Review: Vibe Coimbatore by GRT Hotels

I stayed at Vibe Coimbatore for 2 nights. This post is my review of what is good and what can be improved, at this trendy Coimbatore hotel. Overall a pleasant experience- you can consider this hotel for your stay in Coimbatore. At around INR 2500 per night it is well priced as well.

Good things about Vibe Coimbatore by GRT hotels.

1. 24 hour check-in/check out: Vibe Coimbatore offers a 24 hour check out format. You can check in at say 9 PM and check out at next day 9 PM, for 1 days' rent. Most hotels have a 12 noon to 10 AM timing, which is not always convenient. With Vibe's flexible timings, you can save more or enjoy a more convenient hotel timings.

2. Drinking water in a jug: Most hotels provide a 1 litre water bottle per day. Vibe had a jug full of drinking water, in addition to mineral water bottle. So this extra water was very handy- to make coffee or to wash fruits or to drink.

3. Trendy AC remote: The AC remote was very unique, unlike the regular ones I was used to. This one didn't have battery when I checked in, after reporting a maintenance guy came in and replaced the battery. The big remote with display and easy buttons is nice.

4. Colourful paintings in all floors

There are several cheerful paintings all over the hotel. A few photos below, do follow me on Instagram for lots more photos. Each floor has several interesting art works- some artworks repeat on different floors.






There're many more such paintings all over the walls- can't flood this post with too many images- do check my instagram handle.

5. Reasonably priced in house dining- In room dining options were decent- A plate of Bisibelebath costs Rs 227 + taxes. Quantity was decent too. There're a few other restaurants within walking distance if you wish to go out for food. For good tender coconut, I had to walk more than a km till Radisson Blu Coimbatore.

Decent breakfast options
Breakfast is between 7 Am till 10 AM. Only one fruit was available- I would have preferred a few more fruits. But otherwise no complaints- standard options and decent service in a colourful ambiance

Above: See the trendy arm of the stirrer
Decent room

Room was decent. Not much view from the window. Room has all standard facilities, nothing to complain of. I didn't spot a minibar- I didn't need one anyway. I stayed in superior room which is cheaper and smaller option. There is a bigger room option as well. Bathroom is not really big, but just decent enough.

Things that can be improved:
There're a few observations on not so good things-not a major problem, but if Vibe Coimbatore/GRT wish to improve, these are a few things they can work upon

1. Inconvenient WiFi process: Vibe Coimbatore needs to change their WiFi solution/vendor. We have to take a slip containing user ID and password- this is one per device, so I had to go down again to pickup one more for second device. On day 2, I returned from work and previous slip won't work. I had to go down and get 2 more slips. Though login screen says use your room number and last name, it doesn't work that way. A bit annoying. The WiFi should only demand one time login and should sustain till guest checks out. GRT has better WiFi solution in their other hotels, they only need to adapt the same at Vibe Coimbatore

2. Small Gym: Gym is very small with only space for 2-3 people max. One treadmill, one stretching equipment, a ball and few dumbles. If you visit during peak hours it is reasonably likely that someone else will be using some of these and you will have to wait. Out of some 100-120 guests possible, I am sure there will be more than 2-3 who may wish to work out in the morning. You'll have to either go early or change your work out timings to unconventional timings. Just my thought- I don't know if guests have been complaining about congestion at gym or hardly anyone uses it so there's never been a need for larger gym.

3. Useless Chat bot on the website: The artificial chat bot on Vibe Coimbatore's website is irritating. It can't answer simple questions like "Do you have rooms this weekend". It is only capable of capturing your name, mobile and email and pressing some pre-defined menu. Coimbatore was not even an option there. AI based chat bots will still take some time to mature before they can offer some real solution. At this moment most chat bots can only capture some input and end up annoying customers who are looking for some decisive information/response. If I am using chat, it is obvious that I need some information not easily available on the website. Wasting my time and finally redirecting me to the website is really stupid. Better to deploy a human being or get rid of this (just my opinion)

4. Confusing 'Don't change my linen' card: Most hotels need you opt out if you don't want sheets to be changed. But some hotels need you to opt-in if you need your linen to be changed. In some hotels you need to keep the card on the bed if you don't want linen to be changed, Vibe requires you to keep the card on the bed if you need the sheets to be changed. This conflicting approach creates confusion to travelers. Hotels should sort out and agree on one approach. Just a feedback, not really a complaint. Of course you can demand that guests should read, understand and act accordingly.

5. No Iron and Safety locker: I didn't miss it but if you're particular about these, do check. I didn't find any safety locker and iron in the cupboard.

6. Hotel website is NOT the cheapest option. I find Vibe Coimbatore cheaper on booking.com than hotel's own website. GRT takes pride in saying booking direct is the cheapest way, which is not necessarily true. For the dates I stayed, I got it for about Rs 1800+ tax per night, due to a last minute price drop.

You can compare yourself and book using widget below. Vibe Coimbatore from GRT competes with Aloft Coimbatore, Zone Coimbatore and other 3 and 4 star hotels in Kovai. Located on the popular Avinashi road, Vibe is about 4 kms from Omni bus stand, 6 kms from Airport

Booking.com