Valiya Villa Family Estate

We were told about Valiyavila by a young guy who worked on a houseboat we stayed on for a few days working our way down to Kollam. On arrival we were hot and tired and just wanted to relax, which is just what we got here. We were sorted with plug adapters to charge phones (free of charge) and had choice of 2 rooms. We took the room with the Goddess of Light overlooking us and fantastic views of the lake. Although it does need updating (which will be happening later), the room was large, as was the bathroom and everything was in great working order.||||It really is a lovely, quiet and tranquil place to stay, just what we needed after a hectic, hot day in Kollam! Dinner was also really great. The highlight of our stay was after dinner. All the people who worked there came round to our verandah playing birthday music, with roses and a huge cake which the manager Prabhath Joseph had secretly organised after seeing the date of my birthday in my passport! It was a great night of cake eating and chatting with them! They made my 30th birthday very special.||||I know Prabhath Joseph is off to pastures new soon...good luck and I am sure that it will be great because of your fabulous and personal service. Hopefully we can stay in your new place once we can afford tickets back out to India! Thank you for such a lovely stay x

If you want absolute peace, quiet and beauty this is your place. It's pretty much just you and an isolated peninsula. The rooms are clean, very large and most have private balconies or decks that look out to the bay. The sunsets are sublime and the atmosphere is amazing. The staff were also attentive and courteous. Also, while isolated, there's regular ferry service for RS3 each way and every cab/rickshaw driver knows how to get there. My only concern was that is was a bit far out from the city which turned out to be no concern at all; Kollam isn't that awesome and the backwaters that the hotel is close to are great day trips.||||Also, make sure to do the backwater canoe trip; you really get out there and see how the people live.

Calm, charming place surrounded by ashtamudi lake. Perfect location to just slow down and chill a little while in the hammock. Rooms are spacious with tarraces. Dirty cheap ferry ride from kollam boat jetty. Don't waste money on rikshaw - it's just cool to take a ferry across or around the lake. Canoe trip to Monroe Island is a must. Delicious food and wonderful service (whomI forgot to tip,sorry...)||The place will be closed for renovation - which it needs - later on this year but the manager arleady opened new place -ashtamudi villas - of which I also heard good.

We didnt know exactly what to expect from the Valiyavila Homestay, but when we walked up to the estate, we saw the leaflet had not been overstating it. The location is absolutely beautiful, as the estate is surrounded by the lake on three sides. The rooms are all corner rooms, giving you an excellent view over the water. There is some maintenance to be done, so they are closing for renovation in 2013, but that's why currently has very affordable pricing. The owner is very friendly and said we could always call him if we needed anything. He also supplied diner and breakfast for us. Each room has its own bathroom, and a ceiling fan but no airco. The noise from the passing boats and mosques can sometimes over-sound the crickets at night.

I lived and worked in Quilon and returned for a very nostalgic visit after a period of forty years. My daughter recommended that we stayed at Valiyavila Family Estate and I am very pleased that we took her advice. Mr Prabath Joseph was extremely helpful, not only did he make us very welcome at the hotel but he also spent a great deal of time taking us around Kollam so that I could visit my sons grave and also meet former members of my staff.||||The accommodation was very comfortable, the food was excellent and the staff could not have been more helpful. Both my wife and and myself look forward to returning to Kollam and staying at Valiyavala again.||Robert Carew

Valiyavila was by far the most disappointing of our stays in India. The location is undoubtedly incredible, but the cleanliness, service and hotel condition failed to match in every way. The hotel seemed to be staffed by a few teenage boys, who seemed more intent on watching the cricket than cleaning up the food that littered the lounge floor both upstairs and downstairs. On our arrival the upstairs terrace furniture was lying on it's side in random places - despite it being a perfectly still afternoon and tablecloths were lying in the outside garden downstairs. It's not that the former glory of this estate has passed, the lack of warmth from the staff (and perhaps the lack of a woman in charge) make this place barely passable backpacker fodder. Certainly not a family desination. Of all of our home stays and hotels in India over the month of January this was by far the worst.

A bare house with 5-6 rooms at the tip of an isolated peninsular (irregular ferry boat connection, but do not count on the schedule). Only way to get food or drink was ordering it from the houseboy, who sometimes were present at the hotel - most of the time absent. The roof with a tumbling plastic table and uncomfortable plastic chairs otherwise fine. No Wi-Fi, but possible to use a computer.

It seems that losing reservations is common at this place. ||We booked by phone the day before and were assured that our reservation was confirmed. After the 8-hour ferry ride, we arrived at the wharf where we were greeted by a young man who led us up the path to the inn. And then we were told we had no reservation. The young man offered that he would put us up in a houseboat moored next to the hotel, but after 30 minutes, told us that wouldn't work either. We were very tired, and had to take a canoe to the other side of the river, struggle up a rat-infested steep bank, find a tuk-tuk and get into Kollam to find a place to stay.