THE RESIDENCY in Chennai - Hotel Review with Photos

India › Chennai Hotels › Residency Review
Updated: March 21, 2022

Essentials
• Location: T. Nagar, at a major junction overlooking a flyover.
• Hotel website: theresidency.com
• Hotel phone: +91 (0)44 2825 3434
• Check prices for The Residency

Review of The Residency hotel in Chennai, India.

The Residency is a great midrange option with comfortable rooms.

The Residency – Inexpensive and no-frills mid-range hotel in a decent area.

This hotel is ideal for those who want luxury without any unwanted extras, like a pool, spa, or mustachioed doorman with a turban. While some facilities are lacking, the rooms are still very comfortable, although as unfussy as the hotel itself. Also, the restaurants and bar on-site are surprisingly sophisticated. It is, however, all about the rates (which are far lower than more fancied rivals nearby, and include breakfast) and the location: at a convenient junction surrounded by useful shops and tempting cafés.

The Residency – The Location

Not to be confused with the sister hotel, Residency Towers Chennai, about 1 km away.

Address: 49 Gopathi Narayanaswami (GN) Chetty Road, in the inner southern suburb called T. Nagar. Faces a flyover at a junction with a side street, Dr Nair Road.
Nearest Metro: AG-DMS metro station is 1 km away.
Area: Busy shopping and business district. More developed area than most, so plenty of shops and cafés nearby.
How to Get There: There are efficient pre-paid taxi counters at the domestic and international airports; the trip takes about 45 minutes (13 km). (Uber and Ola seem to be off-limits there.) The hotel is linked by metro to the airport, Central and Egmore train terminals, and CMBT (Koyambedu) bus station. See Local Transport below for more information.

The Residency – The Basics

Guests: Mostly Indian business people during the week and Indian tourists on weekends, but also ideal for budget-minded foreigners.
Views: Rooms facing the flyover may be affected by some traffic noise, while those facing the side and back offer reasonable, but occasionally obstructed, city views.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Certainly not expected (or provided) at this sort of low-key inner-city hotel in Chennai.
Extras: Daily newspaper delivered to each room. Free laundry and airport transfers for those staying in the suites.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +91 (0)44 2825 3434
Email: resvchennai@theresidency.com
Website: theresidency.com

The Residency – Amenities

Pool: No pool, but the lower rates reflect this.
Spa: Ditto.
Fitness Center: Tiny, but most guests probably won’t use it anyway.
Other Facilities: Business services. Travel desk. Laundry. Money-changing.

The Residency – Food and Drink

Restaurants & Bars: The Right Place – Open 24/7 at the lobby level for a wide selection of Indian and international food. • Spice Jar – Vast buffets attracting local business people at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. • Chin Chin – Swish, award-winning, and friendly Chinese restaurant on the 2nd floor. Wine and beer available. • Black and White – Dark but inviting sports bar serving imported spirits and beers. Live music on some nights.
Breakfast: Included in all rates, which is unusual among rivals.
Room Service: Available, but more limited menu overnight.

The Residency – Rooms

Room Types: Superior Rooms • Executive Rooms • Suites • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: No smoking on the premises.
Best Room: The Suites are twice the size of the rooms and include free laundry and airport transfers.
For Families: Not that well set up for families, but there’s space in the rooms and suites for an extra single bed. Otherwise, ask about booking connecting rooms.

The Residency – Local Transport

Walking: The main road in front with the flyover is not that pleasant for walking, though there are plenty of facilities in both directions. The side street (Dr Nair Road) is marginally nicer, but the offshoots of that road are comparatively shady and quiet.
Public Transport: The metro offers services to both airport terminals, the major train and bus stations, and the city center. The nearest metro station – AG-DMS – is 1 km from the hotel.
Taxis & Auto-rickshaws: The black-and-yellow taxis at the airport are nowhere to be seen in the city. Instead, they have been replaced by the app-based Uber and Ola. Plenty of auto-rickshaws around but the drivers won’t use meters, so they usually cost more than Uber or Ola.

The Residency Chennai – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

Amar Fast Food & Restaurant – Virtually alongside the hotel gates. Simple, clean, well-priced, and imaginative vegetarian food.
Café Coffee Day – One in a vast countrywide chain for reliable coffee and light meals. Less than 100m down the side-street (away from the flyover).
Absolute Barbecue T-Nagar – Hugely popular chain for buffets and grills cooked at the table. About 100m. Head right from the hotel gates.
The Noodle Theory – On the other side of the flyover (which is easy to walk under). Upstairs for people-watching, TV sports, and tasty ‘Pan-Asian’ cuisine in contemporary setting. (100m).
Café Central – About 300m past Café Coffee Day, it’s a friendly and funky place with outside seating. Burgers, nachos, and noodles. (400m).
10 Downing Street – Almost as posh as it sounds, an English-style pub for grills, live music, and imported spirits. About 500m; walk down the side-street (Dr Nair Road), take the first left and turn right at North Boag Road.

Nearby Shops

Quite a few places in the area of interest to tourists, including the decent More Supermarket only 75m down the side-street (Dr Nair Road) from the flyover.

The Residency – The Hotel

The hotel is located in a busy commercial district in the inner suburbs.

The Residency is easy to find at a junction in a busy shopping and business district within the inner suburbs.

The hotel offers comfortable accommodation and stylish amenities at low rates.

The hotel certainly serves a purpose, providing comfortable accommodation and stylish amenities at affordable rates.

The hotel offers decent space and gardens.

Despite the location near a major junction, the hotel provides some space and gardens.

The Right Place café is popular with hotel and outside guests.

The Right Place café at the hotel is popular, and not just with guests of the hotel.

The Spice Jar restaurant offers buffets through the day.

The Spice Jar restaurant at The Residency offers buffets at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Chin Chin restaurant is known for its authentic Chinese menu.

On an upper floor, the swanky Chin Chin restaurant provides authentic Chinese cuisine.

The Black and White bar sports a namesake decor.

Also within the hotel is the suitably-named Black and White bar.

The Black and White bar serves imported drinks.

The Black and White bar at the hotel sells a range of imported spirits and beers.

The gym is small, as expected, but unlikely to be used by many guests anyway.

Rooms are as comfortable and unfussy as the rest of the hotel.

The bright rooms do not necessarily have full-length windows.

Surprisingly, some rooms don’t offer full-length windows, but they are still brighter than the photo might suggest.

Rooms are mostly broad and unobstructed.

As a tall building with few high-rises nearby, views are broad and mostly unobstructed.

Rooms are not as grand as some competitors, but the rates are appropriately lower.

The spacious rooms even feature small seating areas.

Rooms are spacious enough to feature a couple of colorful chairs.

The hotel faces a major junction but is fairly quiet.

The hotel faces a major junction with a flyover, but is fairly sheltered from traffic noise.

Amar restaurant next door serves a good and affordable Indian menu.

Virtually alongside the hotel gates, the popular Amar restaurant serves tasty Indian food at decent prices.

The Noodle Theory bistro opposite the hotel is pleasant.

Opposite the hotel gates and on the other side of the flyover, The Noodle Theory bistro is inviting.

Noodle Theory serves a wide range of Asian street food.

The Noodle Theory is ideal for trying a range of street food from across Asia.

Café Coffee Day is located down the side street.

Down the side street (away from the flyover) are several decent options, including the ever-reliable Café Coffee Day, one in a vast countrywide chain.