New Delhi Hotels

Traveling to the home country is always a logistical conundrum(good word!). Being married to a Westerner and gifted with a kid who knows American comforts, means that I have to go out of my way to ease them to the Indian environment. Being neurotic means that I project more discomfort than they probably will ever experience. Nevertheless, I try and find a nice luxury hotel at New Delhi, our port of entry.

The hotel we have chosen in the last two trips is the Grand Intercontinental in Connaught place. The first time we stayed was in December 2002, a year after the attack on the Parliament in New Delhi. The rates were rock bottom -- $90 for a Deluxe Queen room. Since we ended up staying an extra half day, they gave us a half-day rate for $45!!! Fast forward to Oct 2005 and I paid $250 for the same room.

Was it worth it? Every penny! My brother who has not ventured outside India in his adult life, argued against spending this absurd kind of money for a night's stay. New Delhi has hotels up the wazoo from $20 to $60 that have a good bed, bath, and running hot water. They also MIGHT have a cranky clerk, an indeterminate booking system, roaches, bedstains, and poor service. Generally the taxi or car has to squeeze through alleys and traffic and being jetlagged means that you could delusionally experience the afterworld, with the heat, dust, and chaos.

In short the $250 bought order, cleanliness, and predictability for that first night. The food in New Delhi hotels is by far the best I have experienced in the countries I have visited. Their buffet (about $9 - $20, breakfast - dinner), offers variety in Indian, Chinese, Continental, and the wait staff is supremely gracious for small tips (USD 0.25). For bell staff I tipped about $ 1.25 and they were thrilled.

At $250 a night, the personal budget is quickly exhausted on longer stays. We tried two more top hotels: The Imperial and the The Shangri La both in Connaught Place. They were more luxurious and impeccable than the Grand Intercontinental. Call me partial, but I found two traits in both that endear me more to the Intercontinental. They overcharged me on the exchange rates (rip-off), and their liberal use of staff following me around, made me feel stalked. Especially at the Shangri-La, sari-clad, perfect looking women will bow in front of you and crowd you at the check out counter until you sweat and quickly sign whatever paperwork they place in front of you. A piece of advice, be shameless, and don't be afraid to fight the charges. A point of comparison, I agreed to pay $247.50 exactly for the Intercontinental and with taxes paid about $275. At the Shangri-La, I booked a room for $185 and paid $250. What gives? The exchange rate rip-off and taxes. The hotel converts the $185 into rupees at the rate THEY decide. You won't even know it unless you ask. Then when you charge it, your bank will convert the rupees back into dollars at the rate the bank decides. The latter is unavoidable, and for the former always question the exchange rate. The taxes in New Delhi, I suppose, are based on the published room rate which is always much higher than what you actually pay.

Nevertheless, if you are on a Corporate budget or are just filthy rich, staying in a luxury hotel in New Delhi is worth it. You can retreat into your Western oasis, when you have had enough of the Indian chaos. One last word of advice, never walk into a 5-star hotel to book it, they will charge you the published rate, which may make you look for the nearest bathroom. Instead find an Internet terminal (in the same hotel or outside if you are really cheap), and book it through travelocity or their own site. You will immediately knock off a couple of hundred dollars and you can use the bathroom in your own room.

Now for you cheapstake brothers and sisters(sorry, I am married). I break up Indian hotels into 3 categories, the luxury hotels(the 5 stars), the moderates(Nirulas, Hotel Marina, Hans Plaza), and the budget.

The moderate hotels are boutique, and will charge anywhere from USD 60 to USD 100 for a night. Generally the rooms will be adequate, they will have staff that will serve Westerners well (Indians get second rate treatment, more on that on another date), and the restaurant is decent. The four I mention: Nirulas, Marina, Hans Plaza, and The Connaught are all in Connaught Place, although Nirulas has a bigger hotel in Noida, close to New Delhi. Be forewarned that these hotels book up fast, because they are accessible, reasonable, and still provide some quality. The Nirulas in Connaught Place is not exactly luxurious, but you cannot go wrong at their restaurant(s). They have 3 adjoining their facility and for Western food I would certainly recommend them. They also have an excellent bar that served a superior Indian buffet for a whopping $2!!! When was the last time that happened in the West?

You can find budget hotels in Connaught Place, Pahar Ganj, and Karol Bagh. I am not a big fan of the Connaught Place budget hotels. They know they have the prime location and so you are paying for the location than the room itself. Don't worry you won't be on the street, but it may feel like one. I recommend traveling just a short mile to Pahar Ganj, or a couple of short miles to Karol Bagh.

Pahar Ganj is accessible by rickshaw from Connaught Place and near the New Delhi railway station. I imagine it was setup to cater to the train travelers but now also serves the Hare Krishnas, and well-heeled travelers like me. Pahar Ganj has one street that is lined with small hotels on both sides. You can book the popular ones like Ajanta off Travelocity or just walk-in. These hotels are pimped by rickshaws, meaning they get paid by the hotel if they take you there. My suggestion is do not get scared by these pimps, they are innocuous and use their knowledge to find a proper rate. It may take a visit to several hotels before one meets your fancy(or paranoia), but since they are all clustered, it won't be tough.

Pahar Ganj was bombed by terrorists this October, but the brave people here have returned to chaos with the efficiency that only Indians are capable of. Send those dastardly terrorists a message, stay here, and put on a "F*** You terrorists" T-shirt. I am sure someone will be selling those for about $.50 a piece.

My favorite is Karol Bagh, if you can make your way through the traffic here. The hotels here are a tad better than Pahar Ganj and also clustered on one street. The prices will be about $10 higher, but you will have access to shopping and restaurants within short walks. Walking here(like in most of India) is an obstacle course, and you will need to develop the skin for it. Women unescorted by men have the biggest challenge. Western women will certainly be accosted by the teeming Indian men since they openly believe that every Western women has done a cameo in at least one porno. I believed that too, but now that I live in the West, I have been disappointed enough to know better. And no, I haven't seen any pornos.

The hotel I stayed in is the Regent Intercontinental. It is in the cluster of hotels in Karol Bagh. I liked their large and open lobby and the rooms while not like the 5-stars were reasonably clean. I did find roaches in one of the older rooms, but like my brother said, "roaches and India go together." I paid about $30 dollars for a room with a double bed and $40 for their so-called suite which happened to be just a much larger room. I found a Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and Chinese restaurant just a block and a half away. The Pizza Hut will deliver, so when India gets you down, hunker in your room, and get the delivery.

Enjoy your stay, and please post your Indian hotel experiences on the web.