La Closerie - Bay of Bengal

We recently stayed at La Closerie – Bay of Bengal, a property listed as a boutique resort/homestay, during our one-night trip from Chennai to Pondicherry for the Glow Fest — which, by the way, was absolutely spectacular and the highlight of our visit. We booked a single night stay for our family of three — my husband, our 9-year-old daughter, and myself. The pricing was on par with a premium 5-star hotel, so we had certain expectations. The Property: The location is charming — tucked away in the busy streets near Pondy’s beach road, the building has a nostalgic fusion of Tamil and French architecture. The ambiance and interiors were pleasant and gave us a warm homestay feel. The staff were courteous and helpful throughout. However, the property was more compact than we imagined — the common areas felt congested, and the pool was quite small. But these were manageable given our short stay and the limited time we spent on the premises. The Real Disappointment: We checked in at 3:30 PM (though check-in was allowed from 2 PM) and left almost immediately for the Glow Fest, returning only after dinner around 11 PM. The next morning, we were informed that breakfast was available between 9 and 10 AM — a surprisingly short window. After a quick breakfast, my daughter requested some pool time with her dad, which we thought we could squeeze in before checkout at 11 AM. At 10:45 AM, just as we got into the pool, a staff member approached me to remind us that checkout was at 11 AM. I politely acknowledged, mentioning we’d wrap up in 15 minutes and check out by 11:15 AM at the latest. But shockingly, within 2 minutes, she returned and firmly asked us to vacate immediately, claiming that the next guest had already arrived for check-in — at 10:50 AM! That was the moment everything soured. Where does this happen — guests being pushed out before checkout time because the next guest has already shown up early? Especially when your official check-in time is 2 PM? And all this when a child was joyfully spending a rare moment with her father in the pool? This was not just poor coordination — it was a complete disregard for guest experience. We weren’t asking for a late checkout or causing delays. Just a simple, decent buffer of 15 minutes — something even budget hotels and 5-star properties allow as standard courtesy. I don’t fault the staff — she was clearly following instructions from her management. But this review is directed at the owner/manager: Where is your sense of hospitality? Where is your commitment to guest satisfaction? You may have a beautifully done homestay, but hospitality is not just about ambience — it’s about the moments you let your guests experience. You stole that from us. We left feeling rushed, unwelcome, and deeply disappointed — not the kind of memory you want to leave your guests with. For the premium you charge, basic customer delight should be the bare minimum. Would I recommend La Closerie? Unfortunately, no. I would’ve preferred a bran

Charming, Comfortable, Ideally Located, Helpful & Gracious Staff. Our party of 3 people chose to stay in the Delux Quadruple Room for 4 nights. Allocated to Room 2, it was a ground floor room situated within the reception building, with an internal staircase to the 2nd bed which is in a loft level. Except for a curtained & frosted window in the bathroom, this room is windowless. At first, we were disappointed by this as the room was without any natural light however, with the heat of the day & noise of the street outside, we realised that our room offered a calm, cool, quiet haven for our stay. We slept so very well whilst at La Closerie. The pool area and courtyard is tasteful & peaceful to relax within in the afternoon. A communal refrigerator is offered for guests in the courtyard kitchen area. We used this facility to chill beer & wine for us to enjoy for late afternoon swims & drinks by the pool. Beer & wine glasses were provided. It was a refreshing routine to cool us from the heat of the late afternoons. A simple, delicious, and very adequate breakfast was served from the rooftop terrace from 9am-10am. As early risers, we'd catch the sunrise from the nearby beach, go for a morning walk, have coffees (cappuccinos) at The Spot Restaurant across from the beach at 8am then be back for our rooftop breakfast of fresh juice, fruit, coffee/tea & cooked breakfast (choice of either Indian Breakfast or Omelette) made to order each morning...delightful. The staff were welcoming, engaging, communicative & responsive to our needs. I especially commend Selvi & Selva. Selva welcomed us warmly on check-in explaining the services offered at La Closerie very well. He helped us refine our local sight seeing plans during our stay. Silvi was extremely responsive to any request or question & welcomed any comment, respectfully offered, to help improve the facilities at La Closerie. One such example of her management/response was when we noticed that the pool tiles needed cleaning (there was quite noticeable & easily removable grime/scum around the pool at water level). It really did retract from the guests' first impression of the beautiful pool & courtyard where such an effort has been paid to furnish & decorate the area. Silvi asked for me to explain the situation, thanked me for sharing the issue with her & then she arranged for the pool tiles to be cleaned shortly after. It made such a difference to the appearance & positive impression of the courtyard, pool & to the whole cleanliness of La Closerie. For the sake of the beauty & success of La Closerie, may the pool tiles & filter intake area will be checked daily so that no scum/ grime is ever apparent. This area is where guests form their first impression. Finally, the grace of La Closerie lays in the staff. We found them to be dedicated to courteous & gentle service. Their grace & kindness is what we will remember of Puducherry

Endroit magnifique et calme près de la plage Rock Beach Personnel très à l’écoute et prévenant Les chambres sont belles, bien décorées avec tout le nécessaire : armoire, table, produits dans la salle de bain La piscine est petite mais très agréable

Stayed here for a week in upstairs room. Very spacious with lots of shelves, modern bathroom, AC and fan. Great location in one of Pondy’s best street. Breakfast is only served 9-10am which can be quite late for travellers. Also there’s no free filtered water for guests so you have to buy plastic bottles not great for the environment! The pool is nice and I liked that there are different little communal spaces to hang out in. It’s a shame that the kitchen is only open for one hour at breakfast, it would have been good to have lunch or dinner up there sometimes. All in all it’s a nice safe space for a female solo traveller.

We were a family of 15 staying at this sweet villa . It’s at a vantage point as far as location goes . 5 min from beach . N in the French quarters . It’s a great place to stay if you have a big group . Big rooms ( except one ) a small cute pool for kids ( n a good prop for pics ) , lazed out open spaces for evening chats , top floor for a chatty dinner . The chef is good n catered to our odd hour requests . The owner Roshan is an excellent host . He is there to help you out anytime . We did our city tour also with him . La Closerie is a perfect place to stay with friends and family .

We booked a large room . The photos seem large and elegant . Very overpriced for this low quality. No windows in room not furnished as photo no bathroom supplies 2 PowerPoints for 3 peoples computers and phones our daughter had to make the bed herself and ask for a towel . The staff was very unprofessional but friendly . The young boy who checked us in didn’t really know what he was doing. There is no chair or wardrobe I stayed at this hotel before but it had a different owner and was a family rum business. The common area is not really clean and taken care off