The Oberoi Bangalore, Bangalore

I go to Bangalore every 6 months to visit offshore team. As you know, hotels in Bangalore are taking a full advantage of supply/demand law. In other words, ripoff pretty much everything at the hotel. Oberoi was ok. The room setting was better than Taj. However, the food was not good, and the service was slow. The worst part was they ripped me off on top of already expensive rate. I booked a premier room which came with complementary breakfast, but when I got the bill, they charged the breakfast on top of it! I don't think I will go back there because I can take bad food and service, but cannot take dishonesty.

For several years, I have stayed regularly at the Leela Palace in Bangalore. But recently, the staff there has become unhelpful, discourteous, and often tend to treat guests as a nuisance. A friend recommended I try the Oberoi. What a difference!! The staff at the Oberoi is professional, diligent, very well trained, and most of all incredibly helpful and friendly. They don't just act like they care; they REALLY DO care. I have never felt so well taken care of! Compared to the Leela, the rooms are not quite as 'over the top' opulent. They are about 10% smaller too (500 sq ft for premier room vs 550 in Leela). Also, the hallways to the rooms are all open air. When you walk out of your room, you are outside! But given the great weather in Bangalore most of the time, this is a good feature. Finally, some rooms which are directly on MG Road can be noisy, but I found the noise level from the city no different than my stays at the Leela. I did have a small issue with the room when I arrived, but the wonderful staff quickly moved me into another room, and even upgraded my room to a larger one for the trouble. Wonderful staff! By the way, the Fitness Center has just been totally renovated! It is now every bit as nice as that at the Leela. And the equipment is much newer and nicer. They also have a wonderful Spa (I did not try it, though) staffed by Thai personnel for massage and treatments. I strongly recommend to anyone who has been staying at the Leela to try the Oberoi, at least once. I will probably never go back to the Leela having experienced the service here at the Oberoi.

I just cannot say enough good things about this hotel. The service was wonderful, the rooms were well appointed and very comfortable, the properly was just unbelievably gorgeous! I had the pleasure of staying here for a business trip. I was so glad that I stayed over the weekend so that I could take some time to enjoy myself here. The courtyard/garden had lovely ponds with lilypads and koi fish. One pond even had a small waterfall. There are many beautiful flowering plants and tropical trees.As soon as you walk ino the lobby you notice this beautiful scent, which I later found out was jasmine. One thing that I really appreciated was that the pool was not set right next to a resteraunt. It was set back in the garden a bit allowing sunbathers and swimmers a bit of privancy. There are 4 resteraunts here, a Thai resteraunt, a pub style resteraunt, an ala carte/buffet place and a Chinese resteraunt. I ate at the Chinese resteraunt, several times during my stay. If you go, you MUST have the Lychee custard w/vanilla bean...it is like a creme brulee with lychee fruit in it...OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! Service was slow, which is very common in India, but very pleasant and helpful staff. I also had breakfast at Le Jardin most mornings. They serve a buffet, which I usually missed as I was working UK hours while there. They fry up great eggs, just like I requested over medium. Room: I had a king size room, unfortunately their idea of a king size bed was 2 twin bed pushed together. Luckily I was travelling alone and they were very comfortable beds. Oh and the pillows! Big, plump and supportive down pillows...there was a pillow menu in case you didn't want down or wanted one that was softer or firmer. The shower had plenty of hot water and nice strong water pressure! Loved the products (shampoo, conditioner, lotion and shower gel). Beautiful garden view room. There was a bit of traffic noise, but once you shut the hall door it was very tolerable. Cannot wait to stay here again!

Lovely and safe. They take care of you very very well. Would be 5 stars, except that all of Bangalore seems to be so high in hotel cost when compared to the world market. But if you have to go and especially if you are new to the area, spend the money.

Liked every thing bout the hotl the values the staf the compound the pool the spa and the banquets also the chinese restaurant and the thai RIM Naam the GM And the other managers too the coffee shop menus and the sunday brunch KEEP IT GOING ALL THE BEST

Friendly service, comfortable rooms and a location in the heart of the city. But what made it special for me was the fact that i could walk across from my office to the hotel, and feel like i had entered a different world. the gardens at The Oberoi are truly lovely, giving the hotel a quaint and charming feel

The staff here is so friendly, you feel like you are amongst friends from the moment you walk in. And the gardens are beautiful - you go from the noise of the city into an oasis f green as soon as you enter the hotel

I spent 4 days at the Oberoi bangalore and it has been one of my best experiences till date in this city. The hotel gave me a truly luxurious experience and was totally worth the price. The room and the bathroom was a treat and I spent most of my time at the hotel itself. Especially by the pool. Food is great too. I would recommend not staying anywhere else in Bangalore.

The grounds and gardens make the Oberoi stand out as an urban hotel experience. Service, food, fine. Gym is disappointingly small, with no stretching space and a view onto a basement courtyard. But the garden is a delight and the hotel's restaurants and rooms take full advantage of this.

Pros: * Great location on M.G. Road. You can walk to shops, restaurants, banks, etc. * Nice pool area and garden setting. * Good, although expensive, restaurants. The Thai restaurant, Rim Naam, is particularly good. If Le Jardin is offering a Mexican buffet, do yourself a favor and skip it. * Welcoming, plush bed with crisp white linens. * Staff are nice, although stiff and rehearsed. * Wireless internet is available, although it costs a whopping 800 rupees (US$18) per day plus tax. Cons: * Way overpriced -- This hotel wouldn't be more than $150 in most U.S. cities, but the high occupancy rates in Bangalore allow hoteliers to charge high prices. * The rooms are not all that impressive. They have the expected amenities (phone in bathroom, makeup mirror, etc), but they are not particularly large nor do they have any fancy decorations. There is an ample amount of wood trim, however. * Rooms often smell slightly musty, probably coming from the air conditioning (mildew). * Cleaning is spotty. My first room was cleaned spotlessly every day. I changed room because of a smell. The second room was not cleaned as thoroughly. * The health club facility is just a small room. At times I found all the cardio equipment in use. * Road noise -- The hotel is shaped like a "V" or boomerang, with one edge along M.G. Road. That means half the rooms have doors that overlook the noisy M.G. Road. I was able to sleep by closing the foyer door, but light sleepers might have trouble. In general, this layout is not appropriate for a 5-star place. Ask for a room on the non-road facing side.