Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Room Service: The Shanti Guest House
filed under: Jet Sex, Room Service by Lux Nightmare
At Sexerati, we believe that there’s nothing quite so hot as a romantic weekend (or evening, or lunch break) at the perfect hotel. But how to know which hotels are tryst-worthy, and which are strictly business? In Room Service, we check in to (and check out) hotels so you don’t have to. Up this week: The Shanti Guest House, in Varanasi, India.
If you’re going to Varanasi, you have two choices when it comes to accommodations: you can stay in a nice, modern hotel in the new part of the city, or you can stay in a spartan guest house in the old city. Since I wanted to be near the river (the main reason one goes to Varanasi), I opted for the latter, swapping a bit of comfort for convenience at the Shanti Guest House.
Atmosphere: The Shanti Guest House is a popular choice among travelers, and it’s not hard to see why: it’s clean, brightly colored, and the rooftop restaurant has a gorgeous view of the Ganges.
The Shanti is also extremely spartan, which has its pluses and minuses.
It also attracts a lot of hippies, which accounts for the minuses. Especially when the hippies have late night Jimi Hendrix jam sessions. Unless, you know, you’re into getting it on to bad renditions of the hits of the sixties.
Amenities: Guest houses (which rent out double rooms at Rs200 (about US$5) per night) are run on the cheap, and don’t have room for frills. Be prepared to bring your own toiletries, toilet paper, a sheet, shower shoes, and just about anything else you think you might need (and be sure to book a room with an attached bathroom: many of the rooms require guests to use a communal bathroom down the hall. While there’s a certain charm to that set up, it’s not really conducive to a hot weekend in bed.).
On the plus side, they do supply you with a blanket.
Facilities: Indian beds tend to be rather hard (no box springs here), so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the beds at the Shanti Guest House were actually rather comfortable. It was odd to note, however, that the “double bed” was actually two twin beds pushed together (Fifties nostalgia? Low budget? Your guess is as good as mine).
Moving on to the more important matters: what the Shanti lacks in, well, most areas, it makes up for with its shower. Unlike their Western counterparts, Indian showers lack walls: the shower is simply a wall-mounted faucet in the middle of the bathroom, making the entire bathroom into a shower.
Overall: C+. If you’re determined to have a romantic weekend in Varanasi (and you very well might be: it’s a beautiful place and a relaxing getaway), the Shanti is a pretty good bet. It’s clean, the rooftop restaurant has a wonderful view, and it’s just a few steps from the river (and there is something to be said for the romantic potential of roughing it with someone).
However, if you’re hoping for a pampered weekend away, you’ll probably want to steer clear of the Shanti: it lacks the amenities usually associated with hotels, and requires a lot of effort on your part. And really, isn’t the whole of getting it on at a hotel having someone else take care of all the details?
That, and the hippies can really get to you after a while.
Comments
Leave a Comment
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.