Room Check List
How to find a good room anywhere
So the airline lost your luggage and you have no recommendation for a guest house? Fear not MSP is here. Chances are you will find a better deal and without the hoards of tourists on your own. Stay tuned to learn the tricks of travel and never go bedless again.
ROOM CHECK LIST
Quiet? How much does it have? When you enter the room stop and listen. What do you here? Is it on the main street? What's near by? Above Below? Is it near the reception? Is above the hotels restaurant? First floor can be noisy while top floor tends to be quieter. (but it can be hotter on the top.) How busy is the guest house? Has a large group arrived? Who's in the room beside yours? Five sweaty, drunken Devi's?
Mattress. Lift the sheet of the corner of the mattress and let your nose decide. Your nose will know. Avoid any moldy, old mattress, they can make you sick! Also look for any signs of bed bugs (maybe common in Delhi) Look under the pillow for any sign of round brown/red bugs.
Beds. Is the mattress soft enough? So mattress are harder than a pile of cardboard. It can take some getting use to. Try to sleep on your back or with a pillow propping up one leg. One or two single beds VS a double? Does the double have a dip in the middle of it? You know that one...
Size. Is the room a good size for one person? Are you a couple ? Is it large enough to be comfortable for a night or a week? Are the ceiling high? or two low?
Attached Bath. Do not demand a western toilet get used to the Asian style. Look for newly built guest houses will have nice tiles and fixtures etc.(India is in a constant state of construction) Hot water is nice feature too.
Internet or TV. These days some guest house may offer internet of Wifi connection. Television are standard. Small rooms will television can very noisy by other people watching loud Hindi movies all night long.
Door Slam. Some guest houses have a problem with door slamming. Avoid.
Cooling. Does it have a good fan? does it actually work, does it go up to 'high?' Does the fan make a strange, loud noise? Test it first. Does it have an air conditioner? Beware of an "air-cooler" in India, This looks like, but is NOT, an air conditioner. Is the AC a window mount or wall units? Window unit can be old, noisy and not works so well. Look for a modern wall unit with the AC condensers outside.
Dust. Is there a lot of dust coming in from the road outside such as in the desert? Slap the mattress or sofa and see the dust fly!
Mosquitoes. Is there a mosquito net provided? Do the windows have screens? Is there a mosquito problem? Is there a swamp outside your window? Sometime you can't notice them until night. Does the door shut tight?
New or old building. Are the ceilings high? Good older solid buildings with high ceiling can be very nice and have natural cooling. Small cramped rooms are very hot and stuffy. Concert walls are damp in the winter, and keep the heat in the south.
TIP: Avoid the first room they show you. The first room is often the worst one in the house.
Where to look for a room?
1. Near the railway or bus station is where most of the guest houses are located, as a general rule this is the same everywhere in India. Take a little walk further, what small streets are near by, usually there are some newer places built there.
2. Avoid any hotel or guest house on the main, noisy road. Look just off another quite roadway. Look for a QUITE place, look for signs leading you that away.
3. Look for a newly built guest house, just finish or even partially finished. This is a key, newer places are always better (everything works.) It's that simple, since they are new no one has heard of them so they need business and are open to discounts. Beware of fake 'new' front facades that have been built over the old cruddy guest house.
4. Just beside the "popular place", you'll find some guest house where people tend to move to after a few days.
5. Never ask a rickshaw driver for a room!! He will always take you to a commission guest house. THIS WILL BE A RIP OFF!
BegBug Warning!Now that you found a place that "looks" good leave your packs at the reception and go for a quick CHECK of the room. Always check the room first! If you are a couple or a group, one person should go an scout out a good room, while the rest wait with the packs. This will save a lot of time.
There have been an increase in reports of bedbugs at popular travelers guesthouses.
Begbug bites are very painful and may cause allergic reactions.
People commonly respond to bed bug infestations and their bites with anxiety, stress, and insomnia. Individuals may also get skin infections and scars from scratching the bedbug bite locations.
Most patients who are placed on systemic corticosteroids to treat the itching and burning often associated with bed bug bites find that the lesions are poorly responsive to this method of treatment. Antihistamines have been found to reduce itching in some cases, but they do not affect the appearance and duration of the lesions. Topical corticosteroids, such as hydrocortisone, have been reported to expediently resolve the lesions and decrease the associated itching.-from wiki, commons
