Hotels in India
The opulent lobby of the Hotel Leela Kempinski in Mumbai, India.
In general, India's hotels offer excellent value for money for Western travelers. The subcontinent has a wide variety of accommodations options to suit all tastes and budgets, whether that be a luxurious Hyatt hotel room, a unique boutique hotel with an Indian feel, a moderately priced Indian chain hotel, or an overnight stay in a palace.
Keep in mind that India's hotel rating system refers to size and facilities, not to the potential quality of your stay. Often the best hotels have no rating because they are heritage properties and, despite their overwhelming loveliness, just don't conform to the norms laid down by India's tourism department.
Types of Accommodations in India
One of the best developments in the past decade has been the increase in luxury boutique-type hotels offering international standards of service and comfort, and flavored with Indian accents - like beautiful craftsmanship and ancient traditions (i.e., Ayurvedic masseurs) - which means that India is now a very desirable destination for the visitor wanting relaxation and pampering.
A few independent hotels have sprung up in India, such as Nilaya Hermitage (Goa) and Devi Garh (outside Udaipur).
Dominating the Indian accommodations market are the Villas properties, owned by India's very own, very fabulous Oberoi chain. Besides the Villas properties (the best of which are Amarvilas in Agra, and Rajvilas in Jaipur), Oberoi runs some of the very best city hotels, as well as several spa resorts in key tourist destinations. You will pay top dollar (though these still represent good value), but you can generally count on superb service and attention to detail. Best of all, you can often get great discounts on room rates by reserving in advance over the Internet (www.oberoihotels.com). Note that Oberoi also operates a tier of smaller, less opulent hotels under the Trident banner, aimed principally at business and/or family travelers.
India's other famous hotel chain is the Taj Group, with an enormous inventory of properties, particularly in South India, where Oberoi is largely absent. Quality varies somewhat, but comfort is generally guaranteed, particularly in big cities and resort destinations. The best properties are the Taj Mahal in Mumbai and the Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur.
In big cities and popular tourist areas in India, midrange hotels are sub-standard, by Western standards, though considerably cheaper. But budget options that are scrupulously clean and moderately comfortable can be found (consult your India guidebook or online reviews). Most of the top-of-the-range city hotels are operated by major international chains, including many of the usual suspects: Sheraton, Hyatt, Radisson, Le Meridien, Nikko Hotels, and Marriott.
A "heritage hotel"(a renovated medieval palace or fort) is a unique and wonderful aspect of India's accommodations options, particularly in Rajasthan, and especially when your host is the aristocrat whose forebears built the place. However, many heritage hotels are centuries old, so it's perhaps not surprising that they are seldom the most luxurious option. A heritage hotel may have many stairs, dodgy plumbing, low ceilings, strange room layouts, and other eccentricities. To find a heritage hotel, two websites worth checking out are www.indianheritagehotels.com and www.heritagehotels.com.
India Hotel Tips
- Keep in mind that any hovel will attach "palace" to its name in the hopes that this may attract more customers. This is often amusing if you're walking past, but disastrous if you're checking in.
- One hotel chain to avoid is the so-called "five-star deluxe" government-operated Ashok group. Most of its properties have "five-star facilities" and an inventory of hundreds of rooms but are often decaying concrete blocks manned by disinterested staff. In fact, as a general rule of thumb, government-run properties are best avoided throughout.
- In India, even hotel rates are up for a bit of hard-core bargaining, particularly given the current state of the industry. You can either bargain online (many hotels offer Internet-only discounts) or show up and when you hear the rate quoted, brazenly pretend to walk out. There's no shame in India in turning back and accepting the rate.
- Wherever you stay, you will be asked to complete a foreign tourist information form, so have your passport ready in order to complete the details; the best hotels will complete the form on your behalf so that you only have to sign.
- Top-range hotels (usually those that only quote their rates in dollars) often require payment in foreign currency; this is when a credit card is invaluable.
Recommended Links for India Hotels
- India Hotel Reviews at TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is an indispensable resource to check out before booking a hotel. Here you'll find candid reviews and photos as well as guidebook reviews and descriptions from official hotel websites. And try the new Hotel Finder – it quickly finds the highest-rated hotels available for your desired dates and price range. - Travelocity Hotels
This travel booking giant has a large database of hotels, a highly efficient searching facility, a "Travelocity Guarantee" that pledges to take care of any problems that arise with your reservations, and telephone customer service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This compressive travel site also offers discounts for booking a vacation package or a flight and hotel together. - Expedia Hotels
This other major travel site has a database of thousands of hotels, a easy-compare search engine, and a new low-price guarantee. - Orbitz Hotels - Find a deal today!
Orbitz offers a user-friendly hotel search engine, plus low rates on hotels. Try the OrbitzSaver for even better deals.
