Hotel in Varanasi - Ganges View? Ganpati Guest House?

Megsf

I am trying to keep my travel costs down and am generally looking at midrange hotels. I would like to keep under 1500/r. a night for an AC double room.

In Varanasi, I would like to stay by the Ghats somewhere comfortable with shared space for guests to hang out. Ganges View Hotel looks very nice, but they quoted me a price of 2500 + tax per day (in August). Is it worth it, or should I look elsewhere? I've read that they have lectures and other events there. Anybody gone to anything there?

I also looked at Ganpati Guest House. Can anybody tell me about the location? I can't tell if it's close to the river.

singsub

try the sita guest house or the scindia guest house. both are cheaper than your budget, but right on the banks of the river.

Darmabum

The Ganges View is an Amazing place. During a six-month stay in Varanasi in '06 I stayed there for the entire month of June. The place is remarkable, the staff is great, location is nice too - though a little far from the chaos of Dasashawamedh (which I love, being faaaaaar away). You might look into the Hotel Temple on Ganges, just 100 yards south of Asi Ghat. I think they havea website. Having spent over a year in Varanasi I just love the Asi-end of town. I've had my share (and then some) of Dasashawamedh. Much mellower in the Asi area. Have a Great Trip. Varanasi is Ahhhhhmazing!

__________________
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure - Marianne Williamson

saeyedoc

We'll be staying at Ganges View in December for three nights. How is the food? Are there other places in the area you can recommend?
Thaks

snookie

We stayed there for 3 nights about 1.5 years ago .. great location at Meer Ghat ( not far from Dasaswameda ) ... quiet , nice courtyard to hang out in .. Internet access.

Room with view was approx. Rs 500 / 600 ...

Food is very good there as well.

Here is a link ..

http://www.ganpatiguesthouse.com/index.html

Darmabum

I never ate at the Ganges View, except for breakfast once. I was there during the summer, when only two rooms were occupied and dinners were by request only. There are several reasonable places nearby. There is pretty good food to be found at the Haifa Hotel. I liked the Middle Eastern Thali, as a break from Indian food. They also have a good Indian Thali. GREAT little place, have no idea of the name, in the general area. Serves excellent thali. It's on the road past the Asi post office, past a cinema or two.

iwanttogoback

i stayed at ganpati in early 2005. it's right on the river, and the rooftop restaurant overlooks it, as do the balconies running around it. anad as snookie mentioned, there's a cool courtyard.

it was clean and comfortable, the food was good and very generous, and the staff were friendly and helpful. the shared bathrooms were ok, they were cleaned every day.

dzibead

I found the food at the Ganges View to be excellent. I ate dinner there several times when I stayed there. It's not really like a restaurant where you order from a menu. Instead, you tell them earlier in the day that you'd like dinner, and they serve a variety of dishes buffet style.

Like Darmabum, I'm a real fan of the place.

theyyamdancer

I stayed this March at the Hotel Divya in Assi Ghat, which is right next to the Hotel Haifa. It is cheapish and the owner is very helpful (organizing sightseeing, etc); they also have use of internet. The situation at Assi Ghat is very practical since you can walk everywhere but it is less crowded. The Ganges View is considerably more expensive (we were quoted much more than other posters here have mentioned) though a friend of mine stayed there and studied music at the nearby university and he is convinced that it is the best place. I agree that the food at the Haifa is pretty good. The restaurant in the Divya is also excellent. But beware of the bottled water at the little grocery shop next door. My husband and I were extremely ill after drinking "fake" bottled water. I am assuming it was the water because we had not eaten the same food and yet the synchronicity of the food poisoning was awesome (and frightening). Now that I can look back on these events with some distance and humour (?) I really would recommend staying at Assi Ghat!

pantelis

on January 2008.I had the best view & the best room with 750 rupees.If you go to Alka check the first front room with the common balcony.It's very clean but the food is nothing special.The only real good dish is the Rajastani Thali.

__________________