Varanasi, any good hotel recommendations

I am travelling to Varanasi in late March and just wondering if there is any hotels people like, or any that are avoidable. I am a budget traveller so anywhere cheap is efficent enough. I have read the Rough Guide to India's portion on Varanasi, so any hotels in there that people want to update me on would come be a great help. Cheers and many thanks.

ganpati guesthouse on meer ghat i found to be cheap, but clean. unless it's changed a lot since i stayed there (and the pictures tend to indicate this is not so), it's not really a luxury or boutique place.

but it's right on the river, the staff were really friendly, the food was good and fresh, and came in huge portions, and i was quite happy with it.

http://vikiganga.tripod.com/

I guess it depends what you're looking for. I went inside Palace On The Ganges once, and it seemed really nice. I stayed at Scindhia Guesthouse and really hated it, but it gets glowing recommendations from a lot of people. Some friends of mine stayed at Puja and Alka, and I feel like that's where I'd stay when/if I go back.

It all depends on the amenities you expect, and what's important to you. I feel fine roughing it, don't need western plumbing, an attached bath, or hot water and ended up carrying my own blanket and a few sarongs so dirty beds weren't much of an issue. On the other hand, I'm sure people who opt to stay in the Taj group hotels do it for a reason.

One word of advice -- even if you're usually a more midrange or splurge traveler, opt to stay in the old city itself! Half the experience is the daily wanderings through the alleyways behind the ghats and the basic experience of being in and observing ghat/old city life, and you'll really miss out if your experience of Varanasi is mostly taking rickshaws back and forth for your dawn boat ride, evening aarti, etc.

I stayed at Palace on River, Rashmi Gueshouse in October/07...in a Ganges view room, which was a little on the expensive side..but i think u can just get regular rooms for cheaper...It is a great place to stay, right by the main ghat where the ceremonies take place and where the boats take off....

There is also a rooftop restaurant, which u can sit and enjoy the view.

I highly recommend this hotel...we had just the best time.

Palace on River, Rashmi Gueshouse in October/07

Thankyou Tracy, you wouldn't be able to give me an approximate price range, I'd be quite interested in hearing how much it is for a regular room.

Just curious why the scindhia guesthouse wasn't to your liking. I've reserved a room there and am second-guessing myself now. Was the room too small? We've reserved a balcony room. I am open minded to all criticisms, and not trying to be critical.

My mistake. Made booking at the Sita Guesthouse. Looks like they have gotten similar reviews, so hopefully I made the right choice

Re: finding out cost, Palace on River has a website with room tariffs listed, and when I reserved on the telephone they stuck to those prices when I made a stab at getting a better price.

Though you seem to have sorted yourself, I didn't like Scindhia because the management were a bunch of assholes. I also didn't like the location. And it was too expensive to squeak by on "but it was so clean!" or "it had a nice view!".

As for Sita, or really, as for hotel reviews and Varanasi backpacker guesthouses in general, all I can really say is that most of the ones I saw seemed to be about the same and I'm sure they all have their pros and cons. Plumbing issues here, mosquitos there, etc.

Isn't Varanasi the bit in the Rough Guide where they say that your guesthouse will poison you? Please take all that with a grain of salt the size of Mount Everest.

I agree with the opoponax that staying close to the action - as in the Dasashawamedh ghat area - will save you travel time. On my first few trips to Varanasi - all of short-ish duration - I stayed at the old Yogi Lodge. No view but made up for that in the atmosphere. My last two trips to Varanasi have been of six months each and for both I stayed at the southern end (Asi Ghat) end of town. Having had my fill of the chaos of the main area I liked the quiet and neighborhood feel of the Asi area. It is, however, about a 15 minute rickshaw ride/1/2 hour walk into the main part of the old town from Asi.

While in Varanasi, no matter where you stay, try to look into the weekly cultural (during the season) events at the Ganges View Hotel, in the Asi area. GREAT place to stay - I stayed there for a month during a six month trip in '06 (my girlfriend sprang for that!). Great owners, an old family house, great views to the river from any second floor room. Also, if you're tired of Indian food by that time, there is a wood-fired pizza and pasta place (try the spinach and cheese stuffed ravioli or veg lasagna) called the Vaatika nearby.

I love this hotel:
http://www.hotellaraindia.com/location.htm

Somnath, do you happen to know what the tariff for this hotel is? Looks nice!

Hotel Palace on Ganges is an immaculately clean place, with well-decorated decent-sized rooms at a reasonable price. It's at Assi Ghat.

www.palaceonganges.com

You are right . It is really a good hotel for me. Well, during my trip I need a clean bed and a clean toilet in a hotel. And this is exactly the place I like. The restaurant was also good. But regarding the tariff – I need to check the card once again (I’ve collected one even during my last visit) but it was definitely below Rs. 500/- for a non-A/C double bed room.

Vishnu Rest House - basic but cheap and reliable, good terrace overlooking the river - about 200 rupees. Ask for a room upstairs.