Originally Posted by
hserus
I see VAT / GST etc numbers on the invoice that I get when I stay at one such place (if I like curry - it is about what I would expect for a budget three star hotel, but far cleaner, nice apartment etc) so I guess it is legal enough for the tax man not to object and shut them down. I also see fire extinguishers and such at appropriate locations ..
Yup, the ones I stayed at were also arranged through a multinational three-letter acronym. My (vague) understanding is that they are registered as businesses of
some kind, they're just not licensed as hotels, which is why they have no signboards etc.
I'd stay at such a place - and no issues - at a fraction of the cost of a hotel. That guest house was INR 1200 a night, broadband at INR 70, breakfast + lunch + dinner a total of INR 150..200 - so less than INR 1500 a night ($30)
Yup, same ballpark. The caveats, though, are that you will probably share the apartment with others; the staff may not speak any English; blackouts and power surges are a fact of life (a colleague had his laptop zapped); and since your door probably won't lock, security can be questionable (I had some money stolen once). YMMV.