Initially Ian was going to keep this page up to date but then we decided that as where we stay is far more important to me (Leishia) and I am far better at recalling the details of the accommodation, it is more appropriate for me to take responsibility for this section.

I will start out by saying that everywhere we have been we have been welcomed and shown in most cases great care and consideration. Every hotel has wanted to do their best for us and although they may not have always met our expectations this was primarily due to language or cultural misunderstandings.

Residency hotel, Fort Area, Mumbai:

Corner of D.N. Road and Rustom Sidhwa Marg, Fort, Mumbai 400001 Tel: +91 22 6667 0555. INR 5,000/night inc. taxes. Includes breakfast and free internet in rooms. A great place right in the heart of the Fort area of Mumbai. The staff were friendly and helpful although only a couple spoke English well enough to avoid confusion. The rooms were attractive and modern, a good base in Mumbai. We will be staying again.

Ciarins, Palolem, Southern Goa:

On the beach. Tel: +91832 264 3477. INR 3,150/night inc. taxes. Includes breakfast and free internet (when it was working). Very relaxed and very well run. Ashley the manager handles problems with ease. John, the owner, lives on the complex. Beach front rooms have a great view but are noisier than rooms set further back so if we return we would always ask for a Garden View room. Breakfast was good with an excellent choice and we loved the free afternoon Chai and Cake at 4pm. We would stay here again.

Maia Beacon, Indiranagar Area, Bangalore:

Serviced apartments. Tel: 080-41622888. INR 3,950/night inc. taxes. Includes breakfast and free internet. http://www.beaconhotels.com. A serviced apartment which was nice because it was spacious and had a small kitchenette.  That said there were a couple of negatives/areas for improvement:- 1. The gym which was so small and unusable they would have been better not having it, 2. The breakfasts which were small and unimaginative 3. The smell in the rooms caused by the placing of what looked like mothballs in the sinks and drains. We probably wouldn’t stay here again but would instead look for a similar type of accommodation.

Ramada, Egmore, Chennai:

http://www.ramadachennaiegmore.com. Tel: 044-30004777. INR 4,750/night inc. taxes, breakfast and free fast internet (once we sorted out the router problems). We stayed here for 13 nights in the end whilst we waited to take delivery of Elsie. It was a good Business hotel with a great gym (which Ian took full advantage of). Like most hotels the staff didn’t always understand what we were saying or what our expectations were but they really did try hard and for that we were grateful. If we were ever in Chennai again (which is unlikely) we would stay here.

Kedareswar B&B, Varanasi:

http://www.kedareswarguesthouse.com. INR 2,800/night inc. taxes, breakfast and free internet. A typical “travellers” guesthouse with basic furnishings and facilities. Set very close to one of the two “Burning Ghats” next to the Ganges and very central being in the Old City. It was fun to see the monkeys running around the roofs. If we returned to Varanasi we wouldn’t make any great effort to stay here again and maybe we would look for something similar but different!

Charans Club and Resort, Lucknow:

http://www.charansclubandresort.com. INR 2,900/night inc. taxes and breakfast. Supposedly free wifi in the reception but the contract had expired so it didn’t work. It was an amazing welcome as this is a resort hotel and they were all set up for a wedding. Consequently as we arrived we drove down a red carpet surrounded by a tunnel of lights. Sadly things went downhill from there: the hotel is tired and poorly managed and the staff could do with extensive customer service  training. It was here we saw floors being “mopped” with rags on a chain and the staff forgot to service our room. Despite being given two days notice that we intended to pay with a credit card they couldn’t get their machine working. Needless to say we wouldn’t stay here again although we really liked Lucknow.

Hotel Jhankar, Khajuraho:

INR 2,138/night inc. taxes and breakfast. No wifi. This is a local government sponsored hotel but that does not seem to be any indicator of quality. We arrived late at night and as I was settling into bed I noticed a line of ants climbing up and round the back of the bed – needless to say we changed rooms. Breakfast was basic but at least there was parking for Elsie. If we ever found ourselves in Khajuraho again I think we would look for an alternative hotel as there are numerous ones available.

Fort View Guesthouse, Orchha:

INR 1,500/night inc. taxes. Includes breakfast and wifi in the outdoor courtyard. Tel: +91 7680 252 701. We had a great view of the castle from this room and at first glance it was quite quaint although the electrics were a bit dodgy (bare wires, etc.). Breakfast was free but there was no dining room so we ended up eating it in our room where we used a chaise as a table! Very friendly staff.

Amar Yatri Niwas Hotel, Agra:

INR 1,550/night inc. taxes and breakfast.Tel: +91 562 223 3030, www.amaryatriniwas.com.  Internet chargeable and expensive so we used our dongles which were choosing to work well at this time. A good budget hotel with very friendly and helpful staff. Pleasant stay, breakfast could have been better. Outside all our travel needs were met by Mr Prem, the local TukTuk driver. If we wanted Budget accommodation in Agra again we would definitely stay here.

Narain Niwas Palace, Jaipur:

INR 7,000/night inc. taxes. Includes breakfast and wifi. Tel:+91 141 256 1291, www.hotelnarainniwascom.  I had high expectations of this place and although the staff were friendly and willing they seemed to have little idea of European expectations of service which is not what I expected when I was paying this amount. Very pleasant oasis with lovely gardens and close to the central park (housing the Rambagh Palace Hotel) where there was a 4km running loop. The wine list was somewhat lacking, a choice of 3 wines if I remember correctly. If we were ever in Jaipur again we would probably not stay here at the prices they charge.

Prem Sagar Guesthouse, Connaught Place, Delhi:

INR 3,600/night inc. taxes, breakfast and wifi. Another Travelers Guesthouse with very friendly staff. The owner was a lovely lady who upon hearing it was our Wedding Anniversary went out and bought us a chocolate cake complete with candles. Ian loved the cake and managed to get through it over the course of our 4 night stay. We would stay here again if we wanted to be in downtown Delhi.

Una Comfort Dee Jay Resort, Dhaliara, Tehsil-Dehra:

INR 1,430/night inc taxes. No wifi. http://www.unahotels.in. This was OK for an overnight stop but the room was cold and breakfast was not included The Manager (Jitender Singh) was really helpful and did his absolute best to make us comfortable. Good food too! We would stay again if we were passing but we wouldn’t plan our route around it.

Pine View Guesthouse, Udhampur:

INR 1,000/night. Tel: +91 1992 270192 or +91 94191 62080. Breakfast was extra but we were able to access the families fast wifi for free. It was cold, very cold but Anoop (the hostess) supplied us with hot water bottles and blankets, which were very welcome. Most guests eat downstairs but we were treated as members of the family so we ate upstairs with them. Anoop couldn’t do enough to help. We would definitely stay again primarily to see Anoop as Udhampur has little to recommend it.

Grand Mumtaz, Srinagar:

INR 6,000/night inc. taxes and breakfast (we negotiated an INR 3,000 per night discount because of the season). Tel: +91 1942 452 538, www.grandmumtazkashmir.com. Large, very warm, western-style rooms – great. Sadly the central hall was unheated and it was there we had breakfast – it’s really funny to watch people having breakfast in their outdoor coats. The hotel advertised a gym but it was out of commission. Wifi was chargeable at INR 300 per laptop per 24 hours. Mainly an Indian clientele and generally geared to meeting those expectations, despite this we would stay there again as good choices are limited in Srinagar.

MK Hotel, Amritsar:

INR 4,000/night plus taxes inclusive of breakfast and wifi. Tel: +91 183 2504610 www.mkhotel.com.  The rack rate was INR 5,000 but we were offered a 20% discount simply because we asked. Later they gave us a further INR 1,000 per night discount as there was never enough hot water for a bath. We changed rooms three times to get good wifi access in the room – Ian told the manager where the routers were located in the end. The staff did their best but the hotel is getting just ever so slightly tired. We wouldn’t stay there again, primarily because there are so many similar hotels in the vicinity (for example right behind the MK Hotel is a Holiday Inn).

Desert Winds, Bikaner:

INR 1,900/night inc. taxes, breakfast and a very poor wifi service. Tel: +91 151 254 2202, www.hoteldesertwinds.in.  A pretty little Haveli but like so many places in Rajahstan not designed for colder weather. There was no indoor dining area so we had breakfast in our room and went next door for our evening meal as their dining room was in an enclosed space. The staff were friendly and willing but that is true of everywhere. If we found ourselves in Bikaner again we would look for a different Haveli to stay in depending on the season.

Rang Mahal, Jaisalmer:

INR 65,000 for 3 nights including breakfast, gala dinners (it was the New Year) and a super fast wifi. Tel: +91 2992 250 907. We stayed in the Royal Suite and we were treated royally, every day there were complimentary cakes, baskets of fruit,  sweets etc, they even cleaned Elsie! Altogether a really lovely stay and we were waved off (with a packed lunch) by the owner and two senior managers. By far the best stay to date.

Ratan Vilas, Jodphur:

INR 3,800 per night plus taxes inclusive of breakfast and wifi in the common areas.Tel: +91 291 261 3011 www.ratanvilas.com.  A little gem in Jodphur this residence was built in the 1920s by Maharaj Ratan Singhji of Raoti and later converted into a hotel by his grandson Maharaj Barat Singh and great grandson RK Brijrat Singh. The grandson and great grandson still reside there and we enjoyed meeting Maharaj Barat Singh when he came and said hello at breakfast on our last day. The hotel is like a little bit of England with soft-boiled eggs for breakfast and plugs in the bathroom sinks (both a first for us after 10 weeks in India). Excellent service but Ian said the evening meals whilst acceptable were nothing to write home about – I didn’t eat as I was in bed every evening we were there with flu – I was spoilt with hot water bottles and best wishes though. We’d definitely stay here again.

Hotel Mahendra Prakash, Udaipur

INR 2900 per night inclusive of breakfast, wi-fi and taxes. Tel: +91 294 241 9811 www.hotelmahendraprakash.com.  A very friendly family run Haveli (it’s been in the same family for 200 years). Very pretty hotel but cold despite the small portable fan heaters in the rooms. This is a problem with most Haveli’s – they were simply not designed to deal with the 2 months of winter cold. Great parking for Elsie.

Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur

INR 97,500 for 2 nights inclusive of breakfast, one Thali meal, taxes, guided tours and a couple of other smaller treats. Tel: +91 294 242 8800 http://www.tajhotels.com Not much to say really – just amazing. They gave us a Royal Suite Upgrade to the Sajjan Niwas Suite (one of the Royal Family who was responsible for the friezes in our suite) which was fantastic and knowing that it was Ian’s birthday they baked him a yummy chocolate Birthday Cake.

Update. We went back, our experience in the Saijan Niwas Suite was so amazing we decided to spend our last 3 days in India in our favourite hotel. We were welcomed back with great warmth and attention to detail, for example during our last stay Ian pointed out to the Concierge that the Chess Board in the public area was wrongly set, as we walked back into the hotel the same concierge came up and said I’ve been keeping the chess board properly set!!! We had a fantastic last evening meal at the restaurant on the roof and Leishia went for a fabulous massage in the spa that was “just right’ unlike our previous Ayurvedic massages. The Lake Palace hotel was just as good as we had remembered so much so that we may even go back for our 20th Wedding Anniversary in December 2016!!!.

 

Eastin-Easy Citizen, Ahmedabad

INR 3,900 including breakfast and slow wifi! Tel: +91 79 4000 5000, http://www.eastinhotelsresidences.com/eastinahmedabad A pleasant modern business hotel. Ian had a very reasonable buffet meal in the evening for INR 395. The room was modern in design, unfortunately there was a rather loud buzzing all night from the hotel systems and the gym was so inadequate it would have been better if they’d had none. Friendly staff,  would stay again.

The Lotus Hotel, Junagadh

INR 2,900 including breakfast, wifi and taxes. Tel: +91 285 265 8500, www.thelotushotel.com.  A hotel very similar in design to the Eastin-Easy, Ahmedabad, i.e. a modern business hotel. Located in a small city with very few tourists and a very limited number of hotels, the Lotus is one of the best choices available in the area and we would certainly stay there again.

The Gateway, Sasan Gir

INR 9,725 full board and including taxes, wifi extra and expensive (INR 600 for 24 hours for 2 devices). This hotel falls under The Taj Hotel brand (but not their most expensive grouping). The service was good but not of the same standard as the Lake Palace Hotel (discreet, unobtrusive service is all but impossible to achieve in India it seems, generally the staff are just so eager to please). This was an attractive hotel in the “Safari” type style which is just as well as it was located in the Sasan Gir Wildlife Park, the last bastion of the Asiatic Lion. It was not luxurious, the complimentary toiletries were fine but not brilliant, the gym was just about adequate and the room would have been cold had I not had the foresight to ask for a portable heater (the majority of hotels across India are built with air cooling but not heating as it would only be required for 2 months of the year). That said it was good value and we would definitely stay again.

Kostamar Beach, Nagoa Beach, Diu

INR 5350 per night inclusive of taxes (after negotiating 10% discount), breakfast and wifi. Tel: +91 2875 275 4000/1/2/3,  www.kostamarbeachresort.com. So we thought we were going to be in for a treat – a brand new hotel, only opened for 9 days. Well….. brand new yes with brand new snagging problems – poor finish in bathrooms, grouting required round tiles and electric sockets, very slow internet, no hot water (sometimes luke warm), bathroom sink didn’t drain, noise in reception at 23:30 – I had to ask them to be quiet both nights, alcohol license not through, intensive staff training required. We believe that when all these problems are sorted out this will be a half decent hotel but as it was we were so tired of all the issues we left after two nights instead of staying for three.

Hotel Shravak, Palitana.

INR 500 (yes five hundred) per night inclusive of taxes and nothing else. Tel +91 2848 252 428. No website. It was “en-suite” but oh gosh it was basic with a bucket to put hot water in, no toilet paper, a single thin blanket on the beds (no top sheet) and endless noise from outside. This was literally the only “hotel” in town which is why we stayed there. Pilgrims to the Jain Temples at Shatrunjaya stay in Jain dormitories, for everyone else there’s nothing for 45kms!!. The manager was friendly.

Hotel Sarvottam, Halol (for Champaner & Pavagadh UNESCO sites)

INR 2,890 plus taxes for the Premium Suite rooms, inclusive of breakfast and really fast free wifi. Tel +91 85110 99223, www.hotelsarvottam.com. A super mid-range business type hotel. Has only been open for 10 months, very friendly and helpful staff although used mainly to Indian guests as evidenced by the food on offer at breakfast and the lack of insight into foreigners expectations. We would always stay here again even though it is 8kms away from the UNESCO sites we wanted to see.

Visava Riverview, Mahad, Goa. (Not to be confused with the Visava, Mahad, Goa)

As I said in the heading do not confuse this place with the Motel Visava directly opposite the Visava Riverview, the Visava Motel seemed OK but this place was rubbish. It seemed OK on the surface but we soon realised it wasn’t. INR 2500 plus taxes although I bargained to make taxes inclusive. No wi-fi (they said it was it was being set-up in 2 days time) and a breakfast of 1 cup of chai and two pieces of ready buttered toast each. Ian happened to go in to the kitchen looking for staff in the morning – it was filthy. The bed was so hard we both woke up with back ache and trying to get a toilet roll required going to the manager (the chamber boy didn’t seem to have heard of them). Would we stay there again – NO.

Visava Beech Resort, Tarkarli.

INR 2500 including taxes and breakfast. No wi-fi. Tel: +91 9423304305. Online booking through www.tarkalitourism.com A cute little place in the process of being built by the beach in Tarkali. The rooms are spacious and face right out to the sea, there was plenty of hot water from a little boiler in the the bathroom, sadly the beds are hard and once again we woke up with backache. We ordered an English type breakfast and they tried very hard to accommodate us, overall it was a fine Indian type, English breakfast 🙂 Although we liked the location and the staff were lovely we wouldn’t stay there again because of the beds!!

The Crown, Panaji, Goa.

INR 6000 (discounted) including taxes, breakfast and wi-fi. Tel:+91 832 2400000 www.thecrowngoa.com  This once 5 star rated hotel needs much love and attention. Firstly it needs redecorating throughout, the lifts need replacing (they keep stopping and starting) and the wi-fi needs ripping out and replacing (in the 3 days we were there we lost count of the number of times it went down and the speed at times was just unworkable). The staff were friendly but often slow, inefficient and lacking in a basic understanding of customer service and requirements On the plus side the gym was well-equipped and the views from outside in the gardens, lovely. Would we stay there again – yes, the place is so full of potential we would love to see if it has been reached.

Namana Guesthouse, Just North of Mangalore on the road to Madikeri.

INR 800 inclusive of taxes but exclusive of everything else (there was a little family restaurant immediately downstairs). Tel +91 8251 233736. We found this “establishment” by the side of the road just as it was starting to get dark. We were going to be tired and having traveled further than intended we just wanted somewhere to rest our heads, this place; just North of Mangalore, was it. It was basic but the air-con worked and it was en-suite. Would we stay there again – in the same circumstances yes but not from choice.

Misty Woods Resort, Kakkabe, 35kms from Madikeri – This was a Make My Trip Booking Disaster.

INR 3600 per night inclusive of taxes and breakfast (we had an upgrade to a cottage and this was a very special rate due to the Make My Trip disaster). Tel +91 8272 238561 www.mistywoodsresort.com  So Leishia had booked the Silver Beeches Resort which was close to the Dubare Elephant Camp (where we were intending to visit), had complimentary wi-fi and was relatively close to civilisation. Due to an IT malfunction we were allowed to book and pay for this resort even though it was full. As we approached, we telephoned Silver Beeches only to be told they were full. We contacted Make My Trip who said they had been trying to get in touch and that they had arranged alternative accommodation at Misty Woods Resort. They neglected to tell us it was approximately 65 kilometres from Silver Beech Resort, was very isolated, had no wi-fi and limited mobile connectivity. Anyway by the time we fought our way there we were not inclined to drive anywhere else.

The staff at the resort were wonderful and the location was very beautiful. The cottages were cute and no apologies were made for the isolation. Ian liked it but I became very frustrated by the frequent 5 second power cuts (maybe 10 in an evening) which caused the satellite TV to go down every single time. I was also less then impressed that I had been duped by Make My Trip and by the lack of wi-fi and general connectivity. Hot water was only available morning and evening and the lighting in the cottage was very dark possibly due to a low voltage electricity supply. The walks were great but would have been improved if there had actually been marked trails.

Would we stay there again – yes if we really wanted to be away from it all which probably means no in reality.

Fortune JP Palace, Nazarbad, Mysore.

INR 5000 per night inclusive of taxes, breakfast and wi-fi. Tel: +91 821 398 8444, www.fortunehotels.in  Another 5* rated hotel that has fallen a little by the wayside but not too much, it is certainly redeemable. Check-in was slow and even though it was after 2pm our room wasn’t ready so the Guest Relations Manager noticing our irritation intervened and gave us a Junior Suite – great. The complimentary wi-fi was much appreciated and of a generally acceptable speed and Ian enjoyed having a Gym to hand (he used it twice per day). There was complimentary tea and coffee in the room and we were agreeably surprised that there was no extra charge for room service. Breakfasts were a little chaotic as there were insufficient waiting staff on duty, they tried hard though. Overall a pleasant experience and we would stay again.

Copper Castle, Munnar.

INR 4000 per night inclusive of breakfast and taxes. Tel +91 9447 030633, www.coppercastle.in  This hotel is part of the Abad Group of hotels and a very poor example indeed. The hotel itself needs a serious renovation job but this is unlikely as the Abad group is building a new luxury hotel in the vicinity of Munnar and turning this hotel into a low budget option. The beds were hard and the wi-fi which had to be purchased was so slow as to be almost unworkable. The evening buffet was fine but the breakfast buffet rather poor with a few limited Indian dishes, cold pre-cooked omelettes and cheap bread, butter and jam. Table clothes were not changed from evening to morning even though they were marked and the dining chair seats were grubby. Hot water was available for most of the time but when demand was high it was just lukewarm. The resort manager tried to help and gave us a room upgrade but he is fighting a loosing battle running a neglected building. For the price we expected more and we would not stay there again.

Seaview Hotel, Kanyakumari (the tip of India).

INR 3800 per night inclusive of taxes, breakfast and wi-fi in the lobby. Tel: +91 4652 629702, www.hotelseaview.in   We arrived rather late in the afternoon having driven all day from Munnar. This was the first hotel we visited (we had not pre-booked) and after being shown a two bed-roomed suite and being told there was nothing else they miraculously found an “executive” suite that was available. The views were great, the rest less so. As always the staff tried hard to please but the bar had Gin and no tonic, cocktails listed that couldn’t be made and food on the menu that all seemed to be unavailable. Breakfast was poor but edible and the lobby wi-fi, when it was working, acceptable. Would we stay there again – probably because the rest of the accommodation available at Kanyakumari seemed no better or in most cases worse.

Sanctum Springs Resort, Varkala

INR 3600 including breakfast, wi-fi and taxes (booked through Agoda). Tel: +91 470 2606993, www.hotelsanctumspring.com  A great little place located next to the helipad at Varkala and close to the beach. The breakfast on the first day was inadequate, just a little fruit, no cereal, soggy toast but after Ian complained loudly to me it miraculously improved for the next two days and was just great. The staff were super and the rooms were kept clean. The wi-fi varied with regards to speed but that has been a problem across all of Kerala and Goa (in fact the whole of India). They were very understanding when Ian lost our room key – it was never found and they didn’t charge for a replacement. Would be stay again – definitely and probably in one of the large suites at INR 4800 per night.

Ramada Hotel, Alleppey

INR 6000 per night inclusive of taxes, breakfast and wi-fi (rack rate INR 10,500). Tel: +91 477 2240001, www.ramada-alleppy.com This hotel only opened 4 months ago and we really liked it. The staff were keen, motivated and aware of Western needs – the pre-opening training had paid off. The views from our room on the 6th floor brilliant. The food in any of the 3 restaurants was generally good and we really enjoyed the buffet breakfast on the second morning (the first morning was a-la-carte as there were only a few guests staying). The wi-fi was very very slow and when we complained a router was installed in our bedroom – great although the dam thing kept switching back to the login page. The gym was excellent with great machines, a steam room, sauna and views across the canals. The outside swimming pool was lovely although the extremely noisy external air-con condenser did spoil the ambience somewhat.

The biggest problem (which didn’t impact on us but would in the future) was the exceedingly poor building and finishing standard – the architect or persons overseeing the construction and handover from developer to hotel should be shot – showers drained the wrong way, the roof leaked, paint everywhere on the windows, poorly fitted lift panels, badly hung wall paper, masking tape left around fixtures and fittings etc etc. Despite this though we would definitely stay again as it is a good “5*” option for Alleppey.

Phils Residency, Fort Cochin

We contacted the owner direct and negotiated a price of INR 4000 per night inclusive of wi-fi and taxes. Tel +91 88 9100 9000, www.philsresidency.com  Breakfast was not included as this was a studio/suite type establishment. The room was huge, clean and very pleasant, the bathroom modern and well-equipped (although the tap water was a little smelly). Staff were friendly and helpful. The wi-fi was fine at the weekends and unbearably slow during the week (on the Friday when we arrived it was so slow we contemplated moving hotels). Overall a good place to stay although a little pricey considering breakfast wasn’t included. Would we stay again – yes although as there are so many marvellous “heritage type” hotels in Fort Cochin we would probably try one of those.

 

Meadows Residency, Ooty

INR 2800 plus taxes (INR 557) including breakfast and wi-fi. Tel: +91 423 222 4444, www.meadowsresidency.com  A mid-range business hotel, clean and quiet. As ever the staff were friendly and helpful. Our room was large and in relatively good repair with an Indian style shower. The food was fine and well priced (for example dinner for two was INR 637). Like many hotels in this state no alcohol was served – we were told an alcohol license costs INR 35,000 per annum. The wi-fi was unbearably slow in the evening but great in the morning (staff told us that internet connection is controlled by the state). Would we stay again – yes.

Aishwayra Fort Hotel, Chitradurga

INR 1750 plus taxes (INR 190), no breakfast, no wi-fi, nothing. We had the “Princes Suite” which is a rather amusing name but certainly not a description. The hotel is very Indian in a very Indian town, the food very Indian with no choice of Western food. I was a little irritated that the room staff refused to leave the room until they had received a tip for showing us to our room and surprised when I tried to get cold water from the sink in the bathroom and all that came out was a thick black trickle of sludge (the Princes Suite mind you). Would we stay again? – probably, it was the best in town.

Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneshwari, Hampi

INR 2200 for a deluxe room excluding breakfast and wi-fi. Tel: +91 8394 241474, www.karnatakaholidays.net  A local state-run hotel (Karnataka) which consequently had a beer license. The accommodation, services and facilities were adequate, but at least they were charged at Indian rather than foreigners rates. The wi-fi was non-existent for much of the time and when it was available was only available in the reception area, it was charged at INR 100 per hour. Food was also adequate but nothing more so the second morning of our stay we left without breakfast. We would stay again as before we selected this establishment we checked out two others – one very basic and one run by the forestry department which was seriously overpriced, neither had wifi.

Marriott Courtyard, Pune (City Centre not Hinjewadi).

INR 6222 including buffet breakfast, amazing wi-fi and taxes. Tel +91 20-6724-8181, www.marriott.com  Ian was in Heaven, the fastest internet connection since we arrived in India: he downloaded videos, his Higgs Boson coursework and anything else he could think of just because he could!!! Other than that a great two night stay. An excellent buffet breakfast, staff providing western standards of service, a lovely large room with views across the city and an interesting open-plan layout between bedroom and en-suite – a huge window between the two with an electronic blind when privacy was desired). Would we stay again – I don’t think I really need to answer that.

Astoria Hotel, Mumbai.

INR 5544 including buffet breakfast, taxes and wi-fi in the lobby. Tel: +91 22 6654 1234, www.astoriamumbai.com This is the sister hotel of the Residency Hotel, Fort and we stayed there because they had parking for LC right outside the door of the hotel which we needed to unpack LC, reorganise and repack for her journey to the UK and our flight to Cyprus. The hotel is considered to be more upmarket than the Residency and it probably is more well-established. The decor is very solid but the hotel could do with modernising and the lift needs to be replaced as it is ancient, needing a full time member of staff to work it. The breakfast was good, the staff willing and friendly and uncomplaining about helping us with all our baggage (although we did tip them well). Would we stay again – yes.

Lemontree Hotel, Aurangabad.

INR 5300 including buffet breakfast, taxes, wi-fi and 10% hotel service charge. Tel +91 9911 701701, www.lemontreehotels.com  We were not impressed that the hotel (which is part of the Lemontree Hotels chain) chooses to add their own mandatory service charge, this was the first time we had come across the practice in the 5 months we’ve been staying in hotels across India. Other than that we really liked this hotel. It has a fantastic pool area and great grounds. As always the staff were super and the buffet breakfast was excellent with a lot of choices that were changed daily. The gym was reasonably well equipped and overlooked the pool, things would have been improved if drinking water had been available. The main negative of the hotel was the lack of maintenance and attention to detail. The whole hotel needs a coat of paint, the swimming pool needs re-grouting in places and all the public areas could do with a steam clean to remove the dust and dirt that have accumulated since the hotel was opened a few years ago. A further practice that would greatly enhance the hotel is to provide drinks by the pool – the pool area is such a fantastic space that it would be lovely to have someone going round each afternoon and evening offering to fetch drinks and snacks etc. Would we stay again – yes, overall it’s good value for the money.