OYO 23098 Ushama Heritage Guest House

This is affordable accommodation right in central Pondicherry. The staff are friendly, helpful, and all speak English, which is good for tourists. Early check-in is available for Rs 200. The hotel is upstairs with no lift, so it isn't a good choice for elderly or disabled guests. For Rs 1200 for two, the room is clean and air-conditioned, and breakfast is included. The South Indian breakfast is decent, and the bathroom is good. The water is really bad and only suitable for bathing, so buy bottled water such as Bisleri or Aquafina. It was a very nice experience.

We checked in for one night on 11/01/2020, and the stay was a complete waste of money. I'd paid in advance for an AC room to make check-in easier, but the AC only worked in fan mode and didn't cool. The bathroom and toilet were filthy, almost like a public toilet, and the tap gave an electric shock due to some electrical problem. We weren't given towels or soap at first. The sheets hadn't been changed, felt itchy, and had hair from a previous guest. When we raised these problems, the staff were rude and badly behaved instead of apologizing. My wife and I have never had a worse hotel experience.

The building was filthy, with bins around, and they didn't ask whether we wanted our room or bathroom cleaned. The bathroom felt like a public toilet, and the staff weren't serving guests properly. Breakfast was below par for the extra Rs 170 we paid. It seemed worth only about Rs 40.

The hotel is right in the market, so food and other things are easy to find nearby. The room was well maintained, and the staff service was excellent. Rooms for two are available, and they provided complimentary items. There's WiFi too, though the room had fewer switchboards than other hotels.