Hotel in the middle of commercial Egmore

Aren&rsquot there days when, at the end of it all, the only thing you really want is a good night&rsquos sleep I landed up at Perfect Haven&rsquos &lsquoluxury rooms and residences&rsquo on one such day, following a delightfully precise map, my heart lifting as I turned into the marvellously quiet lane hugging Ethiraj College&rsquos tree-lined campus, the sort on which space-starved metropolitan citizens go on morning walks. It&rsquos also nice to know that a bit of Old Madras survives so near the landmark Spencer&rsquos signal on the arterial Mount Road, bang in the middle of business-y Egmore.

Perfect Haven at Tangy occupies seven apartments in an old-fashioned high-rise of that peculiar name the staff let you know which floor to take if you call ahead. I hadn&rsquot, but the sense of locating a flat in a residential building fell away the minute I stepped through the apartment&rsquos door, when it appeared that I was in an exclusive guesthouse featuring a spacious &lsquoentertainment area&rsquo with a home theatre system (the rooms each have a flat-screen TV and DVD player as well), a large dining area and a tidy pantry-cum-kitchenette. 

I first encountered Perfect Haven at the super-luxury property they manage in Vellore district&rsquos Ambur, where one of India&rsquos biggest leather exporters welcomes big-ticket international clients in great style. Apart from such corporates and their particular preferences, the low-profile hospitality veteran also runs another property on the Old Mahabalipuram Road, which is Chennai&rsquos thriving IT corridor. There&rsquos also a Smart Haven at Kodambakkam, the locality less upscale and the spaces discernibly compact, but the reduced tariff makes no compromise in standards.

To the room, then. Mine was generously proportioned and overlooked the verdant acreage of the BSNL Staff Quarters opposite. It was also impeccably kept, the bed comparable with any four-star, the bathroom and linen spotless, all mod-cons including wi-fi handy. Breakfast is on the house and other meals can be ordered (about Rs 250 per meal). They are catered from nearby restaurants, warmed up in the pantry and served on nice crockery. A manager is chargé d&rsquoaffaires and there&rsquos a prompt attendant on call at all times. I found the service professional and animated, pleasantly halfway between a hotel and a homestay.

I also liked the confidence with which Perfect Haven keeps a rulebook. The dining, entertainment and living areas are shared (as they are in any hotel, coming to think of it), and guests are requested to &lsquobe properly attired at all times&rsquo in them the common kitchenette may be used by anyone reasonably priced laundry and ironing is delivered on the same day. Finally, it is &lsquoquiet hours&rsquo between 10pm and 8am, when they &lsquoask that everybody&rsquos need for rest be respected&rsquo. I am happy to confirm that I did get a very good night&rsquos sleep.

The information

Perfect Haven @ Egmore
Location&nbspDr P.V. Cherian Crescent Road, Egmore (15km from airport, 5km from railway station)
Accommodation&nbsp22 luxury rooms
Tariff&nbspRs 3,598 (single), Rs 4,198 (double), inclusive of breakfast, wi-fi and taxes

Perfect Haven @ OMR
Location&nbspLakshman Road, Kandanchavadi (17km from airport, 22km from railway station)
Accommodation&nbsp18 luxury rooms
Tariff&nbspSame as Egmore

Smart Haven @ Kodambakkam
Location&nbspCorporation Colony Main Road, Rangarajapuram (12km from airport, 10km from railway station)
Accommodation&nbsp15 &lsquobudget-class&rsquo corporate rooms
Tariff&nbspRs 2,638 (single), Rs 2,999 (double), inclusive of breakfast, wi-fi and taxes
Contact (for all) 044-42803949, perfecthaven.in, smarthaven.in