Not too good to be true

The Ginger concept works as well as advertised.

Oh yes, I admit, stepping into the lobby of the Tata group’s Ginger hotel in New Delhi blew me away. More than the price, a jaw-dropping Rs 1,190 (including taxes) for a night in the heart of the capital, it was my most hassle-free hotel experience ever.

It began with a few clicks. I logged onto the chain’s spartan website, chose property and date, paid through credit card, and I had a room. It was tough getting to New Delhi Railway Station but the glowing Ginger sign guides you from afar. It is very thoughtful that there are guards to direct guests down the winding lane to the gate of the hotel, which used to be a Rail Yatri Nivas.

Not to worry, there’s not a shred left of the babu era. The entrance is an automatic sliding door and they live up to the promise of secure parking on the premises. The self-check was not to be seen here but the desk clerk was.

I was handed my room key — a swipe card — and was directed to the elevator. No moustachioed doorman or bellhop. The hotel was built in accordance with international practices, and there are visible and reassuring fire safety systems (sprinklers even in rooms) and emergency exits.

You could murmur that the room is no larger than two biggish office cubicles, but I don’t see any use for extra space. The large, soft bed dominates, there is an adequate work desk with two power sockets, a large cupboard, a wall-mounted 17-inch LCD television, a small refrigerator below the desk, and a spacious, spotlessly sanitised bathroom. Perfect for a single traveller, or two.

There is central air conditioning and a window unit, presumably to cut costs in times of low occupancy. Corridor lights only switch on upon sensing movement. And it’s a relief not to have that pesky room service boy who asks with a wink: “Saar, anything cold to drink or some company if you desire...”

The 24-hour restaurant serves decent food. A big thali is Rs 100. You can always order in from elsewhere — the front desk helps you with the numbers. The laundry service, though I did not try it, is reasonable at Rs 37 for a pair of trousers. What leaves one feeling sore is having to pay for a whole 24 hours to use in-house Internet, at a fixed terminal or wi-fi. It costs a whopping Rs 338. The rooms could do with a little more than the bare finish. Finally, it took a mere minute to check out. You get nothing better for that kind of money in Delhi.

Score: 8/10. Will it beat inflation?

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