Raffles Udaipur

Gorgeous Island in the middle of surreal serenity. Beats hotels at Lake Como, Italy. Great ambience matches with great staff…… Leaders like Shambhu Singh Rao and Sukhpreet Singh maketh the place. Kudos

We stayed at Raffles Udaipur for a birthday celebration and came away with very mixed feelings. The property itself is stunning, with beautiful lake views, a lovely island setting and some genuinely excellent staff. However, the overall hospitality, service consistency and attention to detail fell significantly short of what I expected from a Raffles property, especially considering we paid around ₹50,000 for the stay. The biggest disappointment was that the stay did not really feel like a Raffles experience. There was no personalised butler, no real royal-style arrival welcome with the traditional embellished umbrella and ceremonial welcome, and no in-room registration/check-in. There was also very little personalised in-room attention or anything that made our birthday celebration feel genuinely special. These may sound like experiential details, but they are exactly the things that should differentiate a Raffles stay from simply staying at an expensive hotel. There were, however, several genuinely good experiences. When my child felt nauseous on arrival, the team kindly arranged fresh lime with a little soda, which was appreciated. The boat transfer from the mainland to the island was also a nice experience, although it felt a little slow. The children's activities were probably the highlight of our stay. My child loved the indoor games room, which had multiple games in good condition and helpful staff. The clay pottery and farming activities were also wonderful. A special shout-out to Mr. Santosh from the horticulture team, who was warm and engaging and made the farming activity of growing ladyfingers particularly memorable. I also want to acknowledge the housekeeping team. Our room had not been cleaned properly, but the housekeeping in-charge personally took ownership, resolved the issue and arranged complimentary gifts for all three of us. That level of ownership was genuinely appreciated. Unfortunately, there were too many other service lapses. We had specifically requested a lake-view room, but were initially given a room without the requested view. We were eventually moved, but only after I repeatedly followed up despite being told the team would call once the room was ready. I had to personally keep chasing the team and running around to get the room changed. The issue was eventually resolved, but the lack of follow-through was disappointing. The birthday cake was another example. Being welcomed with a cake was a nice gesture, but it was presented at reception rather than as a personalised in-room experience. We were told it would subsequently be sent to our room, but despite reminding the team twice, it arrived only around three hours later. We also only discovered later that cycling was available on the property; nobody proactively told us about it. The property was under maintenance in several areas, including the main swimming pool being closed. We were asked to use the onshore pool instead, but when staying on an island, a 30–40 minute round trip just to use a swimming pool is hardly a practical alternative. The dining experience was mixed. The food itself was fine, but the service was below what I expected from a luxury hotel. At lunch, we waited around 35 minutes for the food despite there being very few guests. During that time, we were served only a papad while we were extremely hungry. More frustratingly, the main course arrived before the starter. At dinner, we had specifically requested that our soft drink be served without ice, but ice was added anyway. Even room service had avoidable lapses. We ordered hot milk at night and waited around 15 minutes before realising it had not arrived. We eventually had to call again. The most frustrating incident happened on our final morning. The night before, we clearly explained that we needed to check out around 8 AM for a flight and would not have time for breakfast. We were told that breakfast could be packed in the morning and that multiple items could be arranged. However, the next morning, the chef told us that only aloo paratha could be provided unless we filled out a lengthy form. Had we been told about this requirement the previous night, we would obviously have completed it. Instead, we were given one expectation and a completely different answer when we were already rushing for a flight. That was extremely disappointing and unnecessary. The checkout process added further stress. I personally checked that our luggage had been loaded onto the boat and expected it to reach the mainland before us, particularly as it was being transferred separately by speedboat. However, our luggage arrived around 10–12 minutes after we did. With a flight to catch, that created completely unnecessary stress. To be fair, not everything was poor. The property is beautiful, the children's activities were excellent, and some members of the team genuinely cared. The housekeeping in-charge, the indoor games staff and especially Mr. Santosh deserve recognition. But ultimately, guests choosing Raffles are paying a premium for more than a beautiful property. They are paying for personalised hospitality, thoughtful touches, seamless execution and impeccable attention to detail. Unfortunately, our stay involved too many avoidable lapses, repeated follow-ups and broken expectations. Rather than consistently feeling looked after, I often felt that I had to manage things myself. At around ₹50,000, I expected a stay that felt special from beginning to end. Instead, I came away feeling that the overall experience was worth closer to half of what I paid. **A stunning property with some genuinely wonderful staff, but the hospitality and attention to detail did not live up to the Raffles name or the price.**

⭐ 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

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

It was such a nice experience with all the accomodation along with the house keeping team - suchismita thank you for your kind support