WelcomHeritage Fernhills Royal Palace

There was no heat even though the temperature was below 50 degree Fahrenheit. The shower did not work and the food for breakfast had run out. Our rooms had absolutely no windows or sunlight. Badly needs renovation. Most importantly it’s being run with skimpy staff and so no one answered the telephones or took care of you. Sad because bones of property are great.

Fern Hills Palace The three words that best define this place: Stinky, Dilapidated, Disgusting. This place would be ok as a Museum and it also has the feel of a Mausoleum. One wonders if the ghosts of the past residents and the British are condemned to roam around the premises and contribute to the stench. There are ***y rare photographs of the Wadiyar family and large photographs of the celebration of a cruel fox-hunt that the Britishers held here and the Wadiyars, who were loyal servants of the Empire, took part in. The foxes probably cursed this place before they were killed and that would explain why this place is disgusting. I've stayed at more than a few hundred different hotels and resorts around the world. This place was the absolute worst, in terms of the condition of the building, its maintenance, the quality of the furniture and the rooms. If you have stayed at any five star hotel or resort in India, be assured that the hotel or resort is way better than this place. There is no gym, no swimming pool, very limited buffet options, and the pool table has been out of service for a long time because the Wadiyar Group is too cheap to repair it. As you walk up to the front desk, the desolate place gives a sense of gloominess, sorrow and grief. This place used to be owned by a few white Britishers before a Wadiyar Prince bought it. There is a plaque that says Wadiyar Group near the front desk. From what I gathered, the Queen comes and stays here. The poor lady must have bad eyesight and also lost her sense of smell as the rooms stink and the furniture looks so cheap, old and gross. Some of the reasons for the stinky rooms is poor ventilation and high amounts of moisture in the rooms, mainly because the roof leaks in ***y places and is in dire need of repair. In a Suite, there are three or more rooms plus a bathroom and they are cold. Only one electric heater will work because the electric wiring is so old, if more heaters were turned on simultaneously, it would trip the circuit. So, only one heater pathetically attempts to heat four rooms. The hotel does provide hot water bottles to stick in your bed. I would be glad to tell the Wadiyar Group people what part of their anatomy they can stick the hot water bottles up. The current Dining Room was a ballroom for the British and they stopped dancing there because the floor was unsafe to dance upon. If the floor was unsafe to dance on, and it probably has never been repaired, how is it now safe to walk on? There was a large tarp covering part of the dining floor because the roof leaks. I feel bad ripping the Wadiyar Group and this Hotel a new one, but the hotel is in dire need of repair. Stop being greedy and fix the roof, ventilate and deodorize the rooms, and update the furniture and amenities to match other hotels. Save your money: have a look around then leave.

We had a Memorable stay at Fern Hill Royal Palace. We had a warm welcome from Mr.Parasuram (General ***ager). He was very kind enough to take us for a walk around the Palace and explained us in detail about it's history. We were very delighted to know that Royal Family still uses the Palace for their vacation. Each and every part of the Palace is unquie with it's design and our 6 years old daughter too had a good time. We stayed in Maharani suite which had complete wooden flooring and traditional wardrobes made out of teak. Bathroom was quote big with Jacuzzi. Thanks to William for providing us with good spread of dishes and service.

Staying here was like stepping back in time. We stayed for 2 nights on our trip to Ooty. The hotel is from a bygone era , you really get an insight of this with all the photographs of the Royal Family when they stayed here back in the day. The property has got all its original features but is desperately in need of some love and attention to preserve it. We had no complaints about our room - large and airy , with a little sitting area and big bathroom. All the furniture was in keeping with period of the property. We found it to be very clean but because there is some dampness in the bathroom there are some marks on the ceiling. The food was very good , we had dinner one night and just a simple breakfast is as our choice, but there seemed to be a good choice for others. The few staff were very friendly and helpful. They were trying so hard to give good service but we could tell they were under a little pressure from other not so satisfied and de***ding guests. I actually felt quite sorry for them. If you decide to stay here do not expect modern luxury of chain hotels and try to keep an open mind. We think you will probably forget some of the modern hotels you will stay in , but like us you will never forget your stay here ! I would say to the owners of this hotel you have great staff but you need to make some investment in your property before it’s too late. It could be an absolute gem and the star of Ooty.

Should have read the reviews before going - joke. Shame because the location is beautiful. Thought I would have a drink in the garden, but they do not serve alcohol? Although the bar is full of alcohol? . I was offered beer - it’s being a not alcohol? I was told they’d run out 🤪. I was told I could have teal coffee only to be you told they had no tea, so I opted for coffee. I came back with tea as they found some 😳. 300 rp for a very average lukewarm tea. Was very glad I wasn’t staying here at 12000 rp a night!

This hotel should have everything going for it. The location is great and from a distance the building looks lovely. However Faulty Towers would rate a 5* in comparison!! The hotel does not have sufficient staff, and although well meaning they lacked training. The food was good but service terrible. Tables were left dirty from the previous meal, food never matched what was ordered. The building needs significant structural work. The rooms smell of damp and our bathroom ceiling was crumbling away. They have a fully stocked bar but no drinks licence...so you have to bring your own. The welcome was cold and impersonal and lacked the "heritage" expectations. All in all not a great place to stay. And based on what we paid there are far better hotels in Ooty for much less. I very rarely give such a negative review but want people to be aware before booking. will put this one down to posterity.

We stayed in this palace from 20th to 23rd March 2022. We had booked two executive suits for four of us. As we reached one of our suit got upgraded to the Maharani Suite. The massive rooms with high ceiling, old fashioned Burmese teakwood furniture, ventilators which allow the sunlight during the daytime really brought us back to historical days. We spent one day just to explore the resort, trekking to the fern jungle within the resort etc. The food was sumptuous. Our special thanks to Mr Robert at the reception, Mr William in the dinning hall & the head chef, unfortunately his name we can't recollect. The chef used to come to the table to ask for any special choice. Overall a fantastic experience.