Hotel Empire International, Bangalore Review
Basic, clean accommodation in a central location for an acceptable price.
http://hotelempireinternational.com
(the room pictures on the website seemed overly impressive and the wording exaggerated)
Rating
Rating: OK, will return (how does the rating work?)
Description
Last visited in May 2006.
This mid-range hotel lies in a central, convenient location on semi-busy Church Street running adjacently parallel to MG (Mahatma Gandhi) Road, the main street of Bangalore. The entrance and small reception area were rather unrepresentative and the hotel's name seemed to suggest class where there simply wasn't very much. The rooms were much better than the reception area and the restaurant below, albeit not being overly large. I took the "deluxe double room" for myself and, although it didn't feel cramped, I didn't have very much room to spare. The rooms were clean and contemporary, with a tiled floor (no carpets). A basic local breakfast was included in the room price, something on the lines of a couple of puri's or an omelet with toast with something to drink, which was brought up to my room. I had a room with a quiet, efficient split air conditioner and the loudest noises I heard in my room were from the people plying the street below, which was quite acceptable. The receptionists were friendly and there were two PC's in the small lobby which I used for free to ply the web.
I stayed at Room 403 (double deluxe room) on the 4th floor. A lift was available. The website's e-mail contact worked, although replies took a day or two. No deposit was required for my booking. A newspaper was delivered to my room early morning (standard practice in Indian hotels).
Pros
- Clean
- Quiet and efficient a/c
- Could use the internet for free
- The "deluxe double room" was spacious enough in single occupation. For two persons things might get slightly cramped
- Friendly staff
Cons
- Street noises could be heard even on the top/4th floor in a room not facing busy Church street, but they were unobtrusive enough that I slept well despite them.
- Some rooms could do with a bit of a view to the outside
Room 403, a "deluxe double room", on the 4th floor, viewed from the entrance corridor. The door ahead leads to the shower/toilet. The spilt a/c is visible above the window. The window faces a wall - no outside view available.
Rating Details
- Cleanliness: Good
- Quiet: Some street sounds
- Spaciousness: Good in single occupancy
- Friendliness: Good
- Location: Great
- Amenities: Good. Free internet in lobby (2 PC's), TV/phone in room, lift.
Alternatives
Although I haven't stayed at the Residency Hotel in Bangalore, I did get pretty good accommodation at a relatively good price at this chain's Chennai hotel. I would recommend you check it out if want to notch up quality and price.
Pictures of Bangalore
Check out my pictures of Bangalore.