During our recent visit to Mahabalipuram, we booked our stay at the Vivanta by Taj – Fisherman’s Cove. The resort overlooks the beautiful Bay of Bengal and is a perfect backdrop for a family vacation. The resort undoubtedly has to be one of the best resorts to stay in and around Chennai. Located on the East Coast Road (ECR), the resort can be easily accessed from Chennai and Pondicherry.
During the recent long weekend, our long pending trip to Mahabalipuram finally materialized. There were no second thoughts about the accommodation, it had to be Vivanta by Taj – Fisherman’s Cove. This has been one of the well know luxury resorts in Chennai for a very long time. I have had many of my relatives in Chennai rave about the location and service that Fisherman’s cove offered to the customers. I being a Taj Innercircle member have experienced first hand the customercentric service that Taj group is know for.
Reservation was a cake walk through their website. I had booked the rooms in the old wing which overlooked the sea and got a very good deal as we were visiting the resort during off season.
The plan was to drive from Bangalore to Mahabalipuram – which would roughly take around 6-6.5 hrs. You can read my blog post about the drive from Bangalore to Mahabalipuram for more information on the drive.
Our Stay at the resort:
One needs to get off the ECR road and drive around 400 meters to reach the resort. The access road to the resort is decent and one should not have any issue reaching the resort from the ECR highway.
We reached the resort at around lunch time and the moment we got out of our car, the fresh sea breeze swept us of our feet. I was born and brought up in coastal areas and hence always felt at home when the humidity is high. We were welcomed with a necklace made out of shells and the customary welcome drink and cold towels – my daughter loved the welcome drink and she was promptly handed an additional drink 🙂
We were told that our rooms were upgraded to the new wing of the resort where the rooms were much more contemporary. The only hind sight of moving to the new wing was that we did not get a sea view room – we actually did not complain.
The Room in new wing:
The Deluxe delight garden view room that we got was pretty huge and had all the facilities that a modern traveler will look for. From a standard king side bed to the amenities in the bath room, the room had everything. The bed was very comfortable and they have a working desk neatly tucked behind the king side bedroom. This place will come in handy if you are a business traveler who would need to spend couple of hours on your laptop.
The best part about the room was the bathroom which was huge. It had a full size bathing tub and all the amenities that one will need (The butter soap bar of Vivanta is one of my favorite – smells great and is very refreshing)
If you want to read more about this room, you can check Taj’s website (click here)
The Resort:
We felt that the lawns in the resort were a bit under-maintained. If we compare the lawns with the resorts in Goa or other beach resorts in India, the lawns here would be a bit of a let down. Had a tough time finding a patch of lawn where I could play with my daughter.
Recommendation: I would recommend you to book the Sea facing cottage rooms. They overlook the Bay of Bengal and is the best place to relax.
After sunset, the lighting in the lawns was a bit dull. Bright lights on the lawn and walkways do bring life in the resort. Somehow felt the lights to be very dim and scattered.
The Pool Area:
The pool area has to be one of the key attractions in the resort. The pool is very well maintained. The water is clear and the water is warm and inviting. We had a great time by the pool during our stay. The one area where they can improve is to provide sufficient sun beds around the pool. The sun beds were just about sufficient during off season – wonder how crowded this pool would get during peak season.
The Beach area:
Undoubtedly, the highlight of our stay was the time that we spent in the beach. The beach has to be one of the cleanest beaches that we have visited in the recent past. My daughter had a great time building sand castles by the bay. A word of caution though, the beach is pretty steep and waves are rough. Unlike the beaches in Goa and Arabian sea, it is not advisable to venture deep into the sea.
Restaurants in the Resort:
The resort has 4 restaurants which serve great food. Considering that there are not many options outside the resort, we ended up having all our meals in the resort. Following are the restaurants that are available:
- Seagull: This multi-cuisine restaurant overlooks the pool area and is located just behind the reception area in the old wing. The restaurant is open all day and serves delicious continental, Indian and Italian. The buffet breakfast is also served in this restaurant.
- Upperdeck: This restaurant is open only during the evenings and serves quick bites like burgers and sandwiches. The view that the restaurant offers of the Bay of Bengal is simply stunning.
- Bay-View: We are a big fan of sea food and this restaurant located by the beach was the ideal setting for dinner. We had dinner twice during our stay in this hotel as it had delicious food and amazing view of the sea. If you are a sucker for sea food like me, do try out the Fish curry and Prawn curry (with Mango base).
- Anchor Bar: The in-house bar serves some good cocktails and quick bites.
Children’s play area:
Travelling with a little toddler can always be a challenge and having a good kids room comes in very handy. The resort has a very good kids area where kids can unwind themselves. Located close to the pool area, the kids area is very well maintained and is definitely a must visit if you want to tire out your little bundle of energy 🙂
We had a great time during our stay and would definitely recommend this resort to anyone who is planning for a leisurely holiday by the beach. There are definitely areas where the resort can get better and I am sure the Taj management will look into it. Having said that, would I visit this resort again – well the answer is a big Yes !!
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