Taj Bekal Resort & Spa, Kerala

Good stay. Enjoyed

Had a fantastic stay at Taj, Bekal with family. This property is located close to the beach and surrounded by nature. The property is well designed to make it a natural habitat for various species. The backwaters of Kapil river mets the arabian sea within the property right on the beach. The beach is clean and the buggies are always available to drop and pick to and from the beach. Food at the Backwater Cafe is fantastic and all Taj staff really care for the guest's needs all the time. We had great time and will be back again. Thank you Taj.

This resort is about 40 miles South of Mangalore and will be an easy drive from the airport when the highway they are building is completed. In the meantime, expect to spend well over an hour getting back and forth. The hotel supplies good cars and drivers. The resort itself is splendid. We had one of the rooms with a splash pool. I say room, but it felt more like a private villa. 8 foot walls gave us perfect privacy which is good because it has an outdoor shower and bathtub. (There is an indoor shower as well.) A large swinging bed was perfect for lounging about and reading. The splash pool was deeper than the main pool and a good 15 feet long, so more than a mere splash. The facilities have everything you could ask for. A giant swimming pool, a separately housed gym with a trainer on site, a restaurant with a wide selection of different dishes and of course the breakfast buffet. You are right on the ocean. The beach is sanding but the waves can make swimming a challenge. We enjoyed a night time back river raft ride. There are a number of activities offered, including a guided bird watching tour which was fantastic. We want to acknowledge Sourav from the restaurant. Unfortunately we did not get other names, but service all around was top notch.

Heat was the only drawback but the indoor activities and hi tea helped. Great rooms and grt property. We tried the cafe and the breakfast was good. Some activities should be complimentary with the stay. Zip line was grt. Should provide microwave in the room. And maybe more place for suitcases.

We went for our babymoon to Taj Bekal. Sri Lakshmi ( front office) had planned a little surprise for my wife. Our villa was decorated with our old photos. Service in Taj Bekal is quite commendable. One evening my pregnant wife was craving for come fruit custard and the chef was so kind to make it for us in the evening even though it was not on their menu. Thank you Taj Bekal for arranging a memorable baby moon for us.

There is a certain simplistic feel to the place, where you will find yourself reminded of a time when life was slower, closer to nature and brings a distinct old world charm to our usually busy lives. Beach, Backwaters, Beautiful surroundings come together to create a sense of serenity, uniquely leveraging the culture, cuisine, craft and care that Kerala offers. Taj has been always a preferred choice for me for a hotel, given my childhood at Jamshedpur and when we were looking for a year-end break at a beach, Kerala was our first choice this year (as we were at Goa last year). Taj Bekal ticked all boxes for us- easily accessible beach, all range of cuisine that could ensure our kids don’t have a challenge, natural surroundings and the coming home feeling that we get with the Taj. Gently swaying palms, lazy flowing river, variety of birds chirping in the background, a peaking beach inviting you to watch a serene sun setting in the clear skies- and you can be transported to a time where you may forget what day it is. I absolutely liked the idea of a high-tea that the hotel has- brings together all guests to a beautiful evening where they serve tasty local snacks and energise you with tender coconut water or tea/ coffee/ hot chocolate It is a quint-essential Kerala experience- coconut trees in abundance, beautiful backwaters, beckoning beaches and I would not want to miss mentioning the delectable treats that the restaurants offered. The staff is very knowledgeable, well trained, courteous and have the unique touch of the Taj ! Spread over a large area one can just walk around soaking in the surroundings, or use the buggy service the hotel offers to ensure guests do not have a challenge moving around. Children have plenty to enjoy - either in the indoor activity room, or a nice swimming pool overlooking the river I really appreciate the fact that Taj Bekal is using Kettuvallam technique for the building which on one side give a distinctive look to the resort and at the same time keeps the tradition alive and supports the Kettuvallam builders- as the natural materials require regular maintenance. Specific thanks to Yashoda, Shibani and Ankita at the restaurant for taking great care of us at ‘Backwater Cafe’ An issue- which I have not considered for lowering the rating- but would like to point out- the internal telephone in our room went out one of the evenings. I used my mobile to call the front desk and informed them- but no one turned up for at least half an hour. Called the front desk again- as we were not able to place room service order for dinner- the front desk connected to the room service but no one answered. It was getting delayed and hence had to walk up to the front desk to place the order. Now- here is what ideally should have been done: 1) If a guest has raised a complaint the attending staff should ensure it is followed up and closed 2) Take a feedback if there is anything that they can help with immediately