FabHotel Namaste Kashi

We chose a hotel through the website that was supposed to have a lift and wheelchair access. FabHotel's agent changed our booking at the last minute, assuring us the replacement had those facilities too, but when we arrived there was no lift and we were put on the first floor despite explaining that we needed wheelchair access. There's no restaurant, and the rooms and washroom were dirty and had mosquitoes. The hotel was also moved farther from the temple. We asked the receptionist to arrange transport there for the morning and were told it would be taken care of, but reception was closed and nothing had been arranged. FabHotel customer service isn't reliable. They gave us false information about what was available, so I wouldn't book a hotel based on their recommendation.

Local transport was easy to find nearby, and the management was polite. They carried our bags upstairs and gave us water. The owner's helpful answering questions about local sights, but when he said he'd call transport for us, he later stopped responding when we needed it. This is a homestay, and its location on Google Maps was wrong, so we got lost trying to find it. Check-in was standard, and the rooms and bathrooms were a decent size, though the bathrooms had no window for ventilation. The toilet seat was broken. Our first-floor room was unclean, with a dirty bathroom and stained, dirty furniture; the second-floor room was cleaner and its bathroom was clean. Getting the room cleaned took repeated follow-ups, and even then it wasn't done properly. Food comes from a nearby cloud kitchen rather than being made at the hotel, and it was decent. Other requests were simply ignored by management, so the stay was unsatisfactory.

The owner and staff were very good and welcoming, and food is available from nearby restaurants. There's a menu in the room, and Annapurna restaurant, about 500m away, is very good. The property is 2km from Varanasi railway station and 2km from temple gate no 4. A few things need attention: the tap water smelled very bad and needs treatment, and hot water from the geyser came very slowly. There was no lift, and the 3rd-floor price should be lower for that reason. The 3rd-floor AC was noisy, and the toilet there needs an exhaust fan and a mirror. The ground-floor commode is very low and not suitable for senior citizens. There was no EPABX or intercom, which matters when rooms cost 2000 or more. Early check-in costs 500/- per room and late check-out 2000/-. The stay was okay, but there's a lot to improve. I hope the owner takes this as a suggestion and the business grows.

The staff were so polite and helpful, and the air-conditioned room was a relief. Breakfast was delicious 😋. I loved my stay and the service was excellent.