Where do you lay your head in Bangalore?

CindyIndie

I've looked through the hotels thread here -- & currently googling "hotels near Koramangala in Bangalore."

Now I'm asking you guys -- am heading back for trip no. 2 Jan. 2 (woooohoooooooo!!) and B'lore will be home for at least 6 weeks, likely longer.

I'm curious if anyone knows of nice (not ritzy, just clean and safe) serviced apartments near Koramangala Road.

I'm searching all options

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machadinha

No answer, but,

I guess you mean the Hotel Forum here? Don't forget the Hotel Listings as well (two different things).

(And then hotels will get covered under their appropriate destinations and elsewhere as well, of course... It gets confusing, yes, I know.) How much good any of that is gonna do you always remains to be seen of course; tell you the truth, I've largely given up on trying to plan my trips over the web that way.

But, maybe it works for you Better yet, let's hope someone will be in here with some personal tips.

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n kumar

hi CindyIndie,
why only koramangala ? why not any other area ?
what's your budget ?

ribhu95

Someone known had stayed in mercure homestead and said it was OK.

ribhu

CindyIndie

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, have been caught up in my classes/homework and was obsessed with getting my lessons done! =)

Machadinha ~ Yep, it does get confusing, but will keep at it. I like looking online, even with getting overwhelmed at times. I found, after shopping hotels online, booking etc. for Singapore in Aug., I ended up spending only 3 nights at the hotel I'd picked online. It was in the hooker district and the party was all night. That wasn't too bad really, it was colorful and entertaining What chased me out of there were the thin walls and the couple who argued all night long, slammed doors, cried, screamed and so on, very dramatically. I couldn't sleep at all and opted to head to my second choice (online) -- which was actually far nicer and MUCH quieter!

So how do you handle booking hotels in India? Do you just wait and see what's what, once you get there?


Kumar, I have friends around Koramangala. Also near 3rd Main/3rd Cross (that's the extent of my addresses knowledge). I want to be close to them, easier on all of us for getting together. I know it takes 30 mins when traffic is good to get from Koramangala to the other place at 3rd Main/cross. My budget? Inexpensive, naturally I am looking for a fair deal since it's at least six weeks -- fair to me and fair to the apt. owners.



Thanks, Ribhu

machadinha

Yes (and not just in India); I'll either go by what my guidebook has to say (will usually put you in the right area to scout on anyway), or just ask around on the ground. Many of those places will tend to be much of a muchness anyway; and I find the chance of success with either approach is about the same. I.e., neither guarantees much of anything. Can be good, can be bad, sort of thing. (Remember those attractive web pics don't necessarily tell you much about the situation on the ground either. Those may just be some spruced-up pics, or the one honeymoon suite they have. Their quoted prices may similarly be for the one mysteriously forever unavailable room, and etc. Your guidebook meanwhile will likely have been produced several months before its last date of publication, so who knows what's happened since, or how subjective the writer's experience was. Etc. Again, this doesn't just apply to India.)

It takes some flexibility of course, and I'm arguably a budget traveler who's willing to put up with very little. Between endless and frustrating nights of scouring the web with no real let alone reliable results, I know what I prefer though. (And I'd have to say and I'll have said elsewhere, contrary to some previous trips of mine perhaps, I was happily surprised really how good my budget rooms in India generally were earlier this year, with the odd exception here or there, of course. Real dumps I've not seen though -- although a few less-than-up-to-standards rooms, yes, sure. Never paid more than Rs. 375 for any of them either, usually for a double with private bathroom to myself.* Your leverage may arguable vary though, I'm sure some others would speak less highly of them.)

If I would find a place beforehand, I'd normally give them a ring ahead btw; can never hurt.

* Well, outside of Mumbai that is. Paid Rs. 600 here for arguably a lousy room with a friend; Rs. 1000 haggled back to 800 or so for a double to myself later, and that was a real bargain. Found it an insane price when I settled in after a while on the road; realized later it was a really good room & price for Mumbai standards though. Bangalore shouldn't be quite as expensive; but it's not said to be a cheap city no, certainly not if you're picky.

DrHeckleAndMrSnide

Cindy, maybe you already know this, but in case not, each area (e.g. Koramangala, Indiranagar, Jaynagar etc.) has their roads marked either as mains or crosses (perpendicular to the mains). So I doubt that it would take you half an hour to travel by vehicle (since you mentioned traffic) from 3rd Cross/3rd Main Koramangala to any other place in Koramangala.

Koramangala is not an inexpensive place to live in by any means, but is quite peaceful and upmarket, especially in the lanes off the main streets. The Mercure Homestead mentioned above is near Raheja Residency (I think 1st block) and the area is quite good to live in. You'll have many restaurants within walking distance.. e.g. Casa Picola, Babette's, Cafe Terra, Fiorano's, Via Milano, Cilantro (24 hr) for continental...Umerkot, New Empire, Ammi's Biryani, Kolkata etc. etc. for Indian and zillions of other things. Every other article of necessity is within walking distance as well. The place is also well connected by Volvo buses to other parts. The Koramangala BDA complex and surrounding areas have lot of shops for things you might need.
I have no idea about the cost and quality of Mercure homestead, though..

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Digital Drifter

let me try to get a quote for a serviced apartment in indiranagar over the weekend. Though it's a fair bit to K'la. like the previous poster mentioned, the addresses you mentioned would be walkable if you plonk for a place in K'gala.

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CindyIndie

Yep, you both are right -- and no I didn't get the Mains and Crosses, but I will ... can you believe I was there once already? I checked the addy again ... friends live in Bhoopasandra area. It is 30 mins drive time from their place to the place in Koramangala.

I stayed in an awesome place -- serviced apartments -- in March, but it was far away from either of those locations. I stayed in the Spice Garden compound then. If I'm naming that locale properly!

Thanks heaps for the info and offer of help -- I am still checking out hotels online, but I like the ease of serviced apts., at least, from my last experience I do

CindyIndie

Web pics, man isn't that the truth!! LOL I learned that from this last trip in Aug. to s'pore. Wow Mmmmm well it's good information and you make some good points to shopping 'on the ground' too. I tend to overthink things ... I really am trying to live more by the moment but am such a planner I have this idea that every room will be booked up :P Not real likely?

85 days and countin'

rahulcal

I have stayed in something called Ginger Hotel- which if I am not mistaken is about 45 min from Kormangala and is in the Whitefield area- its one of the better chains in the economy range. This may be a bit far for you though.

I found travelguru.com with the best accomodation deals

Digital Drifter

Ginger in whitefield is far off. Do not take it if only for the reason you want to go walking in the evening, there's nothing to see except office blocks. It's like a hotel in the business district. After work, only cars zoom by.

attitudemyown

If i can recollect memories of the last trip to Bangalore in Oct last year, International Youth Hostel is a cheap, decent place to stay.

They charge around Rs. 450/- for an A/C room and below Rs. 100/- for a bed in the dormitory.

Could be checked at http://www.youthhostelbangalore.com/

Don`t know the distance between Ko`gla and Benson Road as have been there only once.

Digital Drifter

http://www.railtourismindia.com/

And choose hotels and give the location as Bangalore. There are serviced apartments listed too. Since you want to be near K'la, I suggest that you try hotels/apartments that are in (no particular order)

K'la
Domlur
Indiranagar misspelt as indiara nagar in some links
H.A.L (old airport road)
Langford town
Lalbagh

All these are within Rs 30-50 autorickshaw fare from k'la general area.

gives you an idea about the rates and what range you might want to try

CindyIndie

That's a new one to me, will sure check it out, thanks!




This might be really silly, but are hostels for folks over 25? Sorry, it's not something I know about



Am on it, DD --- thanks heaps! This will keep me busy for a bit