Radisson Blu Hotels in Visakhapatnam

The best part about this property is the location, though a bit away from the city center. We loved the pristine beach which had clear waters. Of course, beaches in Vizag are generally not meant for swimming and it is not advisable to venture deep into the waters. Access to the beach is via a short walk leading to a small gate where one has to sign a form and then enter the public beach area. Our check-in was handled smoothly by Suman. We were offered some tender coconut water while we completed the check-in formalities. Surprisingly no welcome shells garland was provided though it was kept in plain sight at the reception. The room was a short buggy ride from the reception and also a short walk away. The Executive Room is fairly spacious but not 72 sq.meters as mentioned in the website and app, as it has a common terrace which 4 rooms have access too. Since we were here for a short stay it didn’t matter much. However for someone looking for privacy, this category of room may not offer much. Email communication from the hotel needs improvement. Simple mails were not answered properly. Breakfast spread was average. We saw the same dishes repeated on the second day of our stay – gulab jamuns, ragi laddoos etc. I am sure it doesn’t take much to offer variety. What was surprising is that there was no concept of table numbers. If we order a dish at the live counter they have no idea where to send it. There were staff who came and took orders but often ended up forgetting about it and we had to go and remind them. It happened on both days of our stay. The lady manning the coffee/tea cart was good and so was Shivani who was cheerful and who seemed to be liking her job. The in-room dining staff and housekeeping staff were cheerful too. Most of the other staff we met on the property seemed aloof and not friendly. Usually we meet staff who greet us as we pass them but here there was no such experience. Akwinder, at check-out, didn’t have the basic courtesy to enquire about our stay or exchange any pleasantries even though we were the only guests checking out at that time. On settling the bill she said “you may go”. This sounded rather rude and unprofessional. I suppose some intense training on guest etiquette is required. Radisson has to pull up their socks if they want to cater to frequent travellers. Our Radisson Premium status was not acknowledged anywhere, even the room upgrade eligibility was quietly ignored. The least we expected was to be informed about the upgrade status depending on availability at the time of check-in. Hope that the feedback is taken positively and improvements are made.