[Hotel Review] - Svelte Hotel and Personal Suites, Delhi, India (15 - 17 Jun 11)

Location

The Svelte Hotel and Personal Suites is well appointed on top of the Select City Walk Mall in Delhi. The shopping mall is also interconnecting with the Metropolitan Mall and DLF Place. There is no lack of eateries and shopping around the location of the Hotel. The nearest Metro Station is around 15 mins walk from the hotel.

Entrance of the Hotel 

The shopping malls that is connected to the hotel

The shopping malls that is connected to the hotel

The shopping malls that is connected to the hotel

Select City Walk Mall

Hardware

The room I was assigned to is a one bedroom apartment suite. Upon entering the room, a living room was immediately spotted. The living room comprises of a 2 seater couch and single seater chair, together with a nicely designed coffee table. There is a large LCD TV placed in front of the living room. The design of the living room is very contemporary in nature and the furniture placed inside are functional.  It doesn't feel clatter nor one can find any useless piece of furniture in the living room.

Contemporary Living Room

Connected to the living room is a kitchenette, which has a stove and microwave oven.  It is sufficient for guests to do simple cooking. Together with the kitchenette, cooking utensils such as pots and pans are also available in the room. In between the kitchenette and the living room is a simple yet functional bar table for guests to do their dinning. There is also a study table next to the kitchenette where one will be able to do some work and connect to the wired internet. Wireless internet is not available in this hotel.

Kitchenette and study area

Beside the study table is the microwave oven and the fridge

The Bedroom is situated after the Kitchenette area. This is where one will find the entrance to the bathroom. The design of the bathroom in this hotel again seem to scream of functionality, as with the other areas of the room. I find it a tad disappointing that the bathroom does not have a bathtub, instead a walk-in shower was installed. Nonetheless, the walk in shower still does a great job in keeping me cleaned. There is also the toilet bowl, which is next to the walk in shower and a sink area just opposite the toilet bowl. Directly opposite the entrance to the bathroom is the wardrobe and safe, for guests to stow their belongings.

Walk-in Shower and Toilet Bowl

Sink area

The centrepiece of the bedroom is the queen size bed. The bed is placed in the centre of the room and does provide an excellent sleep quality. Sleeping on this bed enables me to fully recharge from all the walking and exploring in India. The pillows are just nice and not too soft. There is also another TV in the bedroom, which is rather thoughtful as guests can relax on their bed while watching TV. There isn't much furnitures in the bedroom. All fixtures has a purpose. One can get pretty good view of the shopping mall area from the bedroom.

Entrance to the Bedroom

Comfortable bed

Heartware

Staffs in the hotel are very professional. They make a point to ensure check in is fast and so does check out. They also provided me with a name card of the hotel for me to show the cabbies in case they do not know how to get to the hotel. This is a very thoughtful gesture, especially for first time visitors to India.  The staff also greeted me whenever I walk past the reception and offered advise on what to do and see in Delhi. They are never stingy with information about Delhi and its attractions. The helpful staff even helped me secure a transport to the airport, and ensured that check out was fast as well. 

Overall

The hotel surpasses my expectation of it. The room is functional and contemporary, the sleep quality is great. The air conditioning in the room is powerful to dispel the heat from the mid summer sun. The only thing I find disappointing is the lack of bathtub in the room. The hotel is conveniently located on top of the shopping mall, which is both easy to find (just have to tell cabbies which shopping mall you want to go) and also no lack of eateries and things to do around the hotel. 

[Hotel Review] - Howard Plaza Agra, Agra, India (13 - 15 Jun 11)

Location

The location of this hotel is great, it is near to the south gate of Taj Mahal and has several eateries around the area. It is located in a quiet area of Agra.

Hardware

The room is rather aged and has definitely seen better days, with furnitures and designs that seemed to be done in the 80s. One will be greeted by a small corridor that extends into the bedroom as one enters the room. The room design, despite aged, gives one a cosy feel. There is a small furniture that allows one to stow their luggage at the end of the corridor. The centrepiece of the bedroom is the king size bed. The  sleep quality of the bed is fair, though not that ideal, the bed still does its basic function of providing guests a well deserved rest. The design of the bed looked rather old, and has 2 side tables.  Opposite the Bed is the CRT TV, which only shows local channels. The TV is housed on top of the mini bar fridge. There are coffee and tea provided. However unlike other hotels, there is a little note that reminds guests that there is an amount of 40 Rupees chargeable should there is a need for refill these amenities that are usually provided free in some other hotels. 

Bedroom 

At the window is located at the far end of the room, covered by thick red curtains. In front of the window, one can find the study table tucked on one side of the room. The placement of the table faces the door, which is a great way of placing the furniture. On the other side of the room, one can find a couple of armchairs and a small coffee table, facing the TV. These chairs are placed in a direction that faces the TV, which is rather ideal for guests who prefers to sit and watch the TV.

The recreation area in the room

To the left of the main, one would find the wardrobe. The storage space in the wardrobe is fairly sufficient for 2 persons to store their clothings. Perhaps due to the age of the room, the wardrobe has a foul smell and the door is hard to open and close. There is also a small safe hidden in the wardrobe. To the right of the main door is where the bathroom is located. The bathroom has a rather small bathtub sufficient for one person to soak in. The Bathtub seemed dirty with brownish stains in the room I was assigned. The shower head is located with the bath tub. In front of the bathtub is where one will find the toilet bowl. The bathroom has a single sink for guests to do some wash up. 

Bathroom

Throughout my 2 nights stay in this hotel, there are a total of 4 blackouts. The internet does not come free and is rather pricey.

Heartware

The service in the hotel is almost non-existence. It felt as if the staffs are not interested in providing hospital service and just go about doing their job. Requests are being handled in a sluggish manner and it takes them forever to respond to a request. The check in process was a breeze, mainly due to the staff not wanting to engage with guests.  Overall in terms of service, the hotel seemed lacking.

Overall

The aged hotel is tucked in a quiet area of Agra, which allows guests to ply the area without much disturbances. Rooms looked aged, screaming a need to do a facelift. The bed provided guests with decent sleep quality. Guest service is lacklustre and seemed non-existent. The only plus point about the hotel is its close proximity to Taj Mahal, otherwise there is nothing great about staying in this hotel.

[Hotel Review] - Royal Orchid Central, Jaipur, India (11 - 13 Jun 11)

Location

The hotel is located outside Jaipur city itself.  In terms of location, this hotel isn't that fantastic. There isn't much eateries nor sites around the hotel. One would have to either grab a bite in Jaipur city or eat at the hotel. It is about 20 mins bus ride from the nearby MGF Metropolitan Mall, where one will be able to find eateries.

Hardware

The room in the hotel is fairly large for the class of the room. Once entering the room, a corridor leading into the sleeping area welcomed me. To the right of the corridor is the bathroom area. The bathroom comprises of the standard bathtub, which is has the shower head together with it. The tub is placed right next to a huge glass wall, which was somehow tainted to provide more privacy. Next to the bathtub is a single sink, which is placed rather close to the tub.  The toilet is situated in the other corner of the bathroom. The bathroom is just the right size and is rather functional.

Bathroom

To the left of the corridor that ushers guests into the room is the wardrobe. The 2 panelled door wardrobe is sufficient for one to unpack their luggage. There is also a safe inside the wardrobe. After the wardrobe is the minibar area, where one would find the standard fridge and some cups for the complementary coffee and tea provided by the hotel.

View of the room from the couch area

Further into the room, one can find the king size bed, a couch tucked at the far corner, next to the ceiling to wall glass panel, as well as a study desk. The TV is situated opposite the bed as with other hotels. The study desk seemed to be clattered with all sorts of phamplets and information on the hotel, which means one would have to clear the table in order to do some work. The sleep on the bed was fair, however it serves its function by providing guests a decent night sleep. The pillows are however too soft for my liking. Lighting for the whole room is just nice, not too bright and not too dark.

View of the room from the corridor

Sound proofing of the room is quite bad as I could hear kids running along the corridor from the bed in the room.

Heartware

The service level of this hotel is top notch. I did not expect them to be able to address me by my last name the first time I walked up to the reception for checking in. This goes to show that the staffs bothered to look through the records of the list of guests checking in and memorise by their last name. Checking in was a breeze and rather speedy. The staffs provide guests with sufficient information about the hotel and the surroundings, yet not too much information that hold up the guests' time. The doorman, Mr Hukum Singh, is a star in the hotel. Not only he opens the door for guests, but he seemed interested in finding out where you are going and how to help you get to your destination. His knowledge of Jaipur enable him to provide well needed advise when I was visiting Jaipur.

Overall

If one is looking for a hotel in a convenient location, with a range of eateries and shopping, this hotel is probably not for you.  The infrastructure in the room is pretty much standard and pales in comparison with international hotels. However the lighting is great in the room and the rooms are always kept clean. What I like about this hotel is the staff who took pride and understood what it means to be customer-centric. 

[Hotel Review] - Aura Hotel, Delhi, India (10 - 11 Jun 11)

Location

The location of this hotel is near to the New Delhi Railway station (about 20 mins walk), and it serves as a good pit stop for travellers who are going to head out to the other parts of India via rail. The hotel is located in an alley that is buzzing with activities, even to the night. Guests will have no problem in finding food nearby the hotel. However it is located a tad far from the other sights in Delhi.

Facade of the hotel

Street where the hotel is located

Hardware

From the outside, the hotel does look a little run down, from the reception to the lobby to the lift. However do not judge this hotel by what you see. Once I got opened the door to the room, my impression changed tremendously.  A huge king sized bed welcomed me upon my entrance to the room. The room is a tad small and has no windows . However the non existence of the window does not bother me too much, it might be better given the hot weather in India at this time of the year. The sleep quality of the bed was perfect. The comfortable bed enabled me to have a great sleep through the night. In front of the bed is the LCD TV, which broadcasts international channels such as National Geographic and BBC news. Though the room is a tad small, but for single occupancy, it is sufficiently spacious. Beside the bed are the standard bedside tables and a couch for one to rest in. The hotel has one of the most powerful air-conditioning around as it cools the room down relatively fast in no time. The fee Wifi internet is reliable and speedy.

Stairways in the hotel

King Size Bed

Entrance and TV

Next to the TV is the door to the bathroom, which comprises of a sink, a bathtub and shower combo and a toilet. The bathroom is just nice for one and the presence of the bathtub is surprising. The water was nice and warm, however it turns cold quickly when running in the bathtub.

Toilet

Bathtub and Sink area

Heartware

Despite being a 4 star hotel, the service rendered by the staff matches those of 5 star international brands. Upon arrival, the staff sprung into action and checked me in quickly. The helpful porter even offered to help me with my luggage without even asking.  After being assured that I was brought to the right room, the porter returned within minutes with 2 bottles of 1L cold mineral water, with complements from the hotel. Such thoughtful and personalised acts are to be applaud for.

The staffs greeted me the next morning when I was leaving the hotel to do some sightseeing in Delhi. The even checked where I was heading and volunteered information on how to go and what to look out for.  They even helped me to hail a motorised trishaw and instructed the driver where to drive me in Hindi,  ensuring that I reach where I want to go. Upon my return to the hotel, they even checked how was my day and was interested in what I had seen for the day

Overall

Despite the unimpressive facade of the hotel, the hotel proves to be a hidden gem once guests got inside the room. The room is comfortable, though slightly on the small size, it has however everything that one needs for a comfortable stay. The windowless room was a tad depressing. Overall, this is a hotel that is worth staying and the sincerity displayed by the staff makes it a good choice to stay.

India Day 8 (17 Jun 11) - The Soaring Tower in Qutb Minar and the Forgotten Tomb of Safdarjung

I started my day lazing on the bed as I think the heat was making me very tired (and very sweaty too). Then I realise I do not have much time today as I have to check out by 2pm to avoid extra charges. The hotel staff is kind enough to arrange for a late check out for me so that I do not have to pay 7500 rupees for half day extension. I quickly cleaned up and had my breakfast, and headed out in with little time wasted. I wanted to take the metro to Qutb Minar, my first stop for the day, but thinking that I have to get an auto rickshaw to the metro station and once reaching the other metro station and get another one, I thought going to Qutb Minar from my hotel in auto rickshaw will make more sense. Moreover the distance is not that great afterall. Once reached Qutb Minar, purchased the ticket I entered the site. However I headed back out again as I wanted to try out the audio guide (which I have not tried that out yet). I rented the audio guide and headed back in. I must say the audio guide thingy is quite informative and a good way of seeing the monuments. Should have done it a long time ago with the other monuments, especially Taj Mahal. Anyways, the audio guide really gives good details of the Qutb Minar and the surroundings, it even point out things that I would usually have missed. The Qutb Minar was very distinctive the moment I entered the complex grounds, there is no way anyone can miss it. Afterall this is the world's tallest brick minaret, standing at about 72m. The audio guide has pointed out that the Qutb Minar was built by 5 different kings, and the first one merely built the first storey. The Minar is mostly made of red sandstone and has intricate carvings and verses from the Holy Qur'an carved on it. There is a stairway leading up to the tower itself, but pity it is sealed nowadays. I can imagine how far I will be able to see up this tower. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this tower is the last 2 levels are built with white marble instead of sand stone. As I was walking around the Minar, it is not difficult to spot the symmetry in its design and construction. There is a partially ruined building to the side of the minar, I was drawn to the carvings of dancing ladies that was perhaps forgotten by many visitors who came to see the tower. These carvings was in a very inconspicuous corner, unless one walk along these ruins , they are likely to be missed. 

Qutb Minar Complex

Ticketing office in Qutb Minar Complex

The Qutb Minar

Me with Qutb Minar

Panoramic shot of Qutb Minar Complex

Islamic engravings on the Qutb Minar

Inside Qutb Minar Complex

Me at Qutb Minar Complex

Apsara carvings in Qutb Minar Complex

Carvings of Dancing Ladies in Qutb Minar Complex

The majestic Qutb Minar

The audio guide led me to the entrance of what used to be a mosque. This mosque is now in ruins, but before entering the mosque compounds, I was drawn to these set of ruins, which looked like pillars of some building, it's current state looks very much like the ruins of Persepolis I have seen in Iran. As I entered the mosque, the audio guide pointed out the many different designs, hinting presence of Hinduism carved into the pillars within the mosque. It was believed that the king had used the best craftsmen from the region to make this mosque. As the craftsman were Hindu, they carved what they believe to be holy onto the pillars. After centuries, the carvings on these pillars are still very much in tact. I went around looking at the pillars, true enough each pillar seemed to be different to the one before it. As I was looking around, a man in security uniform approached me and asked where I was from. I volunteered the information, and then he just blabbered information about the pillars and the sites. Well I already gotten most of the information he had just spilled. After blabbering those information, the guy actually asked for tips. Well I kinda saw that coming and told him straight in the face that I paid 100 rupees for the audio guide which gave the information and more that he just shared with me. I also told him I am not going to tip him as he volunteered the information. Upon hearing this, the guy backed off and went to hunt for another pray whom he can rip some tip off.  I went to the corner the audio guide pointed me to. This is part of the mosque with different carvings in the pillars. However this corner was believed to be truly muslim as the pillars have little carvings on them. I was then guided to the centre of the mosque where lies an Iron pillar. The big deal about this Iron pillar was that the purity of it was almost non existent in those days when this is casted, thus this was the purest iron at that time it was smelted. There are some scripts carved on it, which is not muslim. Also the pillar used to have a hindu god on its top. I was wondering why this iron pillar with Hindi origin is doing in the middle of a mosque. quite puzzling. At the back drop of the iron pillar seemed to be some gate way. These gate ways are full of carvings with Arabic words. It only make sense that these could well be part of the Holy Qur'an. There isn't much to see on these doorways, other than its intriguing carvings. The other puzzling thing about this mosque is there seemed to be 3 tombstones in its courtyard. The audio guide mentioned that the reason for their presence is rather sketchy, it can only be presumed that this mosque was once so abandoned that people just used its grounds for burial. Well whoever the genius thought of that is now resting amongst the graves of the kings. 

Me with parts of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque laying in ruins

Carvings on the pillars of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque

Hindu carvings on the pillars of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque

Hindu carvings on the pillars of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque

Hindu carvings on the pillars of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque

Ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque

Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque and the Qutb Minar

Iron Pillar

Qutb Minar and the Iron Pillar

Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar

Me at the Iron Pillar

I exited the mosque area and headed towards this giant looking stump of rocks. The audio guide mentioned that this was supposed to be another Qutb Minar, once completed it will be grander then the one opposite it. However the construction barely reached the first storey when the king who ordered its construction died. His descendants were busy fighting each other over power then to complete this tower. I then headed over to the King's tomb - Tomb of Iltutmish second sultan of Delhi, which is tucked away in a quiet part of the complex grounds. There used to be a dome for this now open aired tome, and as the audio guide pointed out, the intricate carvings are of muslim origins with hints of hinduism like the lotus buds on the archways. The entrance to the mausoleum crypt is still visible at one of the entrance of the tomb. It is now sealed and probably forgotten by the thousands of visitors flogging to this site daily. Moving right on was the tomb of Khiliji, second Sultan of Delhi from the Khilji dynasty. Well this is not exactly another tomb, this set of ruins used to be the college of muslim studies in Qutb Minar complex. To commemorate the founder of this college they buried him here within the college grounds. Too bad the tomb of this founder was not restored and in a rather bad shape, however the audio guide did pointed out that this tomb was once grand. I was then guided back where the Qutb Minar was, passing the mosque and then the Minar. I was guided to a gate way. There are more carvings of muslim nature mixed with hints of hinduism in it. From here I can really see the amount of work put into the carvings of this gate way and its interior. Every inch on the archway was carved with something, both inside the gate way and its exterior. Truly amazing!! The other side of the gate way was actually an empty field, instead of heading that way, I was guided to the side exit of the gate way, where a small crypt lies. This is the tomb of Imam Zamin, a saint from Turkey. This smallish tomb is one of the most in tact building around within the complex. I was then guided to the next area through a very small door. Well the next 2 areas within the complex that the audio guide led me to were of British origins, one is a pavilion and another a sun dial. Well not too interested in those 2, I headed towards the exit as soon as I took a couple of "i have been here" photos of these 2 items. I returned  my audio guide and started to walk towards the metro station.

The uncompleted Alai Minar, which was designed to be taller then Qutb Minar

This area was believed to be a school in Qutb Minar Complex

Qutb Minar Complex

Tomb of Iltutmish

Smith's Folly, which was supposed to be on top of Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar Complex

Qutb Minar Complex

Well the walk is longer then it should be. According to the guide book, the closest metro station is Saket. After about 20 mins of walking under the hot sun, asking a few locals where the station is, I finally reach the station. However I realised this was not the station I wanted to be, and it is the further station. Well as long as I reached the station, I am not really complaining about it. The train arrived shortly the moment I was at the platform and off I went, heading towards the next destination - Safdarjung's Tomb.  I was contesting between 2 stations as the map suggests that one is closer to the other. So I alighted at this station which appeared to be closer on the map. I got out of the station and started asking locals where the tomb is. One of the local, who happens to be heading the same direction, motioned for me to follow him. And so I did. He told me that the other station (that I was considering) is actually closer then this one. Damn it seemed today I had walked alot of unnecessary distances. The local then told me to keep to this side of the road and the tomb as well as the station is on the right side. So I followed his instructions and reached the tomb in no time. Well this tomb was rather abandoned, not in the deserted and no restoration kind of way, but the visitorship is really few. The main gain of the tomb, to be honest, was quite modest. However the Persia influence in the design is very clear on the ceilings of the arch on the gate. Through the gate was the garden before the tomb. This garden also has the Persia design, reminded me of the Fin Garden in Iran. The design of the tomb is very similar to that of Taj Mahal, which follows the Mughal architecture. I walked towards the tomb, and it seemed to be under some kind of restoration that was abandoned halfway through. I climbed onto the platform and start to take pictures of the tomb and the garden around it. I thought the garden is better maintained then the tomb itself. The significance of this tomb is it represents the last of the Mughal style tomb architecture, which started off with Humayun's tomb, apexed at Taj Mahal and declined at this one.  Entering the interior of the tomb, the carvings are still in order with little or no damaged done it it. I guess one thing good about being a forgotten tomb is no one comes to mess around with the walls. In the centre of the tomb lies the grave of Safdarjung. I went around taking more pictures before exiting the tomb. 

On the Metro

Entrance to Tomb of Safdarjung

This building is the Tomb of Safdarjung

Tomb of Safdarjung

Islamic design on the Tomb of Safdarjung

Cenotaph of Safdarjung

Cenotaph of Safdarjung

Persian-designed garden on the grounds of Tomb of Safdarjung

Tomb of Safdarjung upclose

The 3-domes mosque inside the grounds of Tomb of Safdarjung

I headed back to the hotel via metro to pack up. To avoid paying for the half day extension I need to check out by 2 pm, which i delayed till about 2.45pm. The staff at the hotel was amazing, not only they did not rushed me, they also told me it is fine and to take my time. I left my luggage with the concierge, and spent the rest of my time in Delhi shopping around the malls. I wanted to catch a movie at the cinemas, but the timings are really bad. Headed over to the mall next door where Hard Rock Cafe is, had my lunch and bought some HRC merchandise before heading back to the mall next door. As I was walking pass coffee bean, I saw someone surfing net there. I check with the staff and they informed me that they do have free Wifi! I went back to the hotel concierge and grabbed my macbook and spent about 2 hours at coffee bean surfing net and working on this blog. Soon it was time for me to head to the airport. The hotel has arranged a taxi for me to the airport. It arrived about 5 mins before the time I wanted to head to the airport. We reached the airport in about 30 mins. The traffic along the way was bad, with the constant honkings (I am rather used to hear honking in India after my 2nd day here). The checking in part was easy, but the immigration part was a chore. The amount of security here is ridiculous for India. Every bag has to have a luggage tag before they allow you to put them through the x-ray machine. Not having a luggage tag (well I was not told about the luggage tag thingy), I approached some Air India staff whom gladly gave me the amount I needed. I went through the security checks with little problem and headed for the lounge to chill out before my flight. Arrival in Bangkok was early, I changed my flight to a later one as I was rather tired and was afraid that I might miss my flight from Bangkok to Singapore. After changing the flight, I went to the lounge in Bangkok airport to sleep for another 3 hours (they do have slumber rooms in the lounge). Luckily I changed my flight, I would have missed my flight if I hadn't. 

Shopping mall in Delhi

Shopping mall in Delhi

Hard Rock Cafe Delhi

Hard Rock Cafe Delhi

Hard Rock Cafe Delhi

Shopping Mall in Delhi

Shopping Mall in Delhi

Shopping Mall in Delhi

Streets of Delhi

Streets of Delhi

Streets of Delhi

Inside Delhi Airport 

Me chilling out at the Airlines lounge

Selfie before flying towards Bangkok

Soon it was time for me to board the flight back to Singapore, thus concluding my 1 week trip to India. My deepest impression of the place is the heat! It was totally unbearable , especially in Jaipur, where it hit 47 deg C. I tried walking from one place to another, but the heat is just too much for walking. Dealing with touts and staff or even security personnels at the sites is another challenge too. Over the week I have learnt how to identify them and stand on my grounds that I did not ask for their service and was not obliged to tip them or give them what they ask for. Looking pass the exorbitant entry fee that foreigners have to pay over the locals (the locals only pay 10% of what foreigners pay), the constant honkings in Indian roads, the auto rickshaw drivers whom ask for ridiculous amount of fare seeing that you are a tourist, and the touts and tip askers, India is really a nice place to visit (if only the sun was more merciful), with monuments dating back centuries and the nice infusion of Muslim and Hinduism. Well I am not sure if I will be back to India, if I ever come back again, I will definitely avoid summer, where I spent most afternoons in the hotel chilling out and head out again in the evening time. 

Transiting in Bangkok Airport

Transiting in Bangkok Airport

Me chilling out in the Airline lounge in Bangkok Airport

Pushing back

Flying home