Over the last one year I have visited Koramangala on a few impromptu trips. In these short bursts I have managed to live at some of the semi-budget properties around the area. While talking to a colleague, she mentioned that a post was in order for those of you who maybe looking for recommendations to stay in case you were visiting Koramangala.
As someone travelling for work, one tends to spend very little time at the hotel. But even then it should be a place to recharge yourself. So I always factor in the distance to work (I prefer to walk) while deciding upon the place along with room & bed quality including wifi, overall cleanliness, breakfast spread and staff behavior. I will try to cover these aspects in my comments too. Most of the rates are for single rooms with breakfast.
BluPetal – Jyothi Niwas College Road. Avg Tariff: INR 4000-5000 incl Breakfast
One of my favourites, it is a short walk from office and has a good breakfast spread. The rooms are spacious and very tastefully done. They have a centralised AC which is a bit tricky to operate for me. But most of the times I keep it switched off. They are quite old-school, with a proper desk and chair and the curtains are thick, so one can easily sleep in. Also considering the complimentary toiletries they have on offer in the bathroom, they have not yet gone the budget hotel way.
There’s also the intercom in the bath – a rare sight nowadays. The mattresses and linen are top notch. The staff members are courteous and prompt. The breakfast is good with a decent spread each time. The location is quiet for most part but can get noisy in the evenings, thanks to the two pubs located nearby. Most good places to eat are at a walking distance from Blu Petal and the in-house restaurant makes good Indian food. Connecting the wifi is a cumbersome process though but works fine after being connected. Overall – recommended all the time.
Bloom Koramangala – 5th Block, Avg Tariff: INR 3500-4000 incl breakfast
My other favourite. I am generally impressed by the stripped down – no nonsense version of this chain. The rooms are spacious and the hotel is located in a quiet cul-de-sac in the 5th block. The breakfast is also good but sometimes they go overboard with the salt in some dishes. The staff is very courteous and generally remember you from your previous stays. I particularly love how smooth the check-in process is – thanks to their own property management system which maintains a database of previous customers.
The mattresses are still new so they are quite good but the bathroom is functional. Toiletries such as shaving kits have to be specially requested for. I like that they provide better quality instant coffee (Sleepy Owl) and not the usual sachets found elsewhere. The chatbot enabled interface is fantastic and makes most transactions including accessing their wifi – a frictionless process. They also have a loyalty program and they offer discounts for repeat customers while booking from the website directly. Overall – recommended all the time.
Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites – Madiwala, Avg Tariff: INR 4500-5500 incl breakfast
This is a unique hotel, located in a shopping complex. There are many rooms and the maze like layout can be confusing. But get past that and then you are in for a surprise. The suites are true to their name and can easily host many visitors (who are not allowed!). Though the rooms are a bit worn down but they were clean and came with multiple amenities including a walk-in closet, kitchenette and a proper refrigerator. It maybe an overkill for a solo business traveller but a good idea to host an offsite/conference here. The breakfast spread was perhaps the most exhaustive I had seen and the restaurant overlooks a pleasant green side of Madiwala. The bed was decent and offered a good night’s sleep. My suite overlooked into the mall which was a novel experience for me but I don’t think I would prefer it again. The staff was hospitable and I didn’t get around to using their wifi. Overall recommended if you are travelling with family.
Hotel Santrina – 5th Block, Avg Tariff: INR 2000 incl breakfast
Santrina is a hit and miss. It is located in a noisy part of Koramangala – where the concentration of pubs is the highest in Bengaluru – I counted at least 12 within a 100 m radius of Santrina. The rooms are quite spacious and functional. They are also recently painted so one can easily feel the heat emanating from the walls.
I needed to put on the AC each time I visited even with great weather outside. The mattresses seemed like they have been broken into but nothing worth complaining. If you happen to stay here then request for a room that doesn’t overlook the main street and is located on the top floors. The noise from the pubs boils down to a general thud inside the rooms. I did not have breakfast here nor did I connect to the wifi. I had requested for an omelette with bread but they couldn’t furnish bread so I skipped ordering the omelette. The rooms are well maintained and the shower is powerful. Staff is also polite. Overall recommended only if you are on a tight budget.
Hotel Regenta Inn – Near NGC, Avg Tariff: INR 3000-3500 incl breakfast
A standard business hotel located on the main road. The rooms were small but clean with no view to write about. The mattress was not very sturdy though. The shower was alright and came with the standard toiletries. The staff was courteous most of the times. The breakfast was the highlight and the serving area overlooks a quiet colony which is not a bad way to start the morning. I did not use the wifi here. A very functional hotel. Overall recommended if the location works for you.
Hotel La Sara Regent – Near St. John’s Auditorium Avg Tariff: INR 2000-2500 incl breakfast
Another standard budget hotel with a minibar! I was not expecting three bottles of whiskey and vodka kept in my room. It is located on a very quiet street, overlooking the green skyline of Koramangala. The lighting fixtures are all white light which I did not like that much. The warm lighting in hotel rooms is a welcome respite after spending many hours under the white light of your workplace Usual coffee sachets were missing in the room but the staff restocked them upon request. The bathroom was small and functional but the water was not as hot as I usually prefer. I was in a hurry most days so I skipped breakfast and could not connect to the wifi. But they had a nice lounge chair which I loved to sit on in the mornings while I caught up on the news with instant black coffee (and in the process missing breakfast!). Again an unexpected piece of furniture in an otherwise sparse room. Overall recommended most of the times.
Hotel SilicRest – 80 Feet Road Avg Tariff: INR 2000-2500 incl breakfast
A small standalone hotel with old school furniture and fixtures. I liked the yellow warm lights and lamps in my room. The room was small but quite perfect for me. My room overlooked the main road but the best part was that I could walk to most places from here. I ran late for breakfast both the mornings that I was there but the staff whipped up a mean masala omelette and coffee for me each time. Rooms were clean but I wish they went easy on the air freshener. We also lost power a couple of times and that affected the geyser capacity each time I had to shower. But the staff was always polite and courteous and that made the stay quite memorable here. Also their restaurant is called Silsila, which I found to be quite amusing. Overall recommended all the time for the good value for money.
