I chanced upon 'Howard Johnson, The Monarch Safari Park' in Masinagudi recently. I stayed there for 3 days. The property is, quite frankly, nothing to write home about.
While the place is good, there is a serious dearth of any organised outdoor activity. The resort should take the initiative and should plan a few flexible itineraries for the benefit of the guests. The jungle trek / jeep ride (in Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, which is about 10 kms away) doesn't take one more than a maximum of 3 hours. And that's in the mornings. So after that ride is done, what else ? With a place like that, Monarch can do a lot ... really a lot ! But they have chosen to do absolutely nothing to keep their guests occupied. Also the Resort can do much more to improve their service standards. The service is very basic. Food is also basic. But the room that I stayed in was very spacious and clean. However the tap in the bathroom was dripping right through my stay (which was extremely annoying). Monarch is set in wonderful surroundings. That's about it !! They still have a very long way to go, to become a resort of choice among seasoned travelers like me.