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Originally Posted by Axe77 Hi guys - thank you for the fabulously detailed travelogue. Some friends of mine and I are planning a short winter trip to Hampi and were considering staying at Hotel Hyatt Place. Could you let me know if there are any pros or cons of this hotel, both standalone as well as from the standpoint of doing all the touristy stuff around Hampi.
I have read slightly mixed reviews of the hotel itself and also heard its a bit inconveniently located from Hampi ruins standpoint.
If not Hyatt Place, any other high quality / decently luxurious hotels we could consider? (Evolve Back is just way too expensive).
Thanks! |
Overall, I would recommend Hyatt Place Hampi as the stay option, and would stay there if I were to visit Hampi again (I stayed there in November 2018 again after this drive meet). Evolve Back is definitely a nicer and more upscale place, but as you correctly pointed out, it is way too expensive.
Hyatt Place Hampi was fabulous in 2016, and in my 2018 visit, I felt it had gone down a bit in service quality and interior up-keep (maybe the mixed reviews you mentioned are because of this). But even then, it is still a good place and I would still recommend this.
The pros of this place are:
1. At the very least, the rooms are clean and comfortable (though not luxurious), and the rooms and the hotel have all the basic amenities one would need.
2. They have ample, safe and clean parking for a large number of cars (important to us because we always drive there in our own cars).
3. The access roads are generally good.
4. The food is usually very good.
5. The swimming pool is nice too (if that matters to you).
6. The hotel is reasonably priced. I always found some good deals on their own website. They had some "heritage packages" (or something like that; I don't remember the name of the package exactly) that included food, stay, and some a tour of the ruins in their own vehicle, which was a great deal.
7. Last but not the least, the Vidyanagar Township that the hotel is in, is a very good place to visit by itself. You can take a peaceful walk in the beautiful city of Vidyanagar Township - there is a nice lake and gardens around (seen in our photos in this thread). You can take the hotel bicycles and ride around there. The lush green township is like an oasis in the middle of the generally hot and dry area.
8. There is one "Kaladham Museum" in the Vidyanagar Township, right next to the hotel. This is one of the must visit places around Hampi. Go there in the evening. You can see the museum and also enjoy to nice surroundings. You will miss this museum if you stay in any other hotel in Hampi (since you won't come out all the way just for this museum). So staying in this hotel is the best way to see this museum and the surrounding area.
Cons of the hotel:
1. It is about 30km away from the monuments and the ruins of Hampi. It will take about an hours drive to reach the ruins area. However, the hotel offers packages which include transportation and tour of the ruins. I think this is the best option. You will not have to worry about finding parking sports at each location, and figuring out where to go etc. You can park your cars in the hotel and let them drive you around in their vehicles. If you take this option, then the far away factor does not matter at all. BTW, note that the road from the hotel to the main Hampi area is good and straightforward, so even if you drive your own cars, it is not a major problem.
2. However, if you want to go to some ruins or locations for sunrise or sunset in early morning or late evening respectively, then this location is not ideal.
3. The overall experience is good, but not luxurious. If you are looking for luxurious resort experience, then Evolve Back is your best bet.
The pros outweigh the cons, and therefore, I would still recommend this place.
By the way, on the other hand, if you are looking for a more adventurous stay experience (and not necessarily a luxurious one), then Jungle Lodges and Resorts' Sloth Bear Resort is one option. I have never stayed there myself (but I have stayed in several other JLR resorts, which are all usually located in wild and jungle places and the whole experience is designed to be an adventure rather than luxury), and hence I can't comment on how the stay is.