Raffles Udaipur

Raffles Udaipur: Magnificent Property, Shockingly Poor Service and Hygiene Rating: 1/5 — A major disappointment for a hotel charging luxury prices We stayed at Raffles Udaipur expecting an exceptional experience befitting one of the world’s most prestigious luxury hotel brands. The property is extraordinarily beautiful, and the main island is genuinely magnificent. Unfortunately, almost everything beyond the architecture and setting fell far short of what we expected from a hotel of this price and reputation. In fact, our experience was so disappointing that, despite the grandeur of the main Raffles island, we left with the firm feeling that this would be our first—and last—visit to Raffles Udaipur. BE CAREFUL WHEN BOOKING A “NON-ISLAND” ROOM This is perhaps the most important point for prospective guests. We booked a Non-Island Lake View Room, assuming that the only compromise would be the location/view compared with an island room. We were shocked on arrival to discover that the Non-Island rooms are in a separate building on the lakeshore, from where guests have to take a jetty to reach the actual Raffles island. This is a fundamental distinction, particularly when one is paying a substantial amount for a Raffles stay. In our view, the booking information should make this distinction absolutely explicit and impossible to misunderstand. Fortunately, we upgraded to a room on the actual Raffles island. And here is the irony: the moment we reached the real Raffles island, we understood what we had actually come for. The grandeur, architecture, landscaping, lake setting and overall ambience were spectacular. We had no regrets about paying for the upgrade. Therefore, our advice is very simple: If you are going to Raffles Udaipur for the Raffles experience, do NOT book a Non-Island room without first establishing exactly where that room is located and what you are actually getting. ⸻ BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY — BUT SERVICE THAT DOES NOT MATCH THE PRICE After being impressed by the property itself, we proceeded to enjoy à la carte lunch and dinner. This is where the experience deteriorated dramatically. There were five of us at the table, yet the first table setting had only two glasses. In the evening, even a side plate was missing. These may sound like small things, but at a luxury property, they are precisely the details that distinguish five-star service from ordinary hotel service. More disappointing was the actual food service. We were told that the food would take approximately 25 minutes. After waiting around 20–25 minutes, the dishes did not arrive together. They came in a completely haphazard sequence. There appeared to be no senior steward or experienced supervisor present to coordinate the service. Junior staff were running around serving dishes individually, without the coordination and confidence one expects at this level. This was not the polished, discreet and highly coordinated service one associates with a luxury Raffles property. It felt like a serious training and supervision issue. ⸻ THE KER SANGRI INCIDENT — A SERIOUS HYGIENE CONCERN The most disturbing restaurant incident occurred when we were served Ker Sangri containing what appeared unmistakably to us to be a strand of human hair. We immediately complained. The dish was taken away. What happened next was even more disappointing. We were subsequently told that what we had seen was fibre from the sangri vegetable. That explanation was extremely difficult to accept. There is an obvious difference between vegetable fibre and a strand of human hair, and five adults sitting at the table were perfectly capable of making that distinction. A luxury hotel should take such a complaint with the utmost seriousness, investigate it discreetly and reassure the guest about its hygiene standards. Instead, the response left us feeling that our legitimate concern was being dismissed rather than addressed. ⸻ DISAPPOINTING FOOD AND POOR EXPLANATION OF DISHES We also ordered Harey Ghas Ki Roti, without being properly informed beforehand about what “grass” was being used or what exactly we should expect. We ordered Rajbhog Ki Sabzi expecting a dish consistent with the name and presentation we had imagined. Instead, we received a dish containing very hard paneer dumplings, which was nowhere near what we expected from a Rajbhog preparation. Taste is subjective, of course. But in a luxury restaurant, staff should be able to explain unfamiliar regional dishes properly before serving them. ⸻ LUGGAGE MANAGEMENT — ANOTHER OPERATIONAL FAILURE The luggage transfer between the lakeshore/jetty and the island was also extremely disappointing. On arrival, our luggage took approximately two hours to reach our room. At departure, it took approximately 45 minutes for our luggage to reach the mainland. We ultimately had to approach the mainland reception ourselves and request that the luggage be located and brought out because one member of our group had to catch a flight to Delhi. For a hotel where guests necessarily depend upon boat transfers, luggage logistics should be a highly coordinated and well-rehearsed operation. It certainly wasn’t in our case. ⸻ THE MOST SERIOUS ISSUE: ALL FIVE OF US BECAME UNWELL We checked out the following afternoon after breakfast. Within approximately 12 hours of checkout, all five members of our group developed stomach upset and fever. Naturally, given that all five of us had stayed and eaten together at the property, this caused us considerable concern regarding the food and hygiene standards. We cannot medically establish the precise cause of the illness, and therefore do not claim that the hotel definitively caused it. However, the timing and the fact that all five members of our group became unwell shortly after the stay made the experience extremely disturbing—particularly after the earlier incident involving the Ker Sangri. For a hotel positioned at the very top end of the luxury market, food safety and hygiene should be completely non-negotiable. ⸻ FINAL VERDICT The greatest disappointment is the enormous contrast between the spectacular property and the actual guest experience. The Raffles island is magnificent. But luxury is not simply an impressive building, beautiful landscaping and a breathtaking location. Luxury is attention to detail. It is having the correct glassware on a table of five. It is properly trained and supervised restaurant staff. It is serving food in a coordinated manner. It is responding appropriately when a guest reports a possible hygiene issue. It is ensuring luggage reaches the guest promptly. And above all, it is maintaining impeccable food-safety standards. Unfortunately, our experience fell short on too many of these basic expectations. We paid for a super-luxury experience and received, in our experience, service and operational standards that were nowhere near what the price and reputation of Raffles Udaipur suggest. The irony is that the property has everything necessary to be extraordinary. The island, architecture, lake setting and grandeur are genuinely exceptional. But the service has to live up to the setting. For us, this stay was not merely disappointing—it was a serious dent in our confidence in the Raffles brand itself. A hotel carrying the Raffles name, particularly one charging such premium rates, should not leave guests discussing missing glassware, missing tableware, poorly coordinated food service, questionable responses to hygiene complaints, delayed luggage and illness immediately after their stay. Raffles Udaipur has the potential to be one of India’s finest luxury resorts. But on our visit, the service and hygiene experience simply did not justify the price, the positioning or the Raffles name. Property & ambience: 5/5 Room experience on island: 5/5 Restaurant service: 1/5 Food experience: 1/5 Hygiene confidence: 1/5 Luggage/operations: 1/5 Overall experience: 1/5 Magnificent property. Deeply disappointing execution.

⭐ 3/5 — Magnificent property, but an experience we will never forget for the wrong reasons There are hotels you visit and forget. There are hotels you visit and remember for years. Unfortunately, our stay at Raffles Udaipur is going to be remembered for all the wrong reasons. We arrived with genuine excitement. Raffles is a name associated with timeless luxury, impeccable service, refinement and attention to detail. When you pay a premium for a property carrying that name, you naturally expect every aspect of the experience to reflect those standards. The property itself initially delivered on that promise. But what followed was profoundly disappointing. FIRST — A WORD OF CAUTION ABOUT “NON-ISLAND” ROOMS We had booked a Non-Island Lake View Room. Our assumption was simple: perhaps the room would not offer the same experience as an island room, but surely it was still part of the Raffles property. We were therefore genuinely shocked when we arrived and discovered that the Non-Island rooms are located in a separate building on the lakeshore, from where guests have to take a jetty to reach the main Raffles island. For a hotel of this price, this is information that should be made crystal clear before booking. Had we understood this beforehand, we would never have selected the Non-Island room. Fortunately, we decided to upgrade. And this is where our feelings changed completely. The moment we reached the actual Raffles island, we were stunned by its grandeur. The setting is breathtaking. The architecture, landscaping, lake, ambience and sheer sense of exclusivity are genuinely spectacular. For a brief moment, we thought: “This is why people come to Raffles.” We had absolutely no regret about paying for the upgrade. But sadly, that feeling did not last. ⸻ THEN CAME THE RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE We had lunch and dinner at the property’s restaurants, expecting the kind of polished service one associates with a luxury hotel. Instead, we encountered a level of disorganisation that was difficult to reconcile with the Raffles name. There were five of us. Yet when the table was laid, there were only two glasses. In the evening, even a side plate was missing. These may appear to be insignificant details. They aren’t. At a luxury hotel, details ARE the experience. We were told that our food would take approximately 25 minutes. We waited. Then waited some more. After approximately 20–25 minutes, the dishes did not arrive together. They came sporadically and without any apparent coordination. We looked around for a senior steward or experienced supervisor who could take control of the situation. There wasn’t one. The junior waiters appeared to be doing their best, but the service lacked training, coordination and supervision. It was not the quiet, confident, seamless service one expects at a luxury hotel. It was frustrating. And, frankly, embarrassing for a property of this stature. ⸻ THE KER SANGRI INCIDENT Then came something that disturbed us considerably more. We found what appeared unmistakably to us to be a strand of human hair in the Ker Sangri. We immediately complained. The dish was removed. We expected an apology and perhaps some genuine concern about how such a thing could have happened. Instead, we were subsequently told that it was fibre from the sangri. That response left us genuinely upset. We are five adults. We know the difference between vegetable fibre and what appears to be a strand of human hair. What disappointed us most was not merely finding the foreign material. It was the feeling that our concern was being explained away rather than taken seriously. At a property charging these rates, hygiene concerns should never be brushed aside. ⸻ SOME DISHES LEFT US EQUALLY CONFUSED We ordered Harey Ghas Ki Roti, without being properly informed beforehand about what exactly the “grass” referred to or what we should expect. We also ordered Rajbhog Ki Sabzi. The dish contained very hard paneer dumplings and was nothing like the Rajbhog we had imagined from its name. Perhaps tastes and expectations differ. But that is precisely why knowledgeable restaurant staff are important. A luxury dining experience is not simply about putting a dish on the table. It is about explaining it, presenting it and creating anticipation around it. That element was missing. ⸻ THEN THE LUGGAGE PROBLEM The luggage handling added another layer of frustration. Our luggage took approximately two hours to reach our room after arrival. At departure, it took approximately 45 minutes to reach the mainland. One member of our group had to catch a flight to Delhi. We therefore had to approach the mainland reception ourselves and request that our luggage be brought. For a property where boat transfers are an essential part of the guest journey, luggage coordination should be one of the easiest things to get right. It wasn’t. ⸻ AND THEN CAME THE MOST DISTURBING PART We checked out the following afternoon after breakfast. Within approximately 12 hours, all five of us developed stomach upset and fever. Five people. The same stay. The same property. The same period. We obviously cannot medically establish the exact cause of the illness, and we are not making a definitive medical allegation against the hotel. But after the earlier food-hygiene incident, the timing was deeply concerning. Imagine spending a substantial amount on what is supposed to be an unforgettable luxury experience—and returning home with five people from the same group falling ill almost immediately afterwards. That is not the memory one expects to take home from Raffles. It was the final and most upsetting part of an already disappointing experience. ⸻ WHAT HURTS MOST What makes this particularly frustrating is that Raffles Udaipur is capable of being extraordinary. The main island is spectacular. The location is magical. The architecture is magnificent. The ambience is genuinely luxurious. We were initially so impressed that we were happy to pay extra to experience it. But luxury is not created by architecture alone. Luxury is how you make a guest feel. It is having five glasses on a table for five people. It is having a senior person immediately notice when service is going wrong. It is serving a meal in a coordinated manner. It is treating a hygiene complaint with seriousness and empathy. It is ensuring luggage reaches the guest without repeated requests. And it is making sure that guests leave remembering the property for its hospitality—not for the problems they encountered. Sadly, our experience was the opposite. We came expecting Raffles-level luxury. We experienced, in our view, service and operational standards far below what the price, property and brand promise led us to expect. OUR VERDICT Property & location: 5/5 Island experience: 5/5 Restaurant service: 1/5 Food experience: 1/5 Hygiene confidence: 1/5 Luggage handling: 1/5 Overall: 1/5 The saddest part is that we left not angry, but disappointed. We had looked forward to Raffles Udaipur. We wanted to be impressed. We wanted to talk about the lake, the island, the food, the hospitality and the unforgettable Raffles experience. Instead, our lasting memories are of missing glassware, poorly coordinated service, a disturbing hygiene incident, delayed luggage and five people falling ill shortly after returning home. For us, the stay has unfortunately become a lesson: A spectacular property can create the expectation of luxury. Only exceptional service can actually deliver it. Raffles Udaipur has the first. On our visit, it sadly failed to deliver the second. And that is not just a disappointment for one hotel. It is a serious dent in the confidence we had in the Raffles name. We sincerely hope the management reads this not simply as criticism, but as a warning. Because a property this magnificent deserves service that is equally magnificent. Beautiful island. Extraordinary potential. But an experience we would not choose to repeat. Attaching few photos about the grandeur of Raffles as we want to share positive feedback

My name is jay trivedi and I am staying at Raffles Udaipur from Aug 29 till Aug 31. My room number is 2008. The hotel had defrauded us completely. The hotel markets itself as Indias only island Resort. However, the provided us the rooms in a separate building outside the island. The building, rooms and service is just pathetic. There is so much noise that it is impossible to stay in the room. We paid 90k for 2 nights for the room and the room is not even worth 10k. There is no view as there is a view of garage where cars are parked. This is the biggest cheating I have ever experienced by a hotel. Highly recommend no one to stay in this hotel

Raffles Udaipur is the biggest fraudulent hotel i have ever seen. I just checked in today and had booked 5 rooms. Paid 85000 for 2 nights for each of these rooms. They market this hotel as India’s only island resort. Due to a wedding they shifted our rooms to a seperate property which is not on the island. The staff apologised for the same. There are cars and garage just below our room. The room is of the worst quality where even hot water is not coming. No one should trust raffles Udaipur. There is no integrity in these guys. They are just misselling the property by portraying it as island property and giving rooms in a different location. Fraud of an unbelivable nature.

A true Raffles WOW! Milon and sachins heartfelt care, impeccable attention to detailand genuine warmth made our stay unforgettable an experience that beautiful refleacts the sprit of Raffles udaipur