indianapearl

Any guidance on how to know the quality of India hotels on a one-star, two-star, three-star, etc. system? Tour operators recommend we stay in Taj and Oberoi hotels, but they seem unnecessarily expensive. We want only a clean, quiet, air conditioned, non-smoking room with western toilets -- nothing fancy

rhkkmk

i wanted the same for my trip last year (Nov.) and was so disappointed with all the pricing...

from fellow fodorites i knew that we needed to stay in "nice" hotels for hygiene purposes, so we choose western standard chain hotels...

i would rate them 4* by indian standards, but often they rated them higher....

in fact by usa standards most were 3.5 to 4 star...the nikko being by far the nicest...

in delhi we stayed at the nikko metropolitan ($190) and it was indeed very nice and well located...

in agra and jaipur we stayed at the sheratons....both were nice but nothing special....exactly as i wanted...the jaipur i booked myself on starwoods site for $100 per nite for club room including breakfast but agra was booked by our travel agent for $130 per nite...watch the sites and book and rebook as prices change as they often do....the club $100 room was booked like in FEB for a Nov stay...early can often work wonders...in sept. that same room listed for $250 for a nov stay....

i probably would use them all another time...

the real lux hotels are fantastic but i cannot see spending $400-700 per nite for a place i will only sleep in...

thursdaysd

For clean, quiet, AC and western toilets (not sure about the non-smoking!) you don't need to stay in Western or Eastern chain hotels, or pay as much as $100. Take a look at www.sawdays.co.uk/titles/ind/index.html, or pick up a copy of Footprints guide to India. I also used Lonely Planet, but some of their listings are definitely down-market! I don't think the star system really works, you need a description. You could also check tripadvisor.com.

indianapearl

Thanks for your speedy responses, rhkkmk and thursdayd! I'm having trouble convincing some tour groups that we don't need expensive hotels. Do the tour companies get a cut of money paid to the hotels to which they direct clients? Is it wise to book our own hotels?

Cicerone

In India, as in China, star ratings are generally meaningless. A hotel can have a 4 Star rating based on room size and the fact that it has a beauty parlor, and despite the fact that it has not replaced the furniture in its rooms in 25 years. Therefore, you really have to go with well-respected hotel operators, which generally means Oberoi, Taj or one of the international chain operators.

However, I would agree that you do not have to spend lots of money to get a perfectly fine room, and indeed can find some charming hotels in lower price ranges. I am not certain that you will be able to find air-conditioning in the lower price or lower stared hotels (or at least air conditioning that really works). You need to check this carefully on websites and/or with the individual hotels themselves. If your trip is in the cooler winter months you don’t need air conditioning, and/or in desert areas you may not need it at night during most of the year, as temps cool down at night. Conversely an actual 4 star may have a pool, which in the hot season may be something you would greatly appreciate and be happy to pay for. I personally would avoid 1 and 2 star hotels in the major cities, I think you would find these run-down and not in salubrious or convenient neighborhoods; in smaller towns or villages I think these would be fine, but I would have my doubts about them in places like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, etc. I think the Sawday website (and the book) mentioned above is a very useful book, I also like the “high end” reccos from the Lonely Planet book (although even they now recco the Imperial which while a fantastic hotel, is hardly in the budget range). I would just caution that some of these places, while extremely charming and historical (like the heritage palaces) are going to be somewhat rustic in terms of bathrooms, older furniture and somewhat erratic service. If that does not bother you, then this will not be an issue; however if your friends are expecting something else, this may lead to problems. These are not going to be Courtyard by Marriott or Hilton Garden Inns, or even Motel 6s, which are perfectly fine budget hotels; these may just be very old and possibly not very well kept hotels. You can sometimes find reviews on tripadivosr, although India is not especially well covered. If that is not an issue to you, then you will have a great time.

rhkkmk

yes everything is based on kickbacks...i was most happy with hotels i picked myself and/or booked myself....and they were cheaper than the agents offered them for...

abi_maha

In India every city has its share of good hotels, a chain of hotels may not necessarily be the answer to your requirements. For eg Taj in Delhi or Mumbai is good, but Taj Bangalore is pretty run down. I would advise you to consider each location you are planning to visit and check whether the hotel there suits your requirements.
For a cheaper option you could consider the club Mahindra resorts if they are present in the cities you are planning to visit- they are generally there at all the hill stations.

Lyndie

"Name" brand hotels in India are no indication of quality. We stayed at the Taj at Mangalore recently and it is a real "dump" by international standards. Room prices at hotels do not necessarily reflect room quality either. If you want to source good, clean comfortable accommodation buy a Footprint or Lonely Planet Guide Book & go with the hotels recommended there. All over India it's possible to stay very comfortably (say 3 star western standard) for under US50. In Delhi prices are more; around US60 get you a great hotel like La Sagrita, in Sunder Nagar. You cannot compare India to anything else, anywhere! It's part of the fun of travelling there!