You seem to be enjoying your planning:)I too am off to Tanzania & Zanzibar next month & doing a lot of research.This is the best part.
I remembered I had stayed in the Park Inn some years ago,when I googled it,looks like its been taken(unsure if it is the same) over by the Sarovar Group,they are a large hotel chain & I trust they would have refurbished it.Its location seemed convenient.I was there on work & had to meet people at the hotel.
http://www.sarovarhotels.com/lucknow...ark-inn.shtml#
Do a background check on Mohan.

inquest - seems we think alike! I emailed the La Place Sarovar last night. All they have available are executive suites at 8,000 + tax.

Is that a specific warning about Mohan? I can't find any reviews online: LP says it's the best near the station (but presumably best of a bad lot). The other possibility is Simla Palace (although its web site also says it's full), which gets some good reviews on tripadvisor, but one very bad one which is more believable.

Nothing specific about Mohan itself.Just seemed 'best of the bad lot',as you put it.What concerned me was the location.Normally,in all my years of travel in India,living in the business district,especially around the train/bus stations(invariably the oldest part of town) is normally unpleasent.The buzz & din gets you.Prime habitat for touts,hawker & their ilk.Though convenient,not an ideal location.
I emailed an old acquaintance of mine in Delhi,who frequents Lucknow.He suggested Hotel Deep Palace.This is the link
http://www.deephotels.com/deeppalace/dpindex.htm
Thought it was worth a look.

Thanks so much for asking your friend! The price is definitely on the high side, but might be worth it. However the tripadvisor reviews are awful - but it's not clear that they are all for this hotel and not Deep Arvagh.

Thursday, my SIL lives in Lucknow for the past 15 or so years. I will call her tomorrow and try get hotel info from her and will post what I can find out.

She would know the better areas of Lucknow to stay in and to shop.

Thanks jaya! I'd love to keep this around 3,000 INR, or at least under 4,000. I'm definitely thinking about buying fabric and having a shalwar kameez made.

Hello Thursday!
I can't contribute anything sensible but I'm enjoying reading your plans. Your route covers some of the places I went to in Feb/March. I too go for non-top-range hotels; I'm sure you'll find some! I'm just back in TX after most of the past 8 months on the road and I'm having adjustment problems. Hope to follow your travels and wish I were there too! Are you doing a blog?

I will then also try to find the names of a few tailors and fabric shops.

Hi Thursday, I spoke to my SIL. She said the Taj in Lucknow is the only hotel she would recommend for you as it is the best and also in the safest area. She said Lucknow doesn't have many choices for good hotels.

To answer an earlier question you have about why is everything so booked up, she said November and December are very busy months for weddings and therefore many hotels are booked well in advance. She said to call the hotel directly with the date(s) you want to stay there because they often have reserve rooms that don't appear on their website

There are many markets throughout Lucknow. The one she shops at for chikanwork fabric and handicrafts is "Janpath" (pronounce "JAAN-put"). It's about 15 minutes from the Taj Hotel.

Some years ago we stayed at the Carlton Hotel in Lucknow, an experience we will never forget. At that time an old rundown building no other guests staying, but weddingparties in the evening.
It has 2 reviews on tripadvisor.
They must have renovated the hotel, when we stayed there they had just sold of some land for building a shopping mall, and we hoped, they were going to invest the money in the hotel.
I cannot find any contact info, but you can se a picture here:
http://www.indianholiday.com/hotels-...ton-hotel.html

Two options here for your dates thursday
http://hotels.travelmasti.com/searchedhotelresult.doy:

Eight options here:
http://www.cleartrip.com/hotels/resu...ow&state=Uttar Pradesh&country=IN&ckIn=22/11/2010&ckOut=24/11/2010&noOfRooms=1&ad=1&cd=0&nri=false

That link didn't come out right. Go to cleartrip.com and look yourself.

<b>Jaya</> - thanks so much. I'm sure the Taj is lovely, but I'm also sure the price is out of my reach. Google maps recognized the name of the market, so I should be able to find it. I was thinking of spending an extra day in Lucknow, but with the hotel problems I'll probably keep it to two nights (one day) and get the fabric made up elsewhere. The wedding thing makes perfect sense.

<b>k44skov</b> - the Carlton looks interesting on the outside, but LP says it's in dire need of renovation, and it's not clear whether that's happened yet.

<b>dogster</b> - thanks. I thought I had tried cleartrip, but I see it's now showing the Tulip Inn, which I think will be OK for two nights, at around $20 less than any other site. I've found somewhere in Hyderabad that sounds quite nice for only $45, so will recover from Nepal there (I think I'll be spending my last couple of nights in Lumbini in a temple).

NB - those wondering "why Lucknow?" might find this blog of interest - http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog...2197/tpod.html - I'm going for the fabric, the food, the historical resonances (the Residency) and the architecture.

Oops, sorry for yelling - should have previewed.

Welcome back to Texas, Gertie. yes, those firt weeks at home are hard. India gets "into your blood" doesnt it? Rent lots of movies about India or India themes--that will help!!!

An absolutely amazing traveler like you, thursdaysd, has the right to <b>yell</b> once in a while. I'm looking forward to following you on your trip.

Yes, welcome home gertie! I need to go reread your TR. (And thanks, marija, although I'm really just someone who keeps putting one foot in front of the other, not always in the right direction, lol.)

There should be tweets - mytimetotravel, blog entries - mytimetotravel.wordpress.com, and maybe even an on-the-road TR here. I just bought a new, lighter, netbook (Asus 1008HA) that will go with me.

Thank you Thursday. No TR, sorry. Have been in Europe for the past 2 months: Belgium and Greece and lots of UK. A quick look at Arizona too.
But I shall be following you on your travels.
Thinking of Egypt/Syria/Jordan/Lebanon/Turkey next in no particular order. Will need your input.
Keep in touch.

And Hi CaliNurse. Yes, tricky getting back into TX mode. I was in India much earlier in the year for 6 weeks followed by another 5 in Vietnam etc. I guess I have to do my travelling vicariously for a while until I get my next trip together. Following Thursdays plans with interest.