India Hotel Tips by into-thin-air Top 5 Page for this destination

Hotel Sheela: Right Next to the Taj Mahal but ...............

It is true that The Hotel Sheela is Ideally located Right Next Door to The Taj Mahal, BUT Now you Really pay for the privilege !! Also, As this is now the Number One Hotel in Lonely Planet for Agra that No doubt has contributed to the excessive prices that they now charge !!
But having said all that it is still a good place to stay, the en-suite rooms are clean and do have satellite TV.
Single room rates start at 450r, But only after a lot of bargaining !!

Unique Qualities: The restaurant attached to hotel serves good food, but again it is over priced

Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: 2331194

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Hotel

Costello's Beach Shacks: Beach Bungalow in Benaulin, Goa

Nice Bungalows on Benaulin Beach in Goa, About 300m to the left of where the road ends at the beach and behind Costello’s Restaurant.
There are ones with both Attached and None attached Bathrooms, we took the attched option and paid 300r per night,

The beds are Hard – so a good tip is to “Borrow” an extra mattress of one of the sun-beds on the beach, as long as you return it the next morning the owner is quite happy !!

Unique Qualities: Simply furnished but with mosquito nets and a “western flush toilet” and warm water.

Comparison: less expensive than average

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Other

The Tourist Rest Home: Nice Hotel in Agra

The only draw back to The Tourist Rest Home is it’s location, it is a bit betwixt and between, But having said that it is a really Good Hotel, The rooms are clean and prices fair and the owner friendly and helpful.
The restaurant attached serves good food too.
A good choice If you are only on a short visit and are happy to catch a tuk tuk to the Taj Mahal, Red Fort etc !!
Free pick-ups, But you have to ring once you have arrived at the station !!
Rooms from 200 Rupee

Comparison: less expensive than average

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Hotel

Green Hotel: Good Choice for McLeod Ganj

We took a Large room on the top floor, Very clean and en-suite with satellite TV and a balcony with awesome views of both the town and surrounding hills.
As McLeod Ganj was Very Busy with The Dalai Lama having “The Teaching” (I must have checked out 20 other hotels before finding the Hotel Green and they were mostly full or couldn’t accommodate us for the three nights that we were staying there)
Initially the owner wanted 800r per night per night, but after a lot of bargaining he came down to 700r and wouldn’t drop further, so as it was a Really Nice room we took it !!
Friendly Staff and a Very Good Place to stay !!

Unique Qualities: The restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel serves very good food.
Try the Breakfast – But Only if you are Really Hungry as it is Enormous !!!!!,

Address: Bhagsu Road, McLeod Gang

Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: 221200

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Hotel

Hotel City View: Good Value Hotel in Shimla

We took the top floor room and you had to agree wit the name of the hotel as the views are awesome !!
Nice sized clean en-suite room with satellite TV for 400r per night (after a little bargaining)
Friendly Staff – a Good Place to stay !!

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Follow the road along the ridge, past the church the cinema and a car park and The City View Hotel is up some steps on the left.

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Hotel

Hotel Amber: Handy Hotel in Kalka

If as we were doing, Only spending one night in Kalka en-route to Shimla (Kalka is the end of the broad gauge railway and the start of the narrow gauge (Toy Train) to Shimla) then this hotel is a good choice as it is the closest one to the railway station.
Good sized En-Suite Rooms, Clean and with satellite TV and With balcony.
Price 600r (As we only stayed the one night there was no bargaining)

Unique Qualities: The hotel also has a generator which comes in handy as there would appear to be many power cuts in Kalka

Comparison: about average

Directions: Just a couple of minutes walk up the road from the railway station

Other Contact: mobile - 9416070864

Phone: 01733 221444

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Hotel

Hotel Prime: Excellent Choice for Ahmedabad

This was the most Up-Market Hotel that we stayed in on the entire trip !!
Large Air Conditioned En-Suite Rooms, Very Clean and have satellite TV and All for 600r (After a little bargaining) Prices start from 390r for an economy room.

Unique Qualities: Good Location, Handy for both city centre and Railway Station

Address: 2nd Floor, Vishal Commercial Centre, Pattharkuva, Relief Road, Ahmedabad, 380 001

Comparison: about average

Other Contact: fax 079 25359613

Phone: 25352582 /25352584

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://email - hotel_prime@yahoo.com

Hotel Modern: Good Choice for Mumbai

This is a really Nice little hotel, Handy for Victoria Terminus (C.S.T.), In the middle of The Fort District.
A.C. and None A.C Rooms. En-Suite Rooms, Clean and have satellite TV Prices from 600r which represents Excellent Value for Mumbai.

Address: 81, Modi Street, Fort Market, Mumbai 400 001

Comparison: less expensive than average

Phone: 2269 1793 / 2269 2243

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Hotel

Hotel River View: Brand New and Excellent Choice for Bheraghat

This is a New and Well appointed Hotel. It overlooks The Marble Gorge, Bheraghat’s main tourist attraction.
The rooms are Air Conditioned and En-Suite, Clean and have satellite TV.

After a little bargaining we paid 600r per night

Unique Qualities: The Owner and his Son are friendly and there is a restaurant attached to hotel

Address: Panchvati, Bheraghat, Jabalpur, M.P. India

Comparison: about average

Phone: 0761 6942004

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Hotel

Scindhia Guest House: Hotel in Varanasi

Not a bad choice for Varanasi, Especially if one of the cheaper rooms in the old section of the hotel is available, I paid 250r for a simple room, none en-suite, But it did have a window that overlooked the Ganges.
You might find this a Very Regimented Hotel as there are notices Everywhere !!

Unique Qualities: There is a restaurant attached to hotel But I wasn’t impressed, over priced and poor service, although the food wasn’t bad so ok in an emergency !!

Although the room that I had represented good value, the trips organised by the hotel are Very Expensive, If you organise a taxi trough them then expect to pay more than double the going rate and the internet acess is triple what you pay in the Hotel Alka which is only a 5 minute walk up-river.
The only exception is that IF you are on your own then the 85r Ganges Boat trips represent Good Value

Comparison: about average

Phone: 2420319

Price: less than US$20

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.scindhiaguesthouse.com