This has not been my first stay at Vivanta EM Bypass and I would say this was not a very good experience. The service level of the hotel is questionable, especially the food and restaurant. We stayed during Durga Puja with my aged mother. The hotel had a buffet for lunch and dinner which cost INR 3000 per meal. That was the only food option available with no options of ala cart possible. The restaurant flatly refused any other option in spite of us saying that we would not want to opt for the buffet as my mother was not keen on the options available at buffet. It is not a convenient option to force people to shell out 3K for each meal, when the hotel has just 1 restaurant option. In addition, the buffet food was really poor quality, most dishes were cold and dry. When I raised this, the service personnel said this is how its supposed to be. I travel extensively and have stayed in hotels across India and globally, I would rate the quality of food very poor at this hotel. What made me even annoyed was the refusal to acknowledge that the food was not of best quality and there was scope for improvement. The Taj service standards were thoroughly missing, especially in the restaurant staff. The breakfast food quality and options were equally lame, and not designed keeping in my the various kinds or age group of guests. I had a bad stomach condition the day after the first buffet. Additionally, I found a packaged water bottle in the room that was dated expired in June 24 (we stayed in October) and even had mold on the bottle. I had shared a photo of the same at the hotel reception. The hotel, restaurant and all its services are pricy, and I expected much better service from the hotel than what I received. I shared my feedback during my checkout process, and the manager from the F&B section had called back to apologise for the experience. However I was quite disappointed from the experience I had this time at Vivanta EM Bypass and I would think twice before booking the hotel in future. I can emphatically say the hotel does not adhere to the Taj standards.