It was my first trip to the State of Odisha and I was bit extra cautious and selective because it was a family trip–I had my wife, my daughter, my niece and nephew with me, so was looking for a family room, but eventually, went on to book Hotel Shreehari Grand purely based on the heap of praises levied on the internet by users–almost everybody said that the staff was very supportive and the food (vegetarian) was excellent, and it would be a nice stay. Luckily, I was not disappointed!
From outside, the hotel looks very small and more of an inn, but it has more depth than the width and there are plenty of rooms. So, while checking online, do not be discouraged by the front photo that they have–you will not regret choosing this hotel by any means.
Overall, it is a very decent hotel with 2 to 3-star
I stayed in the hotel for four nights and here is my review.
Location: The location of the hotel is its main advantage–walking distance from the Jagannath Temple, and also in the middle of the bustling market. So, its location provides you access to almost everything. The tea and shopping stalls are aplenty outside and auto-rickshaw is easily available. Walking to the temple is also very easy. The only disadvantage you may face is that the police often does not allow the taxis and vehicles to go ahead on the road and you have to get down near the Police station. If your driver knows the police personnel personally, he may get ahead otherwise, there is no alternative. You will have to hire a rickshaw or an auto again to get your luggage to the hotel.
Rooms: The structure of the hotel is not ideal but there are still six rooms that could give you excellent view of the Grand road, and luckily, we got the two of them. All these six rooms have a gallery that opens towards the Grand road, which is full of people and activity late in night and becomes alive very early in the morning. The mattresses provided are filled with springs instead of foam and therefore sometimes it feels bit uncomfortable, but your body will adapt quickly. Water bottles are provided daily and cleaning is also done daily. Bathroom is good and they provide a comb, a shampoo phial and a soap on complimentary basis. There is TV and AC and good lighting options and full-length mirrors also. A chair and an cabinet is also provided.
Food: The food offered good though we did not have free breakfast in our booking. Breakfast offered is buffet based while lunch and dinner is la carte. South Indian food is available and also Thali options are good. Tea/coffee is also available. Overall, good variety and taste.
Cleanliness and Staff: The hotel is clean and the staff is really supportive and can talk in Hindi and English apart from the Oriya language.
Price: The price that I paid for two rooms per day was above 5,000/- without breakfast, which I felt was a bit high, though I do not have too much complaint about that. Given the location, It would have been perfect if I could get breakfast included at that price.
Other facilities: They have
Few Issues that we faced:
- As already mentioned, we faced problem of taxi not allowed to the hotel gate every time we went outside for excursions including Chilika Lake, Konark or Raghurajpur, etc.
- The lift system often does not work (maybe it was a temporary issue) but we faced it frequently during our stay.
- The food variety is time-bound and you may not get everything all the time–better check the timings and plan your meals.
