Raviz Kovalam

Very good lesson in wonderful place

We stayed at The Leela Kovalam from 22nd to 24th September to celebrate my birthday, and the property certainly makes a beautiful first impression. Set dramatically on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea, the location and views are truly exceptional and, in my opinion, remain the hotel’s greatest USP.

We stayed in a Palace Room and had a personal butler, Ranjan, who was undoubtedly the highlight of our stay. Sarthak and Ranjan also arranged a beautiful birthday setup with décor and a cake for me, which was a lovely touch. Ranjan’s service was exceptional in every sense—warm, attentive, proactive and consistently thoughtful. He was always on his feet, anticipated our requirements and went out of his way to find solutions. He truly deserves a special mention and made our stay considerably more comfortable and memorable.

Unfortunately, the overall experience did not quite match the expectations one would have from a luxury property of this stature. The food was average and, more importantly, there was a communication issue regarding the Club facilities.

We had specifically paid for the Club category and its associated privileges, including the exclusive Club lounge/café, gym, library and other resident-only facilities. During our stay, due to VIP movement at the property, the Club area was blocked on our last day as part of the security arrangements.

We completely understand that security requirements can sometimes necessitate such decisions. Our concern, however, was the lack of prior communication. We were not informed that these facilities would be unavailable, despite having specifically paid for the Club experience. Had this been communicated to us in advance, we could have planned accordingly—or reconsidered opting for the Club category altogether.

For a luxury property, I believe transparency and proactive communication are an important part of the guest experience. If a paid facility is going to be unavailable, guests should be informed in advance and given the opportunity to make an informed decision. The restriction itself was understandable; the lack of communication was what left us disappointed.

The staff was polite and courteous throughout our stay, and they did make an effort to address the issue at the time of check-out by offering certain discounts. We appreciate the gesture and the attempt to make amends. However, our concern was slightly different: when a guest has specifically paid for a particular service or category of privileges, a discount on other services does not really compensate for the service that was unavailable. The expectation is simply that what has been paid for is communicated clearly and delivered as promised, or that the guest is informed in advance if circumstances make that impossible. With better communication and greater consistency in delivering the services included in the booking, the experience could have been considerably better.

From the moment we arrived at the grand entrance, the level of service was nothing short of extraordinary. The valet and reception team greeted us by name and expedited our check-in with a complimentary welcome beverage while our luggage was promptly taken care of.Our room on the floor offered breathtaking, unobstructed views of the beach . The interior was impeccably clean, featuring modern smart-room controls, a plush king-sized bed with high-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens, and a marble bathroom stocked with premium designer toiletries. Turndown service every evening was a delightful touch, thanks to mr raj and Abhijit from housekeeping to my entire stay these guys are so helpful