New King by Backpackers Heaven

Our room was as advertised and fine, but the way the stay began left a bad taste. We got there at 10pm after booking on hostel world, only to be told the building was being renovated and directed to another hostel by a man. They’d been in touch with us on whatsapp before we arrived and hadn’t mentioned any of this. The other place was also part of backpacker heaven group, but it was down some pretty dodgy lanes, so we worried it might be a scam. Staff didn’t do much to reassure us and weren’t very hospitable. We’d chosen this hostel partly for its common area, and there wasn’t one. The main bazaar road is tacky and hectic to get in and out of. We’d avoid staying there next time.

The staff made this feel like a safe and friendly place, and they were so helpful. The man at reception especially helped us at every step and was very polite. I was nervous at first about staying in Delhi as a girl, but that changed my perspective. It’s walkable and very close to the city centre, too. I was skeptical about staying here because of safety concerns, but ended up having the best experience. Definitely recommend it for budget travelers in Delhi.

Every time we went downstairs, somebody seemed to have a problem, whether it was the wrong room or train trouble. The staff were unwelcoming, and we waited over an hour just to have our passports scanned. To get in, you have to walk through a dark alley that smells of urine and step over a mysterious grey liquid. Nothing about this place felt like a hostel or anything “heavenly.” Raj, who I assume is the manager, warned me about scams in India, which felt ironic after what happened. We asked him to book a train to Varanasi for the day before we left. His price was over 1000 rupees above the asking price per ticket. He even said not to write a bad review when we saw the station price. We booked anyway for convenience. Then Raj cancelled our hostel world booking, so we couldn’t leave a review. At checkout the next day, we were given waiting list tickets for the wrong station, more than an hour from Varanasi. Two hours before the train, I explained that he’d booked the wrong tickets compared with what he’d originally said. He claimed it was one of Varanasi’s five stations, which it wasn’t, walked away, and then wouldn’t give me the ticket. He took me outside to the alley, apparently because he didn’t want his “guests” to hear about the issue. He refused to hand over the tickets, leaving us stranded at night. With the trains fully booked, we had to book one for the next day. Dodgy people, con men. Do not book anything with this hotel. Only stay if you have to.

The one good thing was that the staff were kind and handled airport pickup and drop-off for about 700 INR. The photos were very inaccurate, though, and the place is down a really narrow, creepy alley in an area that felt a bit sketchy. The sheets and bedding hadn’t been changed and had hairs on them. As a solo female traveler, I wouldn’t recommend it. I slept in my clothes, switched hotels the next day, and would never stay again.