Go low on pocket! Budget hotels pull up their socks to woo you

The summer is here and so is the time to take that one long vacation in the year. But with so many long weekends coming up every now and then, travelling can burn a hole in the pocket. However, with the budget segment ramping up its services, you may just want to consider them as well.

“It is very encouraging to see that the number of people taking a holiday in the summer is increasing year-on-year. Taking a break on a regular basis is a fast emerging trend; be it a luxurious trip, a weekend getaway, a family trip or a pocket friendly outing. Our mobile bookings have also risen significantly, with over two-fifth of our traffic recorded from smart phones and tablets,” said Sharat Dhall, president of travel portal Yatra.com.

He explained that the budget travellers, who accounted for a meager 7% last year, have risen to 26.7% this year.

Sharing a similar sentiment, a travel agent, who did not wished to be named, added, “There are a lot of people who want to travel. But with frequent long weekend trips, money becomes a major problem. People are looking at affordable accommodation when they travel to a place. On an average, a traveler spends a minimum of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per day while travelling,” said a travel agent who requested anonymity.
However, he noted that while more people are also considering budget hotels, there is still apprehension amongst them as they are not sure of the quality of services that will be offered.

According to market reports, the budget hotel segment is picking up in cities such as Bangalore and Pune. “Over the past decade, the Pune hotel sector has emerged a formidable competitor to other the hospitality markets in the country, growing from a negligible base of branded hotel rooms in 2005 into becoming one of India’s top five hotel markets in 2014. Over the course, it has weathered multiple storms ranging from significant supply increases to multiple bouts of economic uncertainty, both globally and regionally,” said Mandeep Lamba, managing director of Hotels at JLL India.

He explained, “While the Bangalore hotel market today accounts for the largest share of branded economy hotel rooms in the country, Pune comes in a close second with nearly 1,050 branded economy rooms.”

Apart from Bangalore and Pune, if you plan to visit the backwaters of Kerala, then do check out the budget hotels in Alleppey. According to Trip Advisor, Bamboo Lagoon Backwaters Front Resort is also one of the great budget hotel options in the city. Similarly, if you want to visit Havelock Islands in the Great Andamans, you will find several nice budget hotels at great prices that are sea facing and offers the calmness that you want away from the busy city life.

While this may be the story down South, in the western region such as Sawai Madhopur, Jaipur, Udaipur or even the Great Rann of Kutchh, a traveler can find some great hotels at a reasonable price.

Up in the hills, there are plenty of hotels that offer decent services. Dharmshala, Nanital, Manali, Mussoorie among other have slew of budget hotels that a person can pick from. In the east, places such as Gangtok, Darjeeling, Puri in Odisha too have many budget hotels that are known for offering good services at great prices.

Interestingly, with Indians becoming avid travellers, budget hotels are realising that they have a large market to tap onto. Besides, firms such as OYO Rooms too have come up that are now upgrading the services offered to a customer in a budget hotel, thus revamping the tainted image of this segment of hotels.