[Assam] The Nano & not so nano stuff..

Fri Jan 11 10:03:10 PST 2008

Tell me what is not expensive these days in Indian Metros :-) 

Delhi prices have gone up  as much as 40% in 5 star hotels in the last 2 years . Bcoz of room shortages and high prices  I  read recently many international tour operators are now bypassig Delhi and Bombay  . Rajasthan, Kerala, Goa are  popular for the tour operators . 

Approx  30,000 additional hotel rooms will be required in the city of Delhi and the NCR to meet the requirement of Commonwealth Games 2010. Read it in newspapers that 5 years tax holiday for budget and  luxury hotels announced to promote  investment in hotel sector.

In calcutta if u book ahead of time , oberoi grand /Taj Bengal rooms can be booked for 145 - 170 dollars/nite. Both very good hotels.  Food  and service in both Taj Bengal /Oberoi ..simply superb ! Peerless Inn near oberoi hotel is also pretty reaonable and good. It was around Rs 3000/nite few years back.They have a great restaurant, Aheli ...bengali thali there is  out of the world !! Location is also great as one  can just walk around there do all the shopping in maidan area.

Calcutta International airport - it's in a bad shape ...do u know there are two unions among porters there ....one backed by red brigade and one by Mamatas .......so lets stop the discussion here .....only place you will get hot tea/coffee after late nite arrival is Jyoti Basus house in saltlake ...coz the coffee shops and restaurant are all closed between 10 pm and 6 AM (atleast  last time I was there in 2006) ! 

Lets hope Intl/domestic airports in Delhi-Bombay (facelift and  additional runways et al)  are completed  per schedule by 2010 ...it's an eye sore  and torture  to go to these airports --> two classic examples  of INDIA GROWING BUT NOT SHOWING. 

Something really good happening to Bl're  atlast, see the status , photos of the new Bangalore airport  :

http://www.bialairport.com/project_pictures.htm?cid=leftnavigation&ses=bial

$US 1.3 Billion being spent for Delhi  Airport upgrade -

http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1171837303.html

work progress status -

http://www.newdelhiairport.in/

> Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:09:29 -0600> From: assamrs at gmail.com> To: assam at assamnet.org> Subject: Re: [Assam] The Nano & not so nano stuff> > Just a few points.> > The Airport Hotel in Kolkata is under contruction. We did get to stay in the> Senator (Camay street). Pretty good. Rs7500 +luxury tax. Airport pickup/drop> is about 1600.> > The biggest hotel scams are in Delhi though. Last year we stayed at the the> JP Vasan International (near the airport). They charge about 13,000 + lux.> tax. For that price, one would expect a great room. The room was ok -> nothing to write home about. The hotel has a great foyer, great> complementary breakfast though.> > A great hotel for its price was the Swagatham Beach Hotel in Kovalam. We got> a suite with a balcony overlooking the sea for 4500 per night. B'fast> complementary.> > I find that hotels in Delhi/Mumbai are simply overrated and over priced.> > --Ram> > > > > On 1/11/08, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:> >> >> > > >BTW, how about comparing the Star hotels ... the> > >hotel in Orlando (HOJO) is a 2 star hotel as rated by> > >AAA> >> >> >> > **** How about it?> >> > Should that define the general standard of hotels and motels across> > the USA? Incidentally HOJO is owned by desis if I am not mistaken.> > That might explain it :-). BTW, did you report it to AAA? It does> > make a difference. Once I was getting the run-around on the published> > sale price and what I was being charged for a room at a national> > chain rated by AAA. I paid but told the hotel clerk that I am going> > straight to AAA about it. Shortly thereafter I got a call in my> > room, with apologies, and a refund.> >> > I won't try to compare the US quality of motels and hotels with> > Indian ones. It will not be fair to do so. But when an Indian hotel> > charges prices like US hotels, you would expect it , at the very> > least, to have similar amenities, even though it could reasonably be> > argued that that they ought to be much better, considering what that> > amount of Rupees can buy in the local marketplace.> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > At 8:07 AM -0800 1/11/08, Krishnendu Chakraborty wrote:> > >The question of comparision does not arise because you> > >DO NOT find a $30 hotel in major US city that too near> > >airport. To compare you will first need to find one> > >such hotel> > >> > >BTW, how about comparing the Star hotels ... the> > >hotel in Orlando (HOJO) is a 2 star hotel as rated by> > >AAA> > >> > >> > >>>To compare the quality of $ 30 hotels in the USA> > >>>where the minimum> > >>>wage is $ 6.55 per hour with those in India for the> > >>>same amount is> > >>>quite an interesting tactic.> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >At 6:57 AM -0800 1/11/08, Krishnendu Chakraborty> > >wrote:> > >>Chennai airport is definitely great and so is Mumbai> > >>Domestic (not international) which was upgraded about> > >>2 years back.> > >>> > >>In Cal airport, the airport condition is definitely> > >>not upto mark and even locals do not venture out at> > >>night. You took a risk venturing out even in Pre-Paid> > >>taxi.> > >>> > >>As far as the hotel goes, for $30 a night (INR 1200)> > >>you cannot even expect a "Gohali" in ANY major city> > >in> > >>US and Bed Bugs are common in Luxury hotels in NY> > >>too.> > >>Just check travelocity and you will see how the Star> > >>hotels fare in US.> > >>> > >>My experience a couple of years back in a Hojo in> > >>Orlando was unclean room, leaking toilet ceiling.> > >>When complained to Hojo the response was ..... our> > >>hotels are operated by local frainchise and we have> > >no> > >>control !!> > >>> > >>> > >> > >> > >> > >> >> > >____________________________________________________________________________________> > >Be a better friend, newshound, and> > >know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.> > >http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ> > >> > >> > >_______________________________________________> > >assam mailing list> > >assam at assamnet.org> > >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> >> >> > _______________________________________________> > assam mailing list> > assam at assamnet.org> > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> >> _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> assam at assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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