Originally Posted by
ludocdoc
If I pick a downtown hotel, is the famous Saturday traffic so bad that I should give up on going out to Mysore?
It won't be a problem! In fact, it will be better for you since to head out to Mysore you'll be heading southwest out of the city, while the Courtyard Marriott Hebbal is on the northern side of the city.
Also, yes, the traffic can be horrendous, but during the day on a Saturday, I don't think it'll add more than 20 minutes or so to your travel time for your trip out of town. I wouldn't optimize for the travel time versus the comfort of having a good hotel to stay in because of all the reports of dreadful traffic jams. :-) You are right that there is nothing much really around the Courtyard - it's half an hour or so from the central or "downtown" parts of the city. It's primary merit is that it is right next to some of the large software / tech corporate centers in that area and of course very accessible from the airport. It is a perfectly serviceable and comfortable hotel, but not really 5-star if you're looking for that.