'No room cleaning, no towels': Indian traveller shares reality after spending Rs 2 lakh on UK villa

Indian traveller compares UK villa experience to Indian hospitality. (Image: nomadicdipanshu/ Instagram)

A recent social media post comparing hospitality in the UK and India has gone viral, sparking discussion among travellers. A man who spent three days at a beach villa in Scotland highlighted these contrasts in an Instagram post.

Content creator Dipanshu said that despite paying Rs 2 lakh for his stay, basic services such as cleaning and laundry were limited in the UK, while in India, guests at a similar price point often receive more attentive care. “UK hospitality teaches you independence. Indian hospitality teaches you how it feels to be genuinely taken care of. Same money. Very different treatment,” Dipanshu wrote in the post.

During his three-night stay, Dipanshu noted that room cleaning services were not provided. He wrote, “UK: Stayed 3 nights. Spent Rs 2,00,000. Room cleaning? Non‑existent. Not even once. India: At this price, housekeeping would knock twice a day just to ask if you’re breathing properly.” He said that in India, staff would often check in multiple times a day to ensure guests are comfortable, while in the UK, the focus is more on providing privacy and space.

Another issue arose when he requested fresh towels. Dipanshu said that after calling reception, no one came. When he approached the desk in person, the staff member suggested using the washing machine to clean and reuse the towel. He explained, “Guy looked at me calmly and said, ‘There’s a washing machine… you can wash and reuse it.’ So basically - DIY hospitality unlocked. India: There would be a private butler on standby asking, ‘Sir aur towel chahiye?’ before you even finish showering.”

He also mentioned that hot water suddenly stopped during his stay, without warning or apology. “One fine day, hot water just disappeared. No warning. No apology. Just character development. In India, hot water is checked proactively. Even if it fails, someone is already fixing it while apologising.”

Food service was another point of comparison for Dipanshu, who noted that the villa’s kitchen closed after 7 PM, leaving guests with limited options. He said that in the UK, guests were expected to manage without food after this time, while in India, hotels often cater to late-night requests, with chefs preparing meals even for midnight cravings.

He highlighted the difference in hospitality philosophy, explaining that in the UK, guests are given space to manage themselves, whereas in India, staff take care of everything. Problem resolution also differs, with the UK generally responding that they would “look into it,” while in India, staff act immediately and apologise.

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A post shared by Dipanshu | International Traveller | Mission 195 (@nomadicdipanshu)

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The post went viral online, with many sharing their views. One user wrote, “Yes 100%. Indian/asian hospitality is at par. No one is even close to them. No matter how good hotel you choose, 4-star, 5-star, hospitality is not that good.” Another said, “Hospitality is so much better in Asian countries compared to Western.”

Some travellers added that Dipanshu’s observations reflected their own experiences in the UK, “Having travelled across the UK with my family for a month, including 10 days across multiple cities in Scotland, this feels like the most raw and truthful comparison. We truly loved the experience, but this captures the very real differences in hospitality we noticed.”

Others pointed out that improvements in infrastructure and environmental conditions could increase India’s hospitality potential. One wrote, “If India cleans up its air and environment from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, there's so much untapped potential with our hospitality.”

Some users also pointed out that the difference in service could be related to pricing and hotel category, “2 lakhs for Indian hotels might seem a lot, not for UK. If you had stayed in a 5 lakh rupee hotel, probably you would have got all the services you expect. Just like living in an oyo vs Taj.”