Hotels recommended in this book are divided into four categories—Luxury, Expensive, Mid-range and Budget—according to the facilities on offer. These categories are described below.Indian hotels vary greatly in price and quality according to where in the country you are. As a general rule, the further south you go, the cheaper accommodation becomes.Prices may vary according to season and during festivals; and rates in hotels vary according to whether they have retty views or are in the quieter parts of the building. Prices quoted in this guide are for a double room with bath in high seasonat 1 October 1992. You can expect increases in the range of 5-10% for the ’92/’93 season.Effective from October 1992, an expenditure tax of 20% is levied on all hotel bills when a single-room charge is more than Rs1200 or US$50.
In terms of atmosphere and location, India has some of the world’s most spectacular hotels. Former palaces such as Shiv Niwas and the Lake Palace in Udaipur and the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur have been converted into excellent hotels. In the major cities some extremely good properties have appeared over the past decade or so.
Some, such as the well-run Oberoi Grand in Calcutta, have been excellently renovated and reflect the grandeur of an older era. And the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay has never lost its place among the best of Indian hotels. Newer ‘five-star plus’ hotels include the Leela Kempinski and the Oberoi in Bombay, the Taj Bengal in Calcutta; the Hyatt, the Oberoi, and the Taj Mahal in New Delhi. The prices now tend to match the international quality of the hotels, but off-season discounts are
sometimes available. Thus, in Bombay, a night in a top hotel can cost as much as Rs4500 (around £90, US$45)—for this you could expect a smart air-conditioned double suite (probably with private balcony and view), access to a good swimmingpool, and a number of useful facilities like shopping arcade, travel agency, bank, two or three restaurants, in-house entertainments, car park, beauty parlour and health club. Car hire and sightseeing tours are also often arranged, and so are a selection of sports and activities. Out of the main cities, the standard of luxury hotels varies markedly, but so do the prices.
Mid-range (US$10-35/Rs250-1000 per room night)
The big problem with Asian countries gearing themselves up for tourism is a near vacuum of good hotels in the middle price-range. India is no exception. In many parts of the country, you’ve a straight choice: live in style, or nearer the bottom line.
The situation is gradually improving, with an increase in the number of good to moderate hotels, and as hoteliers renovate and equip basic lodges to mid-range standards. A double room in a decent moderate hotel, with air-conditioning, attached restaurant, some sort of room service and (occasionally) a lift and room telephone, will cost in the region of Rs2250 (around £25) in Bombay or Delhi, as little as half that in the south.
Budget (under US$1O/Rs250 per room night)
Economy lodgings are often very good value in India, but the quality is very variable. In one town, you may find a clean, quiet double room with a fan, a shower and a toilet for Rs75-200 (around £2.50 or US$3). Until you’re used to looking out the better places, it’s generally advisable to stay at the state-run Tourist Bungalows. Most towns and cities have them, and though often drab and uninspiring, they are usually clean and well run. Like the popular YMCAs, they often have cheap dormitories which are ideal for meeting people and swapping experiences (and books).A typical double room in a Tourist Bungalow will cost between Rs200 and Rs200, though a dormitory berth can cost as little as Rs25.
Before you take any room in the cheaper range of hotels, give it a thorough once-over for cleanliness and for facilities. In economy places, you can perhaps overlook the chipped basins,the peeling plaster and old coffee stains on walls. What you can’t overlook are a) dirty bed linen; b) bedbugs under mattresses; c) roaches in bathrooms and waste bins; d) overhead fans that don’t work or which have only one (turbo) speed; e) dead electric lights; f) no hot water (or no water at all) in showers; g) no lock on the door or no latches on windows. In practice, a lot of travellers put up with basic, even unfriendly, accommodation, and rarely give rooms a proper check. This is often because they arrive in towns too tired to really care, or too late to have much choice in the matter. Others put up with really awful dives, on the basis that they’re going to be out and about all day, and will only need a room to sleep in.
As a general rule, if you’re just staying in a town for one or two nights, you’re not going to have time or energy to traipse around looking for a decent hotel. If the recommended ones are full or unsatisfactory, you may have to take the first adequate place that comes along. This often means hiring a local hotel tout. There is no problem finding them; they find you. Bear in mind that they get a tidy commission for placing you, so don’t pay them more than a couple of rupees.
