Pune India – 10 Best Places to Stay in All Price Ranges
Pune is a large city and there you will find an equally large choice of accommodation to suit both your needs and your budget. The city comprises several notable districts each one offering its own distinct atmosphere. Most of these, however, are perfectly family friendly with a wide choice of hotels and local amenities nearby, including public transport links, making it convenient for every type of traveller.
Budget
If you’re a first-time traveller on a tight schedule and budget, we recommend you check out Backpacker Panda hostel, in Koregaon Park, near the city centre. It is also conveniently located near the famous Osho Ashram, the railway station, the airport, and two of the city’s main bus stands. It is the first hostel of its kind in Pune with a large, modern communal space for socialising, free Wi-Fi access and an in-house restaurant. The rooms are en-suite, air-conditioned, very clean, and range from double-bed private ones to four bed mixed dormitories and six-bed female/mixed dormitories. Prices start from INR699 for a dorm bed. A private room will set you back around INR1300. In-house facilities also include hot water, bicycle hire, security lockers and staff, who are always on hand to assist and advise.
The Grand Hotel, on Mahatma Gandhi Road, is another good budget option if you’re looking for an overnight stay. It’s suitably close to the railway station, a supermarket and other local amenities. The rooms are very basic, relatively clean, but come without en-suite facilities and offer a no-thrills short stay for those on the move. A double room at the Grand Hotel will cost you around INR800, the price for a single is around INR300. The hotel has friendly staff and an in-house restaurant, offering pretty cheap and delicious food to go with your beer, which you may enjoy on the patio while taking a break from a long train journey.
Another very popular place with backpackers in Pune is the YMCA Poona, on New Rasta Peth, a stone’s throw away from Mahatma Gandhi Road and a mere 5 miles from the airport. A well-established name within the hostel circuit, this place offers exactly what one might expect. It has basic, spacious, air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour front desk, a terrace and a communal area with a billiards table. The hostel also has a swimming pool and serves up a pretty decent breakfast. It is situated near some great tourists hot-spots, including the Darshan Museum, the Srimant Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple and Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum. A night at this place will set you back around INR700.
If you’re in the city for a night before moving on the National Hotel, on Sassoon Road, opposite the railway station, is an easy option as a quick stopover. The hotel is a remnant of the colonial era and has its very own architectural charm. It has small and very basic but clean rooms, with working fans and shared bathroom facilities. The prices for a single room start from around INR600. The cottages across the garden are more comfortable and have their own en-suite facilities, flat screen TVs and come with tiled sit-out areas. The staff are accommodating and cordial, hot water, clean towels and bed linen are available upon request. A cottage with a double bed will set you back around INR1000.
Mid-Range
The mid-range options in Pune are numerable and offer varied levels of service and comfort. Hotel Ritz, on Sadhu Vaswani Path, is an antiquated Raj-era style building with a quaint atmosphere, efficient and helpful staff and a great in-house restaurant. The hotel offers clean, well-ventilated, sizable, en-suite rooms with few mod-cons but plenty of old-world features which add a certain ambiance. The more expensive rooms, costing from around INR2700 are located in the front building, while the cheaper ones (around INR2500) are situated in an annexe next to the garden restaurant, which plates-up some great traditional Maharashtrian fare.
A great mid-range place to stay in Koregaon Park is the Hotel Suryavilla, which offers air-conditioned, bright, airy and spacious rooms with en-suite bathrooms and very clean facilities throughout. It also features 12 self-serviced apartments, an excellent restaurant and additional services like city tour bookings, an on-call doctor, a travel desk and free Wi-Fi. Perfect for all types of travellers, including families. Room rates start from around INR3000.
Another excellent option nearby is Hotel Sunderband, an art deco building with large, well-appointed and furnished rooms. The hotel is surrounded by luscious, pristine lawns, nearby the Osho Ashram. It has an air of antiquity about it, yet is exceptionally clean and well maintained. The staff are always on hand to help with queries and suggest the best that Pune has to offer. The non-AC rooms in the main building have very comfortable beds and are big enough for a family stay. The rooms across the lawns with a more modern looking glass-front facade are perfect for a romantic city break, or a family weekend away. The building also has an excellent authentic Italian restaurant, which serves up a superb homemade carbonara. Non AC-room prices start from INR3000, while the rooms across the lawn are a little bit more expensive with prices starting from around INR3500.
Hotel Srimaan, on Bund Garden Road, close to Pune’s centre and its main mall, is a great option for a short family stay. The rooms are relatively small but very luxurious. The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi, parking, room service and has its own in-house bar lounge and restaurant, whose pizza comes highly recommended. The staff are courteous, helpful and will aim to meet all your needs without a grumble. The Srimaan Hotel is conveniently situated near the airport, local transport links and Koregaon Park. Prices for a double non-AC room start from INR2500, the air-conditioned rooms are about INR200 extra and have better views.
Top End
Pune’s top range hotels are innumerable, with one of the best being Vivanta by Taj - Blue Diamond. Located on Koregaon Road, the hotel is central to all the city has to offer, including the outstanding verdant surroundings of the nearby park. It is a mere 20 minutes away from the airport and all the local amenities are conveniently nearby. The hotel has outstanding levels of service, an impeccably appointed, maintained and decorated interior, spacious rooms with excellent facilities and all the complimentary essentials. It also houses two exceptional restaurants, one serves up traditional Chinese cuisine, the other offers a taste of Italy. The hotel has a bar lounge, a spa, a swimming pool, free parking, Wi-Fi, a 24-hour front desk and staff that will meet your every need with a smile. Room prices start from around INR7000.
Another luxury option nearby is The O Hotel, located on North Main Road, Koregaon Park. The hotel is known for its excellent service, efficient and courteous staff, who will ensure your stay is both a comfortable and a memorable one. The rooms at The O Hotel are luxurious, spatially well-thought out, impressively clean and equipped with all the necessary amenities such as a mini-bar, complimentary travel essentials and an on-hand concierge. The hotel also has a roof-top bar lounge, a swimming pool, a gym, dry cleaning and in-house laundry facilities and plenty of charm to conciliate even the most demanding of customers. Room prices start from INR7500.