Luxury (over US$35/Rsl000 per room night)
The best of a generally poor assortment of luxury hotels is Lalitha Mahal Palace, T. Narasipur Rd (tel 26316, 27650, tlx 846-217), with some stylish rooms in the old building (Rs1300 single, Rs1450 double) overlooking the city.
Mid-range (US$10-35/Rs250-1000 per room night)
Quality Inn Southern Star, Vinobha Road (tel 27217, tlx 846-256) is a well-run mid-range hotel with comfortable air-conditioned rooms from Rs 500 single, Rs800 double.
Hotel Dasaprakash Paradise, 105 Vivekarianda Rd, Yadavagiri (tel 266664, tlx 846-266 DASA IN) is the top Indian-style hotel, with single and double rooms from Rs275 and Rs335 respectively, a good restaurant and a pool. The Hotel Metropole (tel 20681) at 5 Jhansi Lakshmi Bai Rd, has recently been renovated; is popular for its spacious grounds, restaurant and bar, and colonial-style rooms from Rs300 single, Rs450 double. The Taj Group have recently taken over the Rajendra Villas Hotel on Chamundi Hill (tel 20690, tlx 846-230). When the renovation is completed toward the end of 1993, this old palace should rival Lalitha Mahal.
Budget (under US$10/Rs250 per room night)
Opposite the Metropole is the Hotel Kings Court (tel 25250) with cosy, personal atmosphere and big-bedded rooms (from Rs200 single, Rs250 double). An enjoyable Indian-style hotel is the Siddhartha, 73 Guest House Rd, Nazarbad (tel 26869). Well-located and quiet, with large carpeted rooms (single Rs150, double Rs220), tiled bathrooms and free newspapers/soap. KTDC’s Hotel Mayura Hoysala, 2 Jhansi Lakshmi Bai Rd (tel 25349), is very much a case of pot luck with rooms from Rs1300 . As a travellers’ centre, Mysore has any number of budget guest-houses. Two on Dhanvantri Road are New Gayathri Bhavan and Hotel Indra Bhavan, with clean rooms (bathrooms attached) from Rs450 . Over at Gandhi Square, Hotel Durbar (tel 20029) has okay rooms from Rs50, and two very popular restaurants. The nearby Srikanth Hotel (tel 22951) is also worth checking out: clean rooms with bath for Rs60.
EATING OUT
Hotel Metropole is where to dine in style: a stately, palatial restaurant offering well priced Indian, Chinese and continental cuisine and elegant service. After your meal for about Rs100 per head, relax in the air-con bar. At the Southern Star, next door to the Metropole, the main restaurant has extensive buffet lunches for Rs75 and a 24-hour coffee shop. Over at the Hotel Dasaprakash, there’s a good cheap vegetarian restaurant, with meals from Rs50 per head and a memorable ice-cream parlour. Two popular roof-top restaurants in Gandhi Square are Shilpashri (consistently good veg and non-veg fare, nice bar) and Hotel Durbar (cheap Chinese, Mughlai and Indian food, tinny taped music). For good-value Rs85 south Indian thalis investigate the many cheapie restaurants in and around Dhanvantri Rd.
GENERAL INFORMATION
KSTDC Tourist Office (tel 22096) is in the Old Exhibition Building, Irwin Rd; waffly but helpful staff, poor handouts, but good information (hotels, tours) posted on various boards. Open 10 am-5.30 pm daily. KSTDC Tourist Reception Centre (tel 2365) is in Hotel Mayura Hoysala, open 6.30 am-8.30 pm daily. It sells the Mysore city sightseeing tour which includes Somnathpur (Rs85, 7.30 am-8.30 pm) and the over-ambitious tour to Belur, Halebid and Sravanbelagola on Fridays and Sundays (Rsl00 , 7.30 am-8.30 pm).
Indian Airlines (tel 25349) is also in Hotel Mayura Hoysala complex, open 10 am- 5.15 pm daily (except Sundays). State Bank of India is in St Mark’s Rd. Central Post Office is in Ashoka Rd. Gita Book House, New State Square (near the bus-stand), is possibly the only place in town which sells a decent Mysore map.
