I checked into the Madurai Residency...
Overall: 
Positives: Cheap
Negatives: Raunchy location, dismal rooms, poor restaurant
I checked into the Madurai Residency late one night and checked out the next morning. Marret Street on which the hotel is located is a mess; the room was dark and poorly maintained; the shower was a joke; and the restaurant was inferior both in food and in service. (Lonely Planet, incidentally, identifies Marret as 'Market' Street.)
I then went walking around the city looking for a hotel that seemed better. I found the Royal Court. A staff member showed me a room; I checked in at once. The room was first class and the main restaurant was superb. ('The Mughal,' on the roof, was not worth it, however.)
Positives: Cheap
Negatives: Raunchy location, dismal rooms, poor restaurant
I checked into the Madurai Residency late one night and checked out the next morning. Marret Street on which the hotel is located is a mess; the room was dark and poorly maintained; the shower was a joke; and the restaurant was inferior both in food and in service. (Lonely Planet, incidentally, identifies Marret as 'Market' Street.)
I then went walking around the city looking for a hotel that seemed better. I found the Royal Court. A staff member showed me a room; I checked in at once. The room was first class and the main restaurant was superb. ('The Mughal,' on the roof, was not worth it, however.)