Zostel Plus Poombarai, Kodaikanal

Excellent location and food

Difficulty axi service to the lication

The location is amazing and worth the travel. The sunrise from the community area was amazing. You do not have to worry about food as the kitchen serves some of the best food I have had at a Zostel to-date.

The road to Zostel is awful. But, that is not the properties fault. In my opinion, it is worth the travel.

The View from the rooms !! It has one of the best sunrise view from the rooms . The staff try their best to entertain the guest with some local sightseeing (with a cost though , which is expensive)

The path to the Hostel from Poombarai is horrible, There is no Public transport to get here. One has to hire a car (preferably a 4 wheel drive because of the potholes) I hope the roads get ready in the coming months. The lighting in the room is quite dim., With the power fluctuation, it gets worse. The food is average and there are no restaurant options nearby. The seating at the breakfast section is uncomfortable as it is too low.

Location was exceptional. Place was clean.

Food tasted the worst worst ever had, though it was over priced. Even after mentioning about how I want my food to taste and be made when I ordered, I received the same way they cooked previously. When asked, one of the restaurant staff arrogantly said "this is how they make it" and cannot be canceled or changed. We have no other option other than having food here as To reach local shops and restaurants, we must drive almost 3kms off-roading to Poombarai where you get authentic tasty local food and other stuffs.

Excellent location and mind blowing views

There was nothing to dislike. Location, food, staff behaviour, everything was nice.

Cafe staff are kind and helpful. The dorm is cleaned every day.

Receptionist is rude and defiant. No customer relations. Food selection has no western food. Lighting in the dorm is insufficient. No cafe nearby. Nothing to do around.

Breathtaking views and lots of common spaces overlooking the mountains. We stayed in a private cottage and it was very clean complete with tea and coffee setup. Room service is available to your room and the staff in charge of the restaurant, grounds maintenance, and events are very friendly and kind. A waterfall hike was planned and many social events like movie night and game night if you are looking to make friends.

Very cold in the evening and only one thin blanket is provided with no heating in the rooms. Other accommodation we stayed at in this area provided many warm blankets. The hot water tank is very small and takes a long time to heat up, so you must take a very quick shower before the hot water runs out and becomes ice cold. Two people cannot shower after each other. The area is very remote, so you must eat all your meals at the resort restaurant. The food is good, but a little expensive for basic items (200 rupee for dal fry), and everything is spicy. There is some bottled water provided, but once it is gone you must refill at poorly maintained refill stations. We saw mold and slime growing on many of the spouts. There is a private fire pit, but you must wait until 9 for someone to set up the fire. Once you run out of wood it is 500 rupees for more. I took off one star because no one told us that you must message by 8:30 that you would like a fire, or else risk not getting one. So we did not get a fire one night. They also suggested we get more wood without telling us of the extra charge, so we had to unexpectedly pay.

The property is beautiful and well maintained with very clean dorms and washrooms. The views around the hostel are amazing and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Prabhu, the property manager, was very helpful and welcoming throughout the stay. Also, the food at the 4th of July café was excellent.

Nothing major to complain about. The property is slightly remote, but that’s also part of its charm if you’re looking for a peaceful stay.

view from room was great

less response staff/ difficult to reach/ we had a difficult check out early morning, no was available to help with our lugagge, parking. difficult. very average food taste and quakity / limited options. Considering the efforts to reach there, NOT WORTH

The premium category rooms we booked had pretty nice and unique view. The morning sunrise view is probably the main or only best part!

If you are not a challenge-seeker or backpacker with some unique interests in location of the hotel, this is not your place. The property is located around 4 kms off the main road and you have to travel through a terrible off road which even passes through heart of a village. It is not fun nor safe, especially at night. The receptionist’s rude attitude was an immediate put off. We wanted to leave but since it was too late and since it was for just one night, we decided to ignore. He asked us to pay an amount which was about $20 more than what we had booked from Booking.com. When we showed the booking confirmation, he called somebody and agreed for the rate confirmation email had. Then, they don’t accept international card payments. I had to call somebody and seek help to pay using GPay. One of the staff members helped us to carry the luggage all the way to top which was very helpful,but both rooms we booked had no keys. We had to enter through the balcony doors and we were left with no keys to lock the doors! Bathroom was not at all clean, terrible smell! Hot water system never worked. Oh the cafe - worst food or a proper scam! There are many other properties in Kodaikanal for the rate we paid for two rooms at Zostel plus. We vacated next day and found a better place.

This was such a good find! The place is really beautiful and the staff members were so helpful and kind from the moment I stepped onto the property. You'll get incredible views in the mornings and evenings and there's a hidden waterfall within walking distance. The crowd was really good, too.

Location was peaceful, but nothing nearby

Very expensive for small cabins. Paid around 8k and not even provided a toothpaste or brush. Switched to some good resort for same orice and got the best service.

remote, only nice people, beautiful view and peaceful vibe

since it's so remote you need a bit more time/money to get there in comparison to central locations

Ok breakfast.., amazing location

Transportation

Good facilities and nice people.

Everything is just fine.

Location and staff

Pricing

It's one of the best locations in Kodaikanal area and one of the best views. The staff are really friendly and respectful, especially the cute smily receptionist. nice attitude. The rooms are spacious. the beds are super comfy and very clean. the view from room is un real. you can watch sunrise and moon rise while in bed. there is a wonderful balcony for each room

There is no warm and/or comfortable place to chill and socialise. the furniture in the restaurant/cafe and also in the common area are super un comfortable. some random person designed kind of a hip-look furniture that are extremely not suitable for sitting more than 15 min. we asked to book a taxi the night before we leave and they forgot to do it and in the morning there was no taxi!! there is no one in the reception at any time. there is a phone number on the wall that no one answers. there was no hot water, just lukewarm water in the shower. There is noisy construction going on throughout the whole day. there is so much dust and building material where is supposed to be used for Yoga.

The location is amazing , You can just spend the time in the room overlooking the valley. There are some nice trails around where you can just walk. The staff is very friendly and co operative.

We arrived unfortunately at the time of stormy weather, hence some areas were dirty initially. They managed to clean the same soon , although cushions in the cafe can be cleaner. Rest all was good.

Shivani was an amazing host, so accommodating. It was an amazing experience

View and the Ambience

The location, bcz of the poor condition of the road to get to zostel.

Location and the beautiful view

Too pricey

Everything, property was awesome, we booked private room and it was amazing, view was mindblowing, met few people, played poker with them. Everything was perfect.

Lights in the room, it was too dim in the night. Canteen food was very bad, taste was very bad, we just eat for the sake to feel full and left almost everything on the plate.

location and staff

maybe the parking can be better

It was so great that whenever I am coming back to kodaikanal I will be staying there

Last 4 km road towards the location will feel like off-roading but it was worth it

Road to reach property is very bad, moreover the staffs were very rude and unwilling to help or accommodate any needs of customers

Decided to spend my birthday week here and ended up witnessing the best sunrise of my life. That too, from my dorm itself. Couldn't have gifted myself any more relaxation than what the trip gave me. The views are surreal. If you're looking to slow down in the middle of nowhere and just decompress without the load of sightseeing, it's the perfect choice. Hands down. Staff is kind and goes the extra mile to make you feel at ease. Cleanliness is on point, even the common washrooms were extremely well maintained. Shoutout to Srijan and Rashmi for even taking special (and secret) requests from my family for the birthday. Animals at the property are really cute and playful. Paid hikes are organized regularly. Loved the calming bonfire, game nights and hammocks too. Overall a very therapeutic stay.

Food can be improved much, much more because it's the only option around here. Place is so remote that there is no other cafe around that you can walk to. No two wheelers to rent either and it gets dark after 6pm so really no other options exist. However, Vimal and Aman from the cafe were more than willing to take my inputs and tried their best to accommodate my requests. Much credit to them. Thank you. The other limitations - - No self-cooking option or fruits or refrigerator access. Cafe opens at 8am. If you wake up early, you'll be hungry. So better to keep some dry food with you. - Water filter should be available in the dorm itself. - Balcony permeates loud noises if you're an early sleeper.

I loved the location so much that I would sit and watch it for days together without doing a thing. And the food taste was also pretty decent however, felt it was a bit pricy.

It would be better if breakfast was included

Comfortable rooms, great sunrise view from balcony, offbeat location, inhouse pets and warm staff

Food needs improvement, it was inconsistent,one day dal khichdi was good the other night it tasted like stale food.Can include local food also.

Location and the food 🤌

The fact that it didn't have a pool table.

The location

No proper ventilation in the room. No proper drinking water. The room has no fan or AC and you cannot open the balcony door because they warn you about monkeys. It was so hot in the night, we barely got any sleep

Need direction sign board at Poombarai junction for navigation. Google Map make things complication on the turn from Poombarai temple junction

My stay at Zostel Poombarai was absolutely fantastic! The food they served was not only delicious but also offered a wide variety of options to suit different tastes. The dorm rooms were always kept clean and tidy, which made me feel comfortable and relaxed throughout my stay. One of the highlights of my time there was the range of activities available. From fun jamming sessions to cozy bonfires to star gazing, there was always something exciting happening. These activities not only provided entertainment but also gave me the chance to connect with other travelers and make some wonderful memories. And let's not forget about the staff – they were incredibly helpful and accommodating. Whether it was recommending local attractions or just chatting about the day, they always went above and beyond to ensure I had a great experience. But perhaps the best part of my stay was the breathtaking view from my room. Waking up to the sight of the sunrise over the picturesque landscape was truly magical. It was a serene and peaceful setting, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Overall, my experience at Zostel Poombarai was nothing short of amazing. From the delicious food to the clean accommodations, to the friendly atmosphere and stunning views, everything exceeded my expectations. I can't wait to visit again!