AustraliaZooIsGreat

I'm going to Delhi on business for 2 weeks in early May. My company has never sent anyone to India before and they have set me a budget of US$100/night for the hotel room. Looking online it would appear that this budget is nowhere near where it needs to be.

Does anyone have any recommendations on where I could stay or whether it is advisable to have this budget increased? I'm not looking for luxury I just don't want to be poisoned, eaten by insects or infected with a deadly disease.

Thanks in advance.

lcuy

Try the Ahuja residency. My daughter lived here for several weeks, and I visited her, although did not stay in the unit. It is clean and very reasonable.

There are actually two buildings- one is more inside the golf links compound and is quieter, the other is closer to Khan market, so more convenient for walking. It was about a 40 rupee autorickshaw ride to Connaught place from here.

http://www.ahujaresidency.com/

rhkkmk

minimum needed for a business class hotel would be $200 US....

Cicerone

It’s advisable IMO to have this budget increased, ESPECIALLY if you are gong to have to live in that hotel room for 2 weeks. India and China are THE two hottest places to do business in AP right now and there are simply too many business people chasing too few hotel rooms. Demand is far outstripping supply. There are more hotel rooms in Orlando Florida than there are in the entire country of India. Some cities, like Bangalore, have higher average hotel room rates than Tokyo, London or New York. Delhi is not far behind for good business-class hotels.

I am not saying that you could not find something at US$100. (Does that include tax? It is about 14-17% for hotel room tax.) I am just saying that if your company typically puts you in international-standard hotels with a business centre, two phone lines in your room (for your PC and then a phone line), room service (so you can arrive at 2 am and go to work while eating), an on-site Western restaurant (do you want Indian food for two straight weeks, including for breakfast? I love my masala dosa too, but perhaps not for breakfast for two weeks) etc, then you need to pay more. You would also want to have a higher budget to ensure you have (i) adequate air conditioning in boiling hot May, (ii) an on-site generator for the standard power failures and rolling brown outs due to grid overload. A pool might be nice too. I would say the US$250-400 range would be better. Take a look at the websites for Hilton (the Trident Gurgaon for Delhi), Oberoi, Taj, Sheraton, Radisson. The Grand mentioned above is a perfectly nice hotel as well (http://www.thegrandnewdelhi.com).

I agree location is also an issue. If you will be commuting to the same location each day, you probably will want to stay not too far away, and may have to pay more for the privilege.

Think about what US$100 would get you in Sydney. That’s about what it would get you in Delhi.

preetiambassador1

As stated on my earlier blog regarding rajasthan and southindia , I was made to stay at the grand which is a superbhotel in vasant kunj area of new delhi.
I had used jennifer for this tour.

Mitch04

My wife and I stayed in the Delhi Bed and Breakfast. It was a bit quirky, but fun. They had a reliable pick-up on arrival at the appalling place India has the nerve to call Indira Ghandi International Airport, they were able to provide a good car and driver, and provided pretty good food. The rooms are a bit smallish, but very comfortable.

Having said that, I am staggered that you have a miserable $100 a night budget. Do you work for Walmart??? *lol*

preetiambassador1

Thats a great one. But yes delhi is as costly as sydney. but as stated earleri i think grand the best deal of about $90.

tozzman2007

I have found many hotels which less than 100 USD, you can stay there. It is okay because it is 3 star hotels, let see ,

http://www.hotelsguru.com/india-new%...ce-hotels.html

The price is also depend on the period that you stay.

timsmith

There are loads of hotels around Karol Bagh area for that price range - check clarks international . Reasonable accomodation at reasonable prices.
cheers

AustraliaZooIsGreat

>Having said that, I am staggered that you have a miserable $100 a night budget. Do you work for Walmart??? *lol*

Strange that you'd choose the world's largest retailer in your example.

Actually the co. has zero experience sending anyone to any intercontinental destinations and that's why i'm asking the question. The budget of €100 is a standard we use for the UK and Ireland and it actually works out fine for 3.5-4 star accomodation for short trips. My boss has asked me if it needs to be higher for this trip (hence the question).

In Delhi, you can't trust any of the standards and if I pick the wrong hotel I could bring back a nasty disease with me.

I won't be working from the hotel room. It's merely a place to sleep and wind down at the end of the day.

jacketwatch

Narulas in CP (Connaught Place) may not be a bad choice and it should be economical.
http://www.iloveindia.com/hotelsinin...las-delhi.html

JamesA

USD 100 for a business standard hotel is ok in some countries but your company must also take into account that 'where you stay' has a direct bearing on how you are seen by those you are doing business with.

I am sure Cicerone can comment better than I on this but:-

We do not know the details but people you are going to be seeing on business may well come to perhaps pick you up from your hotel, perhaps drop you off, you may invite them to join you for a drink.
If they take you to dinner and you return the hospitality you might well suggest going to a restaurant but sometimes it is easier ( signing the bill etc ) to invite them to the restaurant at your hotel in ordere that you can be a 'host'. All in all where you are staying 'does matter' and in most business enviroments your hotel 'address' makes a clear statement about who you and your company are .
That does not mean you need to stay at the best 5 star in town but it also means you must not downgrade yourself to a place that does not equal the image you and your company wish to present.

I think the best idea is to see if those who have done business in Delhi can suggest what they considor to be a 'business hotel' and your company should go with that whether it's USD 150/200 or whatever.You will no doubt need email access and you might require services from their business center, for example arranging a restaurant reservation etc.

I don't stay in the same hotel when I go to meet people on business that I would stay in on vacation.

Also make sure that your company appreciates you need an adequote 'Per Diem' Business allowance in order that you can return dinner invitations and present the right image.
Vital.
Also do check for websites that give those local details about local business etiquette(sp), very important.

Business magazines also sometimes offer recommended per diem allowances. If you cannot find the recommended allowance there then most countries have an international trade department that has such information.

Mitch04

>Strange that you'd choose the world's largest retailer in your example.<

Walmart might be the world's largest retailer, but it is very well known for its meanness and miserliness in relation to its mid to lower level employees.

AustraliaZooIsGreat

Thanks all for the Advice. I've been booked into a hotel called Jaypee Siddharth. It calls itself a 5 star. Expedia.co.uk rates it as a 3 star. But it looks pretty damn good to me.

http://www.jaypeehotels.com/siddharth/accommodation.asp

Anyone have any experience with this place?

AustraliaZooIsGreat

I know somebody is going to ask. I have no idea what they paid for the room but the advertised price is 250/night on the web site.

floydude

Don't go by the pictures. But it's not too bad. It's kindof old(I grew up in Delhi, its one of those hotels that came during/after the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi) but its in a prime area, and close to the heart center of New Delhi. Don't keep high expectations, but as you say you need a place to wind-down for the day, Jaypee Siddharth is good enough.

And yeah you won't catch a disease For that you need to stay in a New York hotel, there's a sizable bedbug epidemic here!

JamesA

Well I hope they got a lot lower, they could have got the Intercontinental for about USD 165 !
The Shangri-La Delhi is about USD 198 and 'any' Shangi-La has to be good. Le Meridien USD 230,Park Royal Intercontinental about USD 180, Hyatt Regency about 240, Taj Mahal 210, the Sheraton Towers 260, these are all top level group hotels. I have not stayed at those but they are from a quick list I saw for recommended business hotels in Delhi from a local Asia website for hotels.
Intercontinetal, Shangri La, Hyat etc all 'good addresss' as a business hotel.
If you are going somewhere to visit companies it is perfcetly acceptable business etiquette to ask them to suggest a hotel that is suitable and convenient for their offices.

jacketwatch

If you are so inclined let me recommend getting clothes made in India. There are many good tailors, lots of very good material and the price will be much less than overseas in the US, Europe or Oz. Also if you wear glasses or contacts get them them there. Much cheaper as well and very good quality. My son got his contacts sent from an optometrist we had used there and he told me they were the best contacts he had ever had. I also had glasses sent from him as well. Very good! Cheers. Larry

JC98

Ask your company to increase your hotel per diem! It's for your own health and safety!

agtoau

It is well for folks to recognise that 5-star hotels in Indian metros have become big rip-offs. Taking advantage of the shortage in supply they have all hopped on to the gravy train, while not delivering services commensurate with the high rates they demand. Let us see how long this shameful situation persists. We know of people who bypass India altogether and head to either Sri Lanka or Thailand on this account.