Vagamon is a destination that wasn’t part of our initial plan and boy are we glad that we included it when we modified the plan! Set about 1100 meters above MSL, away from the maddening crowd that you associate with tourist destinations, and with lush green scenery all around, Vagamon could be the offbeat hill station that the nature lover within you might be craving for! To get the best out of such a scenic location, the ideal plan would be to stay, not within the town, but slightly away from the town. And this is precisely what we did. Read on to know more about our experience of staying at Palette Hill View Resort, Vagamon!
Location
The wonderfully located property is set about 3 kms away from the Vagamon town and is close to “Tharayanganam Stop”, which appears to be a bus stop. Though, the walk from the bus stop is quite uphill and it would be quite tricky. It would indeed be better to have a ride all the way to the hotel. Furthermore, it is also located opposite to “Moon Mala”, a perfect hiking spot with a spectacular view of nature on all 4 sides!
This is the view from the room. Check from 0:17 onwards
About the Property
Palette Hill View Resort Vagamon is set up in such a way that you’re surrounded by nature on all sides! With hills all around the property (this property is also on a hill). From most parts of the resort, you’ll be able to get in a good view of the beautiful nature. The entire property is split into two primary sections. One which houses the ample parking area (covered for two wheelers) and the upcoming recreational area and the other housing the rooms, reception, restaurant and the infinity swimming pool.
Just a short distance from the hotel (say about 30 odd steps), we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets ever! One can get the exact same view from the infinity pool as well is that’s how you like it. We preferred walking a bit further to get a better view!
Check-in:
The hotel’s check-in time is 1400 hrs (02:00 PM). Given that we started from Kochi quite leisurely, we were set to reach the hotel well after their check-in time. Prior to reaching the hotel, we got a call from the Hotel who informed us that we have been upgraded from the “Standard duplex room” to the “Luxury Cottages”. By the team we reached the hotel, the room was clean and ready. After a quick document verification, we ordered some room service and then settled in the room.
Room
The Luxury cottage was an extremely spacious room that comes with all the standard amenities such as complimentary water, kettle, complimentary tea and coffee, a TV, wardrobe and Air conditioning. The bed was extremely comfortable and comes with plush pillows and both ensure that we’re fresh after a good night’s sleep! The room also comes with a site out area with a couple of chairs where you can sit and soak in the wonderful views!
One drawback is (not just with this room but the entire property) is that the power back was kinda sketchy. Every time there was power outage, the back up kept turning on and off regularly. So much so that we turned off the AC because of the constant noise of the stabilizer being switched on and off. We’re not sure if it was a one-off thing but is surely some that the managements needs to address.
Bathroom
The bathroom was pretty clean, well maintained and spacious! And of-course, the shampoo, shower gel and moisturizer were given! One main drawback is that hot water isn’t available. But then again, doesn’t mean that you’ll have to do with cold water. It’s just that the water was just warm enough and not hot. It wasn’t much of an issue for us but is surely something that the management needs to work on.
Food
The one thing that we observed was that the food was extremely flavorful. It felt like the spices were freshly plucked and used to cook and this made the food all the more delicious! We had lunch, dinner and the breakfast next day and the food was yummy. The breakfast spread, while limited in choices, is quite yummy and will keep you energized for the day ahead, especially if you plan to hike through the hilly terrains!
Check-out:
We called in from the room informing that we’d be checking out soon and they had the bill ready by the time we were in the reception. We had fixed our saddle bags in the morning prior to checking out (we prefer that way so that we get to spend some time in the fan after working on fixing the saddle bags!).
This entire process of checking out took a couple of minutes and we were on our way to the next destination, Munnar, soon!
Customer Service:
Exceptional. Everyone looked eager to help throughout our stay. The staff was very friendly and informative as well. One activity that is popular in Vagamon is their off-roading Jeep safari and you may speak to the staff to get this arranged with pick up and drop from the hotel itself. Very convenient!
Final Verdict & Ratings
Palette Hill View Resort is undoubtedly one of the best hotels to stay in, in Vagamon and with outstanding cleanliness, warm hospitality and superior service, you would surely feel like extending your stay here! With the expansions that they have planned and with a few minor tweaks regarding the power back up and hot water, this could easily turn into a favorite destination for tourists. We’ll definitely stay here again!
Until next time!
The RE Travelers