Testimonials: Wallwood Gardens - Coonoor

Excellent accommodation - highly recommend
Wonderful experience staying here with the whole family. Mr. Robin looked after us really well and he made us feel welcomed. Cooked us amazing food and provided us with everything that we needed during our stay. Highly recommended. Rooms are very nice. Location is excellent.

– Maps05120078200
January 2023

“A Colonial Bungalow with an old-world charm”
Wallwood Garden is a nineteenth-century mansion designed in the British-style with sprawling lawns and gardens, nestled in the upper reaches of Coonoor. It has 7-8 rooms, aptly named in floral accents. We stayed here for two nights – on 24th and 25th December 2021. Being a group of five which included two small children and an octogenarian mother-in-law, we were allotted two inter-connected rooms named Jacaranda and Acacia which opened into the well-manicured lawn and were to our absolute delight. Since we love to stay in Heritage properties, we could not have asked for any place better. Coonoor being a more laid-back and serene holiday getaway in comparison to its more famous and over-hyped counterpart – Ooty; Wallwood Garden suited exactly to our liking.
While the entire process of booking the property to check-in was a smooth one, the experience of stay has been languorously nostalgic courtesy, Ms Geetha the Manager and her team of efficient and extremely affable staff comprising the ever-energetic and charming Robin (Senior Waiter), Shiva (Chef), Vetri (the shy Waiter), Shivakumar (Sentinel at the Gates) and an army of Housekeepers working silently whose names unfortunately, we don’t know.
On the evening of 24th December being Christmas eve, there was a bonfire organised in the lawn and a gala buffet dinner was laid out. While we sat next to the fire-pits sipping wine accompanied by lively Christmas music played from the music player, we made new friends with fellow guests. The food was delicious and while the celebrations went on past-midnight, the entire staff were on their toes early next morning to cater to the guests. The breakfast was varied and sumptuous after which we toured the nearby hotspots. Post-lunch we lazed in the vintage cast-iron garden chairs in the lawn, basking in the mellow winter sun.
During our short stay, we grew a fondness for all the members of the staff which developed into a strong bonding after we departed from the hotel. We miss their smiling faces and warmth, which went beyond the call of their professional duties and till this day, gives us a feeling of having been taken care of by our close relatives or friends. They took exceptional care of my old mother-in-law at every step she took, which was a very moving gesture. The children thoroughly enjoyed spinning on the sports bicycles kept at the porch and were treated to a great deal of pampering by the staff, particularly Robin and Ms Geetha!
Overall, I would recommend Wallwood Garden as a ‘must-stay’ to all those travellers who are seeking to take a quiet break far from the madding crowd amidst an old-English charm and a hospitality with a personal touch.
A few memorable snapshots are uploaded below.

– joydeepgoswami2018
January 2022

"Old is gold,… just two minutes away from Sim’s park, one of India’s finest Botanical Gardens (laid out in 1874 with over 1200 species of plants). The sun lounge overlooks one of the best-maintained pomological gardens in India.”

- Today’s Traveller, New Delhi

“We enjoyed a lot the tranquility of this “old” hotel. The scenery around Wallwood Garden is magnificent. The food is excellent. A great experience. Go on like that! Thanks & all the best.”

- Mestdagh Jaak, Belgium

“Lovely old colonial building with plenty of character and beautiful gardens. Extremely pleasant and helpful staff-as well as excellent food. Only stayed a short time but would come back- and recommend the hotel highly. We shall return another time. All the best.”

- Antonia Owen and Tim Hatton, London

“Our third stay at a Neemrana property – this one has all the charm of the other properties, but with the added warmth of great personal touch by Geetha. The Tamil Rooms are good, food is excellent (Idlis at breakfast are fantastic) and the weather was awesome. Had a wonderful stay.”

- Anu Nath, Ananya, Neet Shah, Mumbai?

“The keyword to our stay at Neemrana was “homely”….. a home away from home….. not perfect, but warm & comfortable. All the staff were courteous & very pleasant. Our room ‘Eucalyptus’ felt like a beautiful extension of the outdoors. Waking up to the greenery with a hint of mist coming in was so refreshing .Great energy in the room. Would definitely consider coming back.”

- Radhiika Sahadev, Karnataka, India

An afternoon to cherish
I went here for a lunch, just to checkout Manjit Bawa's Sketches on the wall.... The staff prepared a lunch, tasty and spicy. I found the place to be cozy and inviting and I will certainly look forward to stay with them. As I was walking out I noticed that the garden at the side was swathed in warm golden sunlight and green cast iron furniture seemed to invite me to soak the warm sun and the ambience. After spending more than an hour soaking in the sun and the ambience, we were served some lemon tea and some cookies by the chatty, warm and friendly Robin....a perfect way to call it an Afternoon!

-Rachnam K

Best Boutique Home Stay
Best Holiday Rental in my whole trip. Extremely comfortable bed, spacious and well lit. We stayed in main building. Very good food, pre-order is recommended. One must book the bonfire, the calmness is best to experience along with slow pace of the city. Just perfect stay in the perfect city of Coonoor.

-Neha Asthana

Amazing experience
We had an amazing experience. We were well taken care of and every small details was well attended. Few things i felt could improve was the breakfast buffet, the paintings on the walls and the dine-in menu. It felt truly homely our 3 nights there. Thanks Geetha, Robin and the whole team.

-Vinita D

The colonial bungalow
Fell in love with the colonial beauty of this bungalow. The staff - Geetha, Lawrence and Robin were more of family than staff. Accommodative of all our needs. When a place feels like home more than a hotel you know there is something right.
Returning soon. Thank you for the wonderful stay.

-Sapna Srinath

Great location for workations
Spent 8 days here with both work teams and friends. Excellent staff, good food and good internet! A big shout out to Geetha and her team at the hotel. Keep up the good work. The location of the hotel makes it easily accessible and the historical look at the feel of the property along with the eclectic art gives it an old-world charm that is endearing.

-Kavita

One of my best hospitality experiences ever!
We went with our elderly parents and a 2yr old toddler and we're definitely a little nervous given the times we live in. All safety protocols were followed to the T. It's a lovely property looking over a beautiful tea estate. The place is run by Geetha who is an absolute rock star. She makes sure she and her staff cater to your every need. One of the staff members attending to us was Robin, who was just brilliant. Never did they ever say 'No' to us for any of our requirements. The food at the property was soooo good. It was like home cooked food and very reasonably priced. They have a nice variety in terms of cuisine on offer. All in a great experience that we'll never forget. Whenever we go back to Coonoor, this is where we'll be staying. All in all, this it was like a home away from home. Kudos.

-Pawan A

Charming and well located
We spent two days at this hotel. Nice historics house. Rooms are spacious and clean. Bathroom is also renovated with good water pressure and hot water. Nice garden in the back.Very well located in a quiet area but near Sims park and upper Coonoors.
Food was good, not excellent. Breakfast would need improvement. Very limited choice.
Personnel was extremely helpful and nice. I would love to go back.

- Francois

Thank you all so much for your kind courtesy and wonderful hospitality. We all thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. God bless you all in the days to come.

- S.T. Mathew S.A. & J. Thomas Vadakem, USA

I felt truly enveloped in care and appreciated the personal touch. The breakfast was great, and Geetha is an absolute gem.

- Anupama Dayal

We stayed at the property (Room: Camphor) from 14th to 18th August 2024. Our stay was pleasant, and the staff were incredibly helpful, polite, and ensured our comfort throughout. A special mention to M/s. Geetha, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Bala for their excellent service and for making our stay truly memorable. Thank you for your kind service, and we look forward to visiting again soon.

- Sayanti Chakrabarti

We are a group of four, and we especially enjoyed the open fire each evening after dinner, where we sat and chatted. It has been so entertaining watching the "monkey business" in the garden! Returning after our trips to enjoy tea on the lawn was a delightful touch. Thank you, Geetha and the team, for making our stay so enjoyable. We wish you all the best for the future!

- George, Liz, Tom & Liz (from the UK)

A wonderful stay with excellent staff who are friendly, caring, and extremely hospitable. The food was lovely, made with care and effort, and felt just like home. The entire property is beautifully maintained, with all the necessary amenities and a strong focus on conserving resources and respecting nature. We had a fantastic time and look forward to visiting again very soon.

- Sikha Chatterjee