The Prime Balaji Deluxe @ New Delhi Railway Station

The staff are what make this place special. They’re kind, helpful, and professional, and we really feel looked after, especially by Vivek on reception and the porters, cleaners, and door staff. We were only planning to stay a few nights on our way back from Goa to the UK, but after Dubai airport closed, we got stranded in Delhi and had to extend our stay. The hotel has been brilliant about accommodating us. It’s in a brilliant location, proper India, and Uber and tuk tuks are readily available and work well. There are some good restaurants at Connaught Place, check out Karigaris, plus a beer shop just around the corner and a general store opposite. The hotel is lovely and clean, and our room is spacious and quiet. Breakfast is adequate. We’re still here!

The younger hotel staff were attentive, which was the one nice part of my stay. The rest was rough. The location isn’t a decent choice if you’re traveling on foot, and there are lots of hagglers around the building. The showers are dreadful: the water is lukewarm, there’s no shower door, and a sad, dirty curtain that serves no purpose leaves the whole bathroom soaked. The free breakfast is depressing, the same all-vegetarian food every day, the sort of thing you’d serve buffet style to convicted inmates. Do NOT EVER book a tourism trip through these people. They keep warning you about street cheats and promising they’ll handle everything, but they’re the real crooks. They crank up prices and don’t stick to verbal or signed agreements. I can post screenshots and elaborate if you want. They sent us to their cousins’ servants’ room, with Chester print duvets, no air conditioning, and toilet paper that ran out. There was underhand dealing too: they asked for cash, put it in a pocket, and gave no receipt or decent explanation. To get them out of your face and have some peace, you literally pay. In die gesig all die tyd. It’s rated four stars, but they wouldn’t reach three in South Africa. We respect our visitors, their preferences, and their privacy. They took over the ownership of my trip, and I hope they take cognizance of their bad reputation. The places they send you to stay... no words 🙆 They insist on online reviews when you leave. It’s completely unprofessional. They even type one for you and then harass you to post it. I’d be very cautious about trusting any of the very positive reviews. Spend a few more bucks and stay somewhere honest that respects guests, their choices, and their space. They’re no better than the hagglers on the street, probably worse.

The rooms need renovation, and the bathroom in mine looked pretty bad. There was mold in it, and the smell reached into the room. I had no towels, and none showed up when I asked for them. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the metro station is nearby, and breakfast was good. I’d give the hotel three stars based on my experience overall. Thanks for your friendliness!

The location is great, the staff are very friendly and helpful, and breakfast had quite a few nice options. The rooms were so-so. There’s no glass or curtain by the shower, so the whole bathroom gets wet and water spreads around the room. There were no bathroom hangers or anywhere to leave towels to dry, and the bed linen was stained. Be aware of the neighboring rooms too. People leave their doors open, play videos loudly, and smoke, so your room can quickly get noisy and smell bad. When I asked them to close their doors, they were pretty relaxed about it and listened.