Gateway Madurai

Good colonial style rooms. Good for those looking for peace and quiet

Wonderful hospitality by Pandian front office when stayed there for a day to visit temples with my daughter family. The services offered by him highly appreciable. We love to stay again and again there. Food is good and the room is clean and neat

There are some hotels that you have to visit yourself to truly understand their charm. I can say that Taj Gateway Madurai is one of such rare properties in India. Built in 1890, this property even predates the legendary Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai (1903) and is currently being managed/operated by IHCL. I stayed here during first week of June, 2024 for 3 days/2 nights as a retreat from the hustle-bustle of Delhi NCR and also for doing Darshan in the world-famous Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple; that is a must visit if you ever plan to come to Madurai city. Since the hotel is located on a calm hillside, there are panoramic views of the city whether from the room or from the garden outside the multi-cuisine restaurant. However, what makes it really sweet are the beautiful peacocks that roam around freely in this nature-lovers' place plus the huge trees (especially nearby pool area) that probably have lived here for decades, if not a century. My flight from Delhi was early so the hotel very kindly gave me some Chai on my arrival, knowing well of my preference and the General Manager Mr. Vishal Srivastava was there to welcome me in the lobby with a smile! :) Mr. Noor Mohammad, F&B Manager was so very forthcoming to help me plan my Darshan to Meenakshi Temple among others and took care of my custom requests (whether in room amenities or arranging hotel cabs or dining) rather promptly. On his recommendation, I even tried the cheesy omelette in breakfast and I must say it is one of the best I have ever had. Mr. Thangapandian M., Front Office Manager coordinated my arrival and gave me some much needed guidance on the local sightseeing around Madurai. Mr. Ramesh Ayyanar, Restaurant Manager provided great service during my meals alongwith his colleagues Mr. Nalaraman, Chef Raj Kumar and Chef Suresh. Chef Kumar particularly made an excellent Burger with fresh fries in the night-time! Mr. Govind from Front Office assisted me in the night and showed me around the amazing vintage coffee-table book collection that the hotel has in the lobby and conference rooms. This is an essential check if you are a book-lover like myself! Ms. Aswini from Front Office settled my checkout quickly and kept the print of my final invoice ready when I was leaving for the Madurai Airport. Special mentions for Mr. Thirupathy and Mr. Malai Ram, hotel car drivers who not only took me to my local (and far away) destinations but also acted as language interpreters when I needed to communicate locally. The hotel cars are comfortable and well-maintained, though they are available at a relatively higher cost; I am told by the hotel that they internally working to provide better rates for hotel cars in the future. I would love to visit this property again sometime, for a longer duration because I feel there was much more to explore and just to experience the fresh breath of air and the serenity that can only come living in harmony with nature and this Taj is peace personifie