless and the quality of international dishes like Italian or Chinese was so authentic and amazing. - Traditional Indian food was fantastic with multi-regional dishes available and delicious. - Buffets were sometimes a bit repetitive at dinner but we could always order off an alacarte menu if we didn't like the buffet. - Pizza, pasta, noodles, Indian curries were all available if you wanted them. Staff/Service - In this hotel, just like many others in India, staff served with smiles and helped out with any issues, no matter how small it was. -Manu, our driver throughout the trip, was always working around the clock to help us out and cancelling plans and going through a lot to help us combat any problems we faced such as illness. He worked tirelessly and helped us whenever we needed it. -Somnath, a sous chef at the buffet, was always making sure there was always help around and we could ask him to get things from off the menu at certain times. - Mr Ayyappum, the general manager, was a down-to-earth, genuine guy that was frequently around to talk to and assisted with simple issues. His happiness and kindness shone through all the staff at the hotel. - The reception and concierge staff were really helpful and welcoming as well. - If you stay in a sea-view or garden-view villa, you may need buggys to transport you over the vast hotel complex. Staff despite busy schedules would always arrange for buggys to come down and take us wherever we needed to go. The setting - This was definitely the most beautiful resort I have ever stayed in with numerous palm trees, indegnous peacocks and a glamorous coast. - The sea water was incredibly clear and there were many fish close to the shore. - With the hotel being a cliff-top resort, sunsets were beautiful on the sea and the views were top. Facilities - The swimming pool by the terrace was a bit small but had a visually aesthetic infinity feature and was big enough to enjoy and a good place to cool off. -The ayovedic spa was very helpful and tried to resolve any physiological issues that people had. Other points - Trips from the hotel to parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are available but have some issues - The backwaters trip is a MUST do not only for the tour of the mangroves but also for a stop on a beautiful beach where the BEST fruit is available. - We found the Kanyakumari trip not worthwhile as it took close to 3 hours to get there and it was crowded crazily. Overall, the hotel was magnificent boasting many 5-star plus qualities.