Tips on Accommodations

Please note that most hoteliers in India have moved to a single-currency pricing policy, quoting rooms in rupees instead of both rupees and U.S. dollars. Foreigners will still be able to pay their bills in a foreign currency, however.

One of the best developments in the past decade has been the increase in luxury boutique-type options offering international standards of service and comfort and flavored with Indian accents -- like beautiful craftsmanship and ancient traditions (we're talking Ayurvedic masseurs on tap) -- which means that the subcontinent is now a very desirable destination for the visitor wanting relaxation and pampering. To find the most unusual independent hotels, guesthouses, and homestays, an excellent resource for those who don't want the classic resort or chain hotel experience is Alastair Sawday's Special Places to Stay: India (www.sawdays.co.uk). Though the properties listed pay to be reviewed, they are all, almost without exception, special in some way; the best are included in this guide (plus many more that cannot afford or choose not to pay for publicity).

Of course we all knew India had "arrived" when the ultra-luxe Amanresorts entered the fray with Amanbagh, arguably the finest resort-style property in India, but the pace was first set by the Vilas properties, owned by India's very own, very fabulous Oberoi chain. Besides the Vilas properties (the best of which is Amarvilas in Agra, though some rate Udaivilas in Udaipur as their top choice), Oberoi runs some of the very best city hotels, as well as several spa resorts in key tourist destinations and a luxury backwater cruiser in Kerala. You will pay top dollar, but you can generally count on superb service and attention to detail. Best of all, you can often get great discounts on room rates by reserving in advance over the Internet (www.oberoihotels.com). Note that Oberoi also operates a tier of smaller, less opulent hotels under the Trident Hilton banner, aimed principally at business or family travelers.

India's other famous hotel chain is the Taj Group (www.tajhotels.com), with an enormous inventory of properties, particularly in South India, where Oberoi is largely absent. Quality varies somewhat (and service does not match that of the Oberoi group), but comfort is generally guaranteed, particularly in big cities and resort destinations -- the best properties are the Taj Mahal in Mumbai, Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur, and Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur.

Safari experiences are also set to change forever since the Taj group launched Taj Safaris, teaming up with acclaimed South African conservation group CC Africa. Their first luxury safari lodge, Mahua Kothi, at the Bandavgarh tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh, is a sublime, sexy property with some of the country's best guides. They already have two more lodges in Madhya Pradech -- at Kanha and Pench -- and are planning dozens more in the next few years. Meanwhile, Amanresorts' tented lodge at Ranthambhore, Aman-i-Khás, is superlative.

Homestays

All over Kerala (and a few other places), people are converting rooms of their homes into guest rooms for tourists to rent, at incredibly reasonable prices. Guests share the public spaces with the family, which lives in the home, and often dine with them. Many of these homestays are gorgeous heritage homes and their owners extremely hospitable. It's a good way to interact with an Indian family and get a taste of local culture and cuisine (www.homestaykerala.com, for instance, has an extensive list of such properties). But don't expect room service and the kinds of amenities you get at a full-service hotel.

Heritage Hotels

Staying in a medieval palace or fort is a unique and wonderful option among India's accommodations (particularly in Rajasthan), especially when your host is the aristocrat whose forebears built the palace or fort in which you're overnighting; the best are discussed in detail in relevant sections throughout this guide. Many were built centuries ago, so it's not surprising that heritage hotels are seldom the most luxurious option, with the possibilities of many stairs, dodgy plumbing, low ceilings, strange room layouts, and other eccentricities. Acting principally as marketing agencies for privately owned palaces, forts, and havelis (Indian mansions), as well as a number of small resorts around the country (primarily North India), two websites worth checking out are www.indianheritagehotels.com and www.heritagehotels.com.

Most heritage properties are individually owned, but a group that enjoys an excellent reputation for selecting and renovating these is Neemrana; check out www.neemranahotels.com to view their select collection of really lovely boutique heritage hotels, often located in off-the-beaten-track destinations; rates generally represent excellent value for these atmospheric gems.

Tip: Be aware that any hovel will attach "palace" to its name in the hopes of attracting more customers. This is often amusing if you're walking past, but can be disastrous if you're checking in.

City Hotels

The biggest problem in big cities and popular tourist areas is that the good hotels are often priced way out of reach, while moderate options are thin on the ground. Mid-range hotels are substandard by Western standards, though considerably cheaper. Wherever possible, we've provided budget options that are scrupulously clean and moderately comfortable. A new chain of budget hotels is called Ginger (tel. 800/22-0022 or 022/66014-634; www.gingerhotels.com). Launched by Indian Hotels (owners of the Taj group) and catering specially to the middling business market, these 101-room "Smart Basics" hotels offer accommodations priced at under Rs 1,500 ($22/£19) for a double. They won't have any of the opulence of the Taj hotels; in fact, rooms are small and rather plain in design, albeit comfortable and with all the amenities, including an ATM in the hotel. Eight Ginger hotels have already opened (Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Durgapur, Haridwar, Mysore, Nashik, Pune, and Thiruvananthapuram), and another 17 are promised by the end of 2008.

Most of the top-of-the-range city hotels are operated by major international chains, including many of the usual suspects: Sheraton (www.starwoodhotels.com), Hyatt (www.hyatt.com), Radisson (www.radisson.com), Le Meridien (www.lemeridien.com), Shangri-La (www.shangri-la.com), and Marriott (www.marriott.com).

The Rating System

India's hotel rating system refers to size and facilities on offer, not the potential quality of your stay. Often the best hotels have no rating because they are heritage properties and -- despite their overwhelming loveliness -- don't conform to the norms laid down by India's tourism department.

Tip: One hotel chain to avoid is the so-called "five-star deluxe" government-operated Ashok group. Most of its properties have "five-star facilities" and an inventory of hundreds of rooms, but they are often decaying concrete blocks with disinterested staff. In fact, as a general rule of thumb, government-run properties are best avoided throughout the country.

Bargaining

In India, even hotel rates are up for a bit of hard-core bargaining. If you're thin-skinned, bargain online (many hotels offer Internet-only discounts); alternatively, show up and stay tough -- when you hear the rate quoted, brazenly pretend to walk out; there's no shame in India in turning back and accepting the rate. You'll also be surprised to find that luxury hotels in cities can often be had at mid-range prices, simply because room occupancy is low. Always ask about daily specials, and call and check prices at hotels that may appear out of your reach because of high rack rates -- you may actually get a room there for a song.

In remote areas, small towns and villages, and many places in Goa and the Himalayan foothills, you can find good (basic but clean) budget accommodations at unbelievable prices. The same cannot generally be said of the major cities, where a cheap, dingy hotel may expose you to bedbugs and despair; stick to the budget recommendations in this guide.

Note: Prices in a number of the hotel listings are stated in U.S. dollars or, increasingly, in euros -- this is, in fact, the way hotels targeting foreign markets quote their rates.

Tip: All over India, floors are marked and understood differently from many in the U.S. First floor is the floor above the ground level, second floor is the floor above that, and so on. The ground floor or lobby level is just that.

Of Hotels & Taxes

Almost every hotel in India will quote a rate to which an additional luxury tax is added; this varies from state to state. This tax applies to all luxury hotels, or the moment the room price goes above a certain level (which depends on the state, and sometimes the city). Restaurant and hotel bills get a different tax, and alcohol and other luxuries get a different set of taxes all together. Some states such as Tamil Nadu add an astronomical 73.5% tax to imported liquor; as a rule, locally produced alcohol is taxed less than foreign imports. Always check whether the tax has been included in the rate you've been quoted and, if it hasn't, exactly how much it is.

Surfing for Hotels

In addition to the online travel booking sites Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, and Hotwire, you can book hotels through Hotels.com; Quikbook (www.quikbook.com); and Travelaxe (www.travelaxe.net).

Most of the budget or moderate hotel recommendations do not have websites, and many hotel websites are poorly maintained, which means you may come across tariffs and information dating as far back as the previous decade. Smaller hotels change e-mail service providers almost as often as they change sheets. For basic information on about 3,000 listed hotels in India, the website for the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (www.fhrai.com) can be a useful if undiscriminating resource.

You'll also come up against a plethora of accommodations booking services that presume to be direct representatives of the hotel you're searching for, but that actually hike up the lowest available tariff considerably, which may leave you feeling ripped off before you even bed down. Always compare the website rate with the cheapest rate offered directly by the hotel before making a reservation. On the upside, several hotel networks offer unbelievable Internet discounts that simply can't be ignored.

For Kerala and Goa, Hip Hotels in Kerala/Goa (www.i-escape.com) gives detailed reviews of Kerala's stylish small hotels and retreats and some interesting rooms to book in Goa.

Landing the Best Room

Somebody has to get the best room in the house; it might as well be you. First, make sure your room has air-conditioning. Ask for a room with split air-conditioning (an air-conditioner with a separate indoor and outdoor unit); it's far less noisy -- and ugly -- than a window air-conditioner. If it doesn't, ask whether there is a ceiling fan or a water-cooling system. Be sure to request your choice of twin, queen- or king-size beds. Ask for rooms with views (many hotel staff don't understand this concept in India, so it's best to look around on arrival), showers or tubs (tubs in medium or budget category are usually old and stained, so don't shy away from shower-only options), and bed size. Ask for one of the most recently renovated or redecorated rooms -- bathrooms in particular seem to suffer heavy wear and tear in India.

Tip: Indians often use the term "hotel" to refer to a restaurant or eating place, so don't be surprised if someone suggests you eat at a hotel down the road, and you arrive there to find a five-table shack.