Transit hotel in DEL ???
 

I get into DEL at 9:30pm on a Sat eve, then fly out the next morning at 5:30am to HYD. Any advice on what transit hotel I should choose?

Thanks,

Alan

Good timing...I'm looking for this info as well. Anyone?


I just googled it and this is what came up. Not too keen on the "Retiring Room" :D

http://newdelhi.airporthotelguide.co...orthotels.html
http://www.indiamike.com/india/showthread.php?t=3236
http://www.indiamike.com/india/archi...hp/t-3344.html
http://www.indiamike.com/india/showt...0001#post10001

Just spoke to a colleague from DEL and he said only the Radisson Hotel Delhi and the Uppal's Orchid Hotel are conveniently located within a couple of miles of the airport.

I would recommend the Radisson, its fairly close to the airport. Second choice would be Centaur (closer) and third the Hilton in Gurgaon.

Isn't the Hilton like a half an hour drive each way? Thats a lot of time lost if you're just transitting for the night.

Yeah, about 20 mins. I agree that its somewhat far, thats why I said it would not be my first choice (but third). But some folks are just Hilton people and might be worth it to them (for example me). If I can stay at a Starwood, Marriott or Hilton property, I will. The Maurya Sheraton is about as far as the Hilton but traffic is worse in Delhi of course thats why I did not recommend it.

Given a choice between sleeping on the floor of the arrivals lounge or spending the night at the Centaur, it would be a hard choice. Avoid the Centaur at all costs. Don't even go near its driveway. It makes the black hole of Calcutta look good.

Back when Air India actually owned the hotel, the crew staged a revolt and refused to stay there on layovers - it was THAT bad. Leaky plumbing, noisy airconditioning, power failures, adulterated drinking water and hookers hanging out in the lobby are only some of the problems with that dump.

The Radisson on the other hand is acceptable as an overnight transit hotel, as is The Grand in Vasant Kunj (former Grand Hyatt).

Man - that sounds almost as bad as the Sheraton Gateway LAX before the recent renovations!

I second that opinion. The Radisson is the best choice and the one I most routinely use when doing a late night arrival and early morning flight out. Centaur is in bad shape -- SOEs, so what do you expect? Going to Vasant Kunj is not recommended for a morning flight out as traffic on the so-called National Highway is bad no matter day or night. Throw in some self-important VIP and traffic gets clogged up further out at all hours of the day and night.

There are cheaper options, but the Radisson is the only one I would consider and recommend.

Black Hole of Calcutta?
 

What do you mean by Black Hole of Calcutta? Kolkata to corrct you.

I'm off to Japan and India next month and will book the Radisson for a quick few hours of sleep. Does anyone know if the hotel has pre-arranged transportation to/from the airport, and if so, how does one set it up?

Thanks.

EDIT: Ignore the question, as I have booked the room and saw the shuttle info.

I guess you found what you are looking for.

I'm using some Marriott points to stay at the Marriott in Dec. Any info on how long the trip to the airport will take? I've got a Sat 12/4, 9:30AM LH flight to MUC, when should I leave the hotel? Thanks for any insights.

Radisson upgrades to executive floor
 

Incidentally my Indian TA (in consultation with Radisson's sales office in BLR) marked the record identifying me as a VIP (I guess because of company business) and they upgraded me to executive floor and were extra nice to me. I have stayed there before with Radisson status but it did not make a difference. My Radisson status does not seem to cut as much ice as the comment from their sales office.

They were very good about transfers. On one of my trips, I had a lot of luggage and let them know that in advance and they arranged appropriate size vehicle.

Ashok Country Resort
 

I've been recommended Ashok Country Resort for an overnight stay around the DEL airport. Has anyone stayed there? Any impression? How about the airport transfer? Thanks.