Ideal Beach resort is located at Mamallapuram on the Chennai to Pondicherry East Coast Road. I had heard about it from friends as to how well managed it was and how professional the people there are. I was also told that it is specifically catering to European clientele and that it is run by a friendly Sri Lankan family.
While driving one afternoon from Pondy to Chennai, I decided to check it out. My wife and I dropped by there to have coffee and see the place. The idea was that if we liked it we would stay there in the next vacation.
Imagine my surprise at the rude-ness of the people right at the front desk. It was as if we were intruders into an unwelcome domain. Curtly we were told that no outsiders are allowed for snacks, and that the service was only for inhouse guests. For a resort catering to 100 people, being unable to serve coffee for two visitors was surprising. "No sir, we can not serve even two people. We have our rules and we follow them." It was a rather nasty surprise.
What is even more surprising is that an American friend of mine from Chennai has "dropped by' there more than once and he is welcomed.
I guess a part of catering to "caucasian clientele" is knowing how to drive away Indians. Discriminating against Indians is probably one way to run an exclusive resort for foriegners.
All in all, it was a distasteful experience, and I have shelved any further plans of going there or recommending it to any of my Indian friends. Reverse discrimation is what this is, at its nastiest best.
And the tragedy is that one of the best examples of customer service I have received in my travels was at a hotel in colombo. More on that on a different day.
Posted by networker13
at 11:31 AM
