Mother Hostel

We left the next morning because the stay had become uncomfortable. We’d arrived as four people, two men and two women, and Ruby at Mother Hostel initially welcomed us warmly. But after her brother Gaurav arrived, the atmosphere changed. We were repeatedly offered massages, tours, boat rides, shop visits, jewellery, and perfumes. What first seemed attentive started to feel pushy. The Ayurvedic massage was especially uncomfortable for us. The women in our group were massaged by men, which crossed a clear boundary for us. Gaurav stayed in the room the whole time, people spoke in Hindi, and we felt uneasy. We were asked about menstruation, and he offered to massage the lower abdomen himself; we clearly said no. Personal questions, including about polyamory, added to the discomfort even though we had said we were all married. We felt there was too little sensitivity and respect for personal boundaries.

My family’s online booking for March 13-14, 2026, was fully paid through Agoda, but when we arrived Gaurav Khanna said there were no rooms because they’d been booked in advance. I showed him that I’d paid, and he said he couldn’t help and told me to ask Agoda to cancel and stay outside. Before arrival, the property owner had also repeatedly made it difficult to get directions. I had no other option after booking online, and then had to search for another room with my luggage. It cost me at least 3-4 hours and a lot of trouble. I’ve never faced such a huge fraud. Please don’t book this property.

Gaurav was a nice host, and the stay was good overall. The hostel is tucked into the lanes of Banaras, very close to the ghats. Rooms were clean. It may be hard for anyone who has trouble climbing stairs.

It’s in a hard to spot corner of Bangali tola, and the property was really difficult to find. The rooms felt tiny for what we paid, and the owner wanted money in advance even though I’d booked through Booking.com. You also have to take your shoes off every time you enter. The location is great for the ghats, but there weren’t any special amenities. Stray dogs were always around, and the alley smelled bad.