By Rashmi Goyal

Have you landed in one of those unforeseen situations where you suddenly have an ad hoc mini vacation at hand and not knowing what to do with these precious few days that have all of a sudden landed in your lap?  Kids are thrilled to bits, spouse is charmed – now question is which hotel in Delhi to suddenly land at?  Well you can have even your weekend getaway tailor made to specification.  Experts customizing itineraries to suit your interest, time and budget will do it for you. You can have the most fun filled time arranged on spot within the blink of an eye. And there are great hotels to stay at no matter what your budget.

When looking for short breaks and weekend breaks, you need to make sure the  hotel meets your requirements as there are so many different types of hotels in the city. In your search for the right one, keep in mind you should be able to view pictures and read descriptions of the room and services before you make that crucial booking. Some are stylish and luxurious, others a little less luxurious but still great places to stay in. Splashing out on your stay means rooms with flat screen televisions, king-size beds, views from the patio.

Even if you’re on a budget there is still a range of hotel rooms to choose from that will provide a comfortable bed as well tea/ coffee facilities in the morning. Your days are going to be fun-filled with plenty to do for all members of your family, young or old and whatever they want to do. If you are planning your family getaway looking for something new and exciting, unique and rewarding for everyone in the family, then a great family getaway would be at a theme park or water park.

There are numerous theme parks and water parks in and around Delhi. Some even have a hotel on their premises where a family can easily hang around on the all important family budget quite decently and get all the fun and frolic without worrying about over spending.

Theme parks, amusement parks and water parks are fairly recent in the hospitality industry which is developing faster than the pace at which computer tech evolved.  Along with the usual rides, candy floss and other yummy things to feast on, fun filled games etc, there usually are on offer different economical packages as well.  Don’t hesitate to inquire at your Delhi hotel about family packages – nearly every hotel in Delhi has a travel help desk that will organize fabulous family weekend getaway packages for you .

By Rashmi Goyal

So many travel articles seem to focus on the tourist experience of coming to India. Few focus on the Indian travel experience . Here’s my bit about my Delhi visit and stay in this great city.

(left) – A budget hotel room in Delhi

Have you ever stayed at a hotel in Delhi? It can be quite an experience. There are excellent hotels in the city, which as per statistics number thousands now, These have, over the last decade acquired a reputation of providing regal hospitality making your stay in the city a delight. Here luxury and budget go hand in hand. The moment I stepped into the lobby of my pre-booked hotel in Delhi this was totally verified.

(right image ) – a budget hotel room in New York City

Some years ago I had stayed at a couple of hotels in New York. Looking back I can honestly say that the service and facilities of the hotels I stayed there at, were the same as those of the Delhi hotels I have stayed at – efficient, elegant and quite comfortable. The hotel staff were equally courteous, I stayed at both a budget hotel in New York as well as a mid-range slightly on the higher side hotel.

(left) – a motel in concord, california i stayed at

I have stayed at a luxury hotel in Delhi for one night after a long flight from San Francisco to Delhi – and I’ve stayed at a cheap motel in the San Francisco bay area as well -  which is the equivalent of a 2 or 3 star hotel in Delhi.  I found no difference in the services and facilities really in term of quality, courteousness – even pricing was comparable between each of their equivalents in both cities.

(right) – a luxury budget hotel in new york city

And this was nearly two decades ago when the travel & tours and hospitality industry had not yet witnessed the unprecedented boom of the last decade, not just in India but the world over.

(left) – my room at a luxury budget Delhi hotel

Coming back to the last hotel in Delhi I stayed at, which I managed to reach in spite of earnest cajoling on part of the taxi-driver that he will take me to “the best hotel in Delhi instead “ –  but I made it to mine! Arriving at 2 a.m in the morning I was greeted with some heavenly piping hot complimentary coffee. Super quick check-in, an even quicker luggage deposit at my room – I blinked to realize its all over, coffee sipped in sleepy bliss, I slept like a baby – no satanic knocking for room service or house-keeping till I woke up a good 9 hours later. A courteous call and half an hour later – breakfast the way I like it. And so it went on the remainder of my stay.

Though I had come for a crucial business meet – the car rental arranged by the hotel was SO convenient. I also managed a sneak visit to Agra to fulfill my long standing dream to swoon at the Glory of the Taj Mahal. Again the hotel staff arranged a neat one day sojourn – I was amazed at how quickly and efficiently it was all over. So next time you head for Delhi, make sure to book a room, whether a luxury or economy hotel in Delhi, well in advance to get the most out of your stay in this great city.