Hello All,

We got a great package deal with the Oberoi hotels which unfortunately does not include breakfast. I have a feeling that they will charge an arm and a leg for each breakfast that we may have at their hotels.(i.e. Delhi, Udaipur, Jaipur, Agra).

Questions: Has anyone been to their property and would know if that is the case?

Could we have breakfast outside the hotel? What are the options?

Thanks a bunch

Are you on the 8 nights for 140,000 Rs deal?

I just came back and stayed at the Udaipur, Agra and Delhi hotlels.
The breakfasts are expensive, but very good!

There are of course lots of other places to eat a cheaper breakfast near some Oberois. In Delhi, there is a market across the road with lots of good places to eat, and Khan market is a short ride (or long walk) away with good spots as well. In Udaipur, you'll have to go a bit further. We scheduled our free cooking demo early in the morning, and they fed us afterwards.

BTW, don't forget you get the free yoga and cooking classes with that deal...they sort of hide it in their literature, but my daughter loved the yoga at Udaipur- she had a private session at 3 or 4pm each day, and the cooking demo there was really fun. Can't remember where else she did the yoga. I would call the central reservations number and ask for the options at each hotel, then email the hotels to confirm times, etc. Not all of them offer yoga and cooking.

PS- If you see Abitash ("Tash&quot& Mishelle at the front desk of the Udaivilas tell them the mother and daughter from Hawaii say hello. They were really wonderful to us. The general manager was also great.

Hi - We just came back from India this morning. We were at Amarvilas at Agra 7/9-11. The hotel is absolutely amazing, service excellent. The view of the Taj Mahal was incredible from everywhere in the hotel. The food was also superb. We had a package that included breakfast & dinner. I would not want to venture anywhere besides tourist attractions in Agra. The city looks like one big slum. It is sad for such a historic city. The breakfast is very good. The buffet I believe is not more than 500 rupees.
I was so impressed with this hotel I would love to go to their other ones in India!
Enjoy!

I agree with lucky777 on Agra, although Amarvilas is stunning and the area just around it is fine, you probably won't want to wander around looking to find breakfast... not a very nice city. Amarvilas is so nice it's worth splurging on breakfast. I have seen the Udaivilas and Rajvilas and they are also amazing.

The only other suggestion I have is if your reservations are cancellable w/o penalty, you might try emailing a travel agent within India to see if they can beat your deal and include breakfast. I worked with Arvind at Castle and King tours. He was great. Arvind's email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Good luck.

If you go to another hotel, you are going to pay about the same rate, and you also have to figure in the taxi/rickshaw cost ), so at that point you may want to stay at the Oberoi unless you want to use another hotel or restaurant as a starting point for the day. No hotel is walkable from the Oberoi Amarvils or Rajvilas, in Udaipur the property next door is the Trident also run by Oberoi, meals may be slightly cheaper that may be worth a look. In Delhi, I am not familiar with any market accross the street from the hotel, but it is certainly worth a look. Khan market is another good place, again you would need to take a taxi IMO esp the first time as you would have no idea where you are going. There is even a McDonalds there, but I can't vouch that they serve breakfast.

Yes, you will probably pay US$25 or a bit more for breakfast. However, if you have a good room rate overall, and it includes transport or some other benefit, then I really would not worry about it. IMO it is not worth the time and hassle of finding local non-hotel options, although if you wanted to, I would get the Lonely Planet guidebook and look for their “high end" reccos. Mine is currently packed for our office move, otherwise I would consult it for you. I generally find the “high-end” reccos in Lonely Planet to be quite good value for money and are nice, clean restaurants in India.

For Delhi, you could of course buy rolls or something similar when you are out for the day and have them for breakfast the next day, as there are supermarkets and bakeries available all over. Your options may be more limited in other places depending on your schedule, but is also a possiblity. All the hotels will provide fruit in the room which you could have as well. To the best of my recollection, all rooms have tea/coffee makers and provide tea and coffee. If you really planned ahead, you could bring granola bars, instant oatmeal, packs of raisins, etc, in your luggage.

You also did not specify whether you want an English breakfast or something like a dosa with potatoes (a great breakfast and on the Oberoi menu too), but you can generally find English breakfasts even in local places. I must say it is one think that the Indians have learned well from British cuisine, they do a nice toast rack.

Most first-time tourist to India do not like Agra. I am one of the few people who like Agra, but then again, I have spent more than one night there and have actually seen more of Agra than the Taj, the 100 yards around the Taj which is loaded with touts, the "Baby Taj" and the Red Fort. There are many interesting areas of the old city that most tourists don't see, but you have to make the effort to seek them out, and most people on a 2-week tour cannot do this. They see the 2-3 main sites and some very crowded, dirty streets and they think “this is just a horrible town”. They don’t take the time to explore the area around the Friday Mosque or even just the old town areas literally 200 yards from the Taj entrance itself. If they did, they might find a lot more of interest in Agra than just a quick look at the beautiful Taj Mahal. If you get the chance, walk around the old city, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Some of my best Indian memories have been made in Agra.

I'm with Cicerone on Agra...it is a fascinating town once you get away from the touts at the fort and the Taj!

And cicerone, I am so happy to give you a tip for once! (Cicerone is a terrific source of info on India, and Hong kong too) There is a really nice little market across from the Delhi Oberoi. I think it is called GF-6 New Delhi House.

Go out the driveway, walk directly across main road, then turn left and go about 50 yards down on the right. The market has some artsy modern jewelry shops, some sesigner type clothing shops and Mittal Teas- one of the nicest tea (and spice) shops I've found.

They will pour samples, sell by weight, and their quality and prices are very good. We ran out of time, so didn't get to explore the whole market or even look inside any restaurants. Khan market is a lot bigger with better variety, but this is a nice place to wander from the hotel.

Breakfast in India? Now there is a subject close to my heart!!

Fried eggs on toast; parathas with (your own) honey and lemon.

Thank you all for your great responses. Very helpful!

Yes you can beat the Oberoi breakfast charge if you have organised a tour with a private car and driver. Just ask the driver to come early. Just say you want to start the sightseeing early. Then just go where you want. In Agra, try Taj View where breakfast is half the cost. In Udaipur, I would go to the Jagat Niwas and have breakfast at their rooftop or to the Ambrai Restaurant or the Tiger's restaurant. In Jaipur try the Samode Haveli en route to Amer Fort or the Ramada Prime en route to City Palace or the Rambagh (a la carte at the Rajput Room) or the Narain Niwas (best value and wonderful ambience). In Delhi I would suggest you go across to the Ambassador near the Khan Market or go to Sagar in the Defence Colony market for great South India breakfast. Theres also the iconic Indian Coffee House at E Block Connaught Place but this does not open until 10 AM. I go to A Block to Wenger's and have their pastries chased up by a milk shake at Keventers around the corner. Just tip your driver out of all the savings you get!!