Finding hotel in Mumbai

marylee

Against my advice, my son and his friend do not want to book a hotel before they arrive in Mumbai on Monday 9th Feb,at 5.30 pm. They told me, they have heard of a place, they can head to and there will be rooms available there. Are they right, will be they be able to find a room with no problems? They are not backpackers although they will carry a backpack for ease of travelling. They will be looking for mid range hotel.

renedu

I always book something in advance for the first night anywhere, it is just easier. I watch people everyday here in Florence pulling luggage around the city looking for rooms or at a payphone with a tattered guidebook calling all the places that are already full.

If he arrives in Mumbai at 530, that means he wont be to town until 8PM (90 minutes from airport to center) so I would book something, you can find something alse the next day, it is already stressful enough without having to look for a hotel!

vaticanus

For security, arriving passengers land up on the sidewalk outside the terminal in quick order. They will face a mob of touts, taxi and van drivers (as well as the mob of family members waiting for friends and relatives). Unless your son and his friend have a reservation and transportation waiting for them- or have the name of a hotel, its telephone and address, they will find it extremely difficult to avoid being taken somewhere other than where they want to go. Again, the situation in front of the terminal is very chaotic, and bedlam-tic. They should be prepared to be rude and insistent and very wary of anything anyone promises or agrees to. This is why they will want to have reservations. They will know who they are to meet- or at least have instructions how to get to their hotel.
By the way, they can try this address for some decent hotels in the range of 25 to 40 dollars: http://hostels.com/
The taxi rate into the city may be as cheap as $10 (hardly likely) but no more than $25 per person (generous enough)

Merchant

Go to the hotel bookings desk at the airport. Choose room based on price and location. Opt for free transport. It's all very easy and safe. No reason to plunge into the sea of taxi drivers outside.

yatin

This year Hotels are doing verygood business.In Mumbai most of the hotels were sold out last week as world social forum meet was held in Mumbai.
Advance booking of rooms are required.
If you require any assistance please feel free to ask me.

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Yatin Desai