Cambay Sapphire, Gandhinagar

HOTEL OVERVIEW

So here’s the thing about Cambay Sapphire – it’s one of those places that looks impressive from the outside but leaves you scratching your head once you’ve actually stayed there. I mean, it’s technically a five-star property in Gandhinagar’s industrial sector, which should tell you something right off the bat about the vibe you’re getting into.

The location is honestly pretty strategic if you’re doing business in the GIDC area – you’re literally surrounded by corporate offices and government buildings, which explains why the lobby is always buzzing with suited executives during weekday mornings. But here’s what nobody tells you: evenings get surprisingly quiet since there’s not much happening around Sector 25 after office hours. The hotel sits on this wide plot that gives it plenty of space (rare for the area), and parking is actually never an issue, which I appreciated. You know what though? The gap between what they’re charging for a five-star experience and what you actually get is… well, let’s just say the 2.9 rating isn’t entirely unfair.

The rooms are spacious enough and the AC works well – crucial during Gujarat’s brutal summers – but there are these little details that keep reminding you something’s off. The bathroom fixtures feel a bit dated, and honestly, the housekeeping can be hit or miss depending on which floor you’re on. I’ve stayed here a few times for work trips, and the service feels like it depends entirely on who’s working that particular shift. Some days the restaurant staff is attentive and friendly, other days you’re waiting twenty minutes just to get someone’s attention. The breakfast spread is decent though – they do a proper South Indian selection alongside the usual continental stuff, and their dosas are actually pretty good (better than some of the hotels charging twice as much in Ahmedabad, if I’m being honest). What I really noticed is how the place empties out on weekends – it’s clearly built for the business crowd, not leisure travelers, so if you’re looking for that holiday resort feeling, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you need a reliable place to crash between meetings in Gandhinagar, and you’re not expecting miracles, it does the job. Just don’t expect five-star service to match those five-star prices.