**Escape to Paradise: OYO 9116 Thamburu Hotel, Trivandrum**
Alright, deep breath! Let's dive headfirst into the… well, let's call it "Escape to Paradise: OYO 9116 Thamburu Hotel, Trivandrum." Buckle up, because this review isn't going to be your typical, sterile hotel write-up. This is real life, folks, and sometimes real life has a few… bumps.
(SEO Keyword alert: Thamburu Hotel Trivandrum Review, Trivandrum Hotels, Kerala Hotels, Budget Hotels Trivandrum, Accessible Hotels Trivandrum, Spa Hotels Trivandrum)
First Impressions & the Great Accessibility Gamble:
Okay, so first thing’s first: finding the damn thing. Trivandrum, as I learned, isn’t exactly laid out like a perfectly manicured garden path. Google Maps was my frenemy here. I'm a wheelchair user so accessibility is a huge deal for me. The website mentioned… yeah well it mentioned it, but didn’t give you enough details.
Accessibility: Okay, here's where things get… interesting. The hotel claims to be accessible, but the devil's in the details, right? I contacted the hotel directly beforehand to get more information but never got a clear idea about how accessible the rooms were. The elevators existed (thank goodness!), which is a MAJOR win. But getting into the hotel… well, let's just say the ramp wasn't exactly smooth sailing. It was a little steep, and I definitely needed a bit of help. Once inside, the public areas like the lobby and the main restaurant seemed okay, but my room, well, that's a story for later (more on that mess!). I'd recommend calling, getting specific dimensions and requesting a room, and talking to a human being about your actual needs before booking.
So, Bottom Line on Accessibility? It's trying. But if you're in a wheelchair, triple check everything. Call, ask for pictures, and don't be shy about grilling them on the specifics. Assume nothing.
Rooms, Glorious Rooms (and the Occasional Glitch!):
- Available in all Rooms: These are the things you’d logically expect! Air conditioning (thank GOD for AC in Kerala!), an alarm clock (for when you need to actually wake up), a desk (for when you pretend to work), basic toiletries, towels, and free Wi-Fi (Hallelujah! More on that below).
- The "Not-in-My-Room" Section: Things like a bathtub (nope), bathrobes (nope), bathroom phone (lol, no), safe box in the room (nope), a reading light (also no… unless you count the single, dim bulb), and a scale.
My first reaction to the room? A mix of "well, it's a room" and "okay, let's see what we're working with." I loved the blackout curtains because the intense Kerala sun is something else! The bed was comfy enough, and the AC worked. That's a solid foundation!
- Wi-Fi Chronicles: The hotel claims to have free Wi-Fi in all rooms, which is a massive plus. And it was… kinda… there. Okay, let's be honest, it was spotty at times. More like Wi-Fi "try-fi," where you try to connect, and sometimes you succeed. The free Wi-Fi, however, worked. I'd recommend bringing a personal hotspot for backup if you rely on the internet for work.
- TV Viewing: Satellite/cable, which let me watch some shows after a long day.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Food Adventures (and the Occasional Food-Related Tragedy):
- Restaurants: There’s a restaurant on-site. The name is a bit of a bore. Expect an Asian and International food menu. The reviews were good for the hotel restaurant.
- The food: One word: Curry. I was in curry heaven! I had an amazing dosa and a few dishes.
- Poolside Bar: Sadly, that wasn’t open when I was there, but I was promised it would be soon!
Ways to Relax: Spa, Swimming, and (Maybe) Finding Your Inner Peace:
- Things to do: This is where the “Escape to Paradise” starts to show its face. There’s a swimming pool (outdoor), a sauna, a steam room, and a spa! Now we're talking!
- Fitness Center: There’s a gym/fitness center – though I'm not sure how much exercise I'd be doing in the Trivandrum heat.
- The Pool: The pool looked stunning. I was so excited, but a little worried about the accessibility - the entrance wasn't easy to find. In the end, I just enjoyed the view instead.
- Spa: Sadly I didn’t get around to the spa. I was too busy getting my bearings, but I heard good things.
Cleanliness and Safety: The COVID-19 Reality:
- COVID-19 Precautions: This is where Thamburu Hotel really shines. I noticed they're taking things seriously. Mandatory hand sanitizers and the staff were wearing masks. Tables were spaced, and they seemed to be disinfecting constantly. Seeing hand sanitizer dispensers at every turn gave me some peace of mind. Felt safe!
Services and Conveniences: The Extras You Didn't Know You Needed:
- Daily Housekeeping: Yes! The room felt fresh and clean every day.
- Concierge: Super helpful staff
- Laundry Service: This was a lifesaver. Travel in India can get messy, and the laundry service was prompt and reasonably priced.
- Car Park [free of charge], Car park [on-site]: Free Parking is a massive plus!
- Taxi service: The hotel can call you a cab.
- Luggage Storage: Yep, they'll hold your bags.
- Wi-Fi for special events: Not sure what that means, but I'm sure they handle it.
For the Kids:
- Family/Child Friendly: Yep!
- Babysitting service: Yes, there is one, which is super helpful.
Getting Around:
- Airport Transfer: They offered it.
- Taxis: Available.
The Bottom Line: Would I Go Back?
Okay, let's be honest – my Thamburu Hotel experience wasn't perfect. There were some accessibility issues, the internet was a bit dodgy, and the lack of a fully functional spa experience was disappointing. But… but… for the price? The location? The friendly staff? The delicious food? And the attempt at a paradise experience?
My Final Verdict:
It's a solid budget hotel in Trivandrum. Not perfect, but with some improvements in accessibility, it could be amazing.
Let's Get to the Booking! (This is your persuasive offer, baby!)
ARE YOU READY TO ESCAPE TO PARADISE (Eventually!) – OYO 9116 Thamburu Hotel, Trivandrum is Calling!
Forget those soul-crushing hotel chains! Do you crave an authentic Indian experience without breaking the bank? Are you searching for a budget-friendly hotel that makes a real effort to accommodate your needs. Escape the ordinary and book your stay at OYO 9116 Thamburu Hotel, Trivandrum.
Here's why you NEED to book NOW:
- Cleanliness that wows: Relax in the hotel knowing that hygiene is their top priority – with daily disinfection, anti-viral cleaning products, and staff trained in protocols.
- Delicious Dining: Savor the flavors of Kerala with a delicious array of Asian and international dishes – and start your day with a breakfast buffet (or in-room service for those lazy mornings!).
- Pool Paradise (ish): Cool off and escape the heat in the stunning outdoor swimming pool. And relax with a massage. (I might give that another shot.)
Act NOW!
Book your stay at the [hotel website/booking platform] and use code "THAMBURUADVENTURE" for a free upgrade to a room with a better view of the city (because who doesn't love a better view?). And mention this review to get some free drinks at the bar (when it's open!). Limited availability! Don't wait – your Trivandrum adventure awaits!
Dallas Allen/Fairview's BEST Kept Secret: This Hotel Will Blow You Away!
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because we're about to take a messy, wonderful, slightly chaotic trip to Thiruvananthapuram, India… with a base of operations at the OYO 9116 Thamburu International Hotel. Let's be honest, I picked it because… well, the name was intriguing. And hey, budget-friendly, right? Don't judge.
Thamburu International Hotel – A Home Base… and a Starting Point
Day 1: Arrival, Adjustment (and a Near Disaster with the AC)
- Afternoon (ish): Touchdown at Trivandrum International Airport. Ugh, the flight was a torture session. So much legroom (hint: there wasn't any). Customs…surprisingly easy. Got my visa, breathed a sigh of relief, and then… the heat. The air hit me like a warm, spicy brick wall. I emerged from the airport expecting a cool rush and instead, i had been hit-by that warm brick wall.
- Late Afternoon: Taxi chaos. Negotiating prices is a national sport here, apparently. I felt like I was starring in a particularly aggressive game of "Price is Right" with a grumpy driver. Finally, we arrived at the Thamburu. First impressions? Well, let's just say the lobby photos were highly edited. It’s clean enough, I'll give it that.
- Evening: Check-in! Now, the room… My inner critic perked up. The AC, my god, the AC. I switched it on expecting a cool gust, but instead, it made this horrible, gurgling noise and spat out warm air. It felt like the hotel was mocking me. After a frantic call to reception (and a lot of pointing and pantomiming), they sent someone up. He fiddled with it for an eternity, then shrugged and said, "Fixed!" Nope. It was still giving out warm air. I felt a wave of existential dread. Would I survive? Would I melt? Eventually, they moved me to a different room. Success! And what's even weirder, I'm relieved. I'd rather have a properly functioning room than a fancy room with a broken AC.
- Evening, Still: Dinner at a nearby restaurant (the hotel restaurant was closed). Scoured around and a local eatery caught my eye. Ordered a vegetarian thali. Spicy. Really, really spicy. Tears streaming down my face, but in a good way. Okay, more the good way than not. Delicious, and only slightly regretted not knowing what I'd ordered.
- Night: Collapsed in bed. The exhaustion of travel is relentless. Now, to see if the AC truly works, let's hope.
Day 2: Temple Exploration and a Beach Blunder
- Morning: Woke up after a good night's sleep, and with the AC functioning. Big win! Breakfast at the hotel - the included breakfast was not bad. It was a simple selection of toast, eggs, and some kind of weird, sweet pastry. I'm still not 100% sure what it was, but I ate it.
- Morning: A quick tuk-tuk ride to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Okay, so first impressions… it's majestic. The detail on the carvings is amazing. Then, the clothing rules. Everyone's got to dress the same. I’m definitely a tourist but I can still follow directions. The sheer scale of the place is humbling.
- Afternoon: Kovalam Beach. Sun! Sand! Sea! …and a serious lack of sunscreen. Rookie mistake. Within an hour, I resembled a cooked lobster. Sunburn aside, the beach is beautiful. The waves were kind of intense, like a giant washing machine. I got tumbled around and came up choking on sand. I think half the ocean is now down my trousers, but it was an experience so I'm not complaining.
- Evening: Dinner at a beachside shack. Fresh seafood. More spice. Even more delicious. The sunset over the ocean… cinematic. Absolutely breathtaking. The sunburn, however, was making sure I didn't forget about it. I spent a hour trying to get the burn to calm down. I gave up and went back to bed.
Day 3: Cultural Immersion (and a Mosquito Massacre)
- Morning: I woke up, and the mosquito attacks began. I think it was a conspiracy, how many bites I have. They must have declared war on me.
- Morning: A visit to the Napier Museum & Zoo. The museum was filled with fascinating artifacts - and I am a history buff. The zoo was… well, it was a zoo. I can't say it was a great zoo. But I liked the architecture.
- Afternoon: I attempted to learn some basic Malayalam. I'm terrible at it. Really, really terrible. I spent hours trying to say "Thank you" and just ended up sounding like a dying cat. However, the locals found it pretty amusing, so I’m still counting that as a win.
- Evening: Back to the hotel. More mosquito attacks. Dinner in the hotel restaurant (which reopened!). Finally, a decent meal. The food was less spicy than the local places, which was welcome.
- Night: Writing this diary entry. My room is a disaster. Clothes everywhere. The mosquito bites itch. The AC is humming a lullaby. Exhausted, but also filled with this weird sense of… well, something. India's doing a number on me, but I'm loving it.
Day 4: Departure (with a touch of regret)
- Morning: Last breakfast. Saying goodbye to the "Weird, Sweet Pastry." Packing. The same old song every time I leave a place. I swear I'll learn to travel light… someday.
- Morning: One last tuk-tuk ride. This time, I even haggled like a pro (I think).
- Afternoon: Head back to the airport. A mix of relief and sadness. Relief at escaping the mosquito onslaught, and sadness at leaving this crazy, beautiful, chaotic place.
- Throughout: The Thamburu, with its issues, was a decent base. It wasn't perfect, but it was… an experience. I'm going to miss it, and the chaos.
- Departure: Onward and upward, and I'm going to miss this place.
- On the plane: Already planning a return trip! Just, maybe, with more sunscreen and a better handle on the local language. And please, God, no more mosquito bites.
So, there you have it. A highly subjective, somewhat disorganized, and hopefully entertaining account of my time in Thiruvananthapuram. And a reminder: travel is messy, and it's supposed to be. It's about the imperfections, the funny moments, the unexpected connections, and the things that make you question everything. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go buy some mosquito repellent… and start planning my next adventure.
Guwahati's ESSENCE GRANDEUR: Unveiling Luxury You Won't Believe!
Escape to Paradise: OYO 9116 Thamburu Hotel, Trivandrum - The Truth (and the Chaos)
Is "Paradise" really the right word for this place? Because I saw some reviews...
Okay, look. "Paradise"? That's a *strong* word. Let's just say the marketing department had a *very* good day when they dreamt that up. I mean, Trivandrum itself is beautiful, don't get me wrong. But *Thamburu Hotel*? Paradise might be pushing it, unless your idea of paradise involves maybe… finding the remote for the TV, after like, half an hour searching, and maybe also, lukewarm coffee-flavored lukewarm water? (Yes, that happened; I should've taken pictures of the water though. Proof, people! Proof!).
Seriously, I went in with *zero* expectations, which, surprisingly, worked out pretty well. The room? Kinda… compact. The bathroom? Well, I’ll just say my inner germaphobe was doing a lot of internal screaming. But, and this is the *but*… it wasn't *terrible*. It wasn't. And by the third day, the quirks started to feel… endearing? Like, the slightly off-kilter charm of a friend who's always a little late but somehow makes you laugh anyway.
What about the location? Is it actually a good spot? I want to be near things.
The location's… fine. Not *amazing*, not *awful*. It's a bit of a walk (or a rickshaw ride, which is way more fun, even when you're convinced the driver is trying to kill you) to the main touristy stuff. I mean, I walked a fair bit, and my calves are still screaming from that. But, and here's the thing, you get a *real* sense of the local life. You see the spice shops, the (very) loud buses belching smoke, the kids playing cricket in the streets. It's not the sanitized version of India you'd get if you were stuck in a resort. It's… real. And sometimes, let's be honest, *that's* the escape.
Oh, and there was this incredible bakery nearby. Seriously. Forget everything else; just find the bakery. I may have eaten a whole plate of samosas for breakfast one day. Don't judge me. It’s called “Best Bakery"....and it actually *was* the best bakery.
Tell me about the staff. Were they friendly? Helpful? Did they, you know, *exist*?
"Exist"? Oh, they *existed*. Now, friendly and helpful… well, that varied. There was this one guy, bless his heart, who seemed to be in charge of everything, from room cleaning to the Wi-Fi (which, let's be honest, was spotty enough to make a pirate's life look seamless). He was perpetually flustered but tried his best. I think I owe him a fruit basket and serious kudos. The others? I’m not sure where they disappeared to sometimes. (Maybe paradise?)
One morning, I needed laundry done. Simple, right? Nope. Seemed to be a whole production. I’m talking a *three-day* production. It finally arrived. I had to check it for holes. You know, to make sure my clothes weren't secretly living a separate life. (They weren’t… thankfully.) But you know what? They *tried*. And in India, that counts for something. Plus, I still have my clothes, so, score.
The Wi-Fi is a big deal. Spill the tea - or, you know, the bandwidth.
Oh, the Wi-Fi. Where to begin? Actually, let’s start with a sigh. Okay, deep breath. It existed! *Technically*. But let me paint a picture: imagine a snail, trying to climb Mount Everest, while being chased by a swarm of angry bees. That, my friends, is the speed you can expect. It's more of a "Wi-Maybe" than a Wi-Fi."
I ended up tethering to my phone most of the time. Seriously, don't go expecting to stream HD movies or conduct important video calls. Unless you enjoy looking like a glitching robot in a constant state of buffering. I spent *hours* staring at the loading icon. Hours I will never get back. (And, to be fair, I probably needed a break from scrolling anyway...right?)
Okay, what's the *one* thing you would take away from your stay? The defining moment.
Okay, this is embarrassing, but here goes. One morning, I woke up, and there was a *massive* cockroach on the wall. Like, the size of a small… I'm not kidding, a small mouse. I'm not normally squeamish; I'm a city girl. But this thing? It was *haunting*. I screamed. I kid you not. A primal, embarrassing, horrified scream that probably echoed through the entire corridor. The poor guy from reception (the one who seemed to run the place) came running with a spray bottle, looking utterly resigned, like this was a daily occurrence. (I suspect it might have been.)
He killed it. Smacked it right off the wall. *Then*, he smiled. He *smiled*. And, in that moment, I realized that this wasn't some luxurious, five-star experience. It was raw. It was real. It was… actually kinda funny. And that single moment, that cockroach showdown, sums up the whole experience. It wasn't perfect. It was definitely not "paradise." But it was memorable, it was character-building, and it gave me a story I can tell for years. So, yeah. Cockroach-slaying reception guy: *that* was the defining moment.
So, would you recommend it? Be honest!
Look, this is where it gets tricky. If you're a princess demanding perfection and your idea of "roughing it" is a hotel with a slightly dodgy gym, *absolutely not*. Stay far away. Book the five-star place. You'll be happier.
But… if you’re the kind of traveller who embraces the unexpected, who appreciates a bit of chaos, and who understands that experience is about *more* than just pristine sheets and perfectly-functioning Wi-Fi… then, yeah. Maybe. If you go in with your eyes wide open, prepared for the imperfections (and maybe packing some anti-bug spray), it’s a decent base from which to explore Trivandrum. It's a story waiting to be told. And that, my friends, is something worth more than perfect plumbing. (Maybe… *almost*.)
