Accomodation in Puri
Where To Stay
There are a few main areas where there are hotels along the beach. The northeast part, near the fishing village, on or just off Chakra Tirtha Rd, is where most of the budget hotels are located and is a popular area for western tourists. You have to be careful about swimming at this end of the beach because there is a canal that carries raw sewerage right into the ocean.
Another area is the main Indian tourist area, which is by the Puri Hotel, near Beach Sea Road. Most of the people staying in this area are Indians. It is very crowded with tourists and salesmen and therefore not too conducive for a peaceful and relaxing rest on the shore. Five salesmen may approach you (very aggressively) in the two-minute walk from your hotel to the beach.
There are also a few hotels in the southwest part of town. It is quiet there and the sea water is clean and rarely do you ever see a salesman, but there is no shortage of fisherman who likes to use the beach as a toilet. So the beach is not very clean.
Where To Stay - Low End
Sree Chaitanya Saraswata Gaudiya Matha Temple in the Gourbar Sahi area has a nice little guesthouse. It has rooms with bath. It is behind their temple by the Hotel Raj, on the road between the Birla Guesthouse and Tota Gopinatha temple. It is a suggested clean place. A very cheap place is the Purushottama Gaudiya Math in the Swarga Dwara area by Haridasa Thakura's samadhi. It has very basic rooms with common bath. It is on the road a minute from the beach. Both these places are ashrams with a strict no smoking rule and other restrictions as far as no meat, alcohol, drugs, etc.
The Bharatsevashram Sanga, near Swarga Dwara, and the Vagla Dharamsala near the hospital on Grand Road are basic cheap dharamsalas.
Hotel Subhadra, on Grand Road, is a decent low-end place in the center of town.
Where To Stay- Chakra Tirtha Rd
Most of the budget hotels for travelers are at the end of Chakra Tirtha Road, by the fishing village. Most western tourists stay here.
Hotel Dreamland is a popular place for travelers with rooms. It has a pleasant garden and is located slightly back from the main road, so it affords a bit of peace. The Bay View Hotel is a good quiet place with rooms, most of which have private baths.
Hotel Shankar International, is a good place, right on the beach with an assortment of rooms. It has a garden and is a popular place.
The well-managed Z Hotel (pronounced Zed) is an old former palace. This place has a good atmosphere and is recommended. It has rooms with common bath and for a large room with a bath. It is very popular with travelers; therefore it is often full. It has large, breezy rooms, many of them with a seaview, and also a roof terrace with an agreeable view of the sea.
The Santana Lodge, at the end of the fishing village, is a recommended budget place that has room’s bath.The Hotel Sri Balaji is a good place with rooms.
Hotel Repose, on Chakra Tirtha Road, Sea Beach, is for a downstairs room and for an upstairs room. It is not such a good value. Hotel Gandhara, Chakra Tirtha Road by the fishing village has clean rooms with bath. There is a good discount travel agent in front of the hotel.
Where To Stay - Middle
The Birla Guest House, Gourbar Sahi, located in a peaceful location in the south-west part of town, right next to the ocean, is one of the best values in town. You get a nice clean double room on the first floor. On the second floor there are rooms with hot water that have a private balcony with a great view of the ocean, and a living room and kitchen. The food served at the hotel is 100% vegetarian and the manager is a friendly and helpful person. You can order special meals in advance. This place is highly recommended if you want to be away from the action. This place is used mainly by middle-class Indians. This place has a strict no drug policy are they are selective about who they allow to stay.
Hotel Raj, near the Birla Guest House, has nice rooms, which have a small balcony facing the ocean and private bathrooms with hot water. You could use this place as a backup if the Birla Guest House is full.
Vijoya International, on Chakra Tirtha Road by the ocean, is a well appointed and recommended place. It is a good hotel with rooms with A/C. The rooms are nice and have hot water. The Hotel Samudra, right next to the Vijoya International, is a good place on be beach with rooms with A/C. Both of these hotels are good places to stay, but they are right by the open sewage, a canal that flows into the ocean, so it is a bad place to swim. Nearby is the OTDC Panthanivas Tourist Bungalow, which is right on be sea with doubles and with A/C. It is a decent place to stay and each room has an ocean view from the balcony.
On Chakra Tirtha Rd is the Holiday Inn, which has nice double with bath, for a room on be second floor with a sea view.
The Puri Hotel, on Marine Parade, is a six story place with rooms upward. A double room with a balcony and an excellent view of the ocean. It is a good value, but it is located in a crowded area. It is popular with middle-class Indians. It has a free minibus that picks up people in the morning at the railway station. There is a 24-hour checkout. The Sea Hawk Hotel, at the other end of the road from the Puri Hotel, is a decent place right next to the sea, near Hari Dasa Thakur's samadhi.
Hotel Holiday Resort, Chakra Tirtha Rd, is a nice place that has doubles with balconies overlooking the sea and with AC. There is a service charge added. All rooms have balconies overlooking the sea, attached bath, TV, and telephone. Checkout time is 8 am. The Hotel Golden Palace, is right on the beach and has rooms on the ground floor and for a room on the second floor with a balcony.
Where To Stay - High End
The Mayfair Beach Resort, is beautiful newish hotel. It has 34 airconditioned cottages, a private lawn, a swimming pool, and a health club. The manager was very friendly, and the service seemed excellent. The cottages and suites, plus there is a tax. It is the best place in town.
The South Eastern Railway Hotel, Chakra Tirtha Rd, is an old place with old-world atmosphere. It is a typical British Raj type place with a large verandah and a spacious lawn. Normal rooms and A/C rooms were available.
The Nilachal Ashok, Raj Bhavan, VIP Rd, is a comfortable place set back from the beach and road. It has rooms with A/C.
Hans Coco Palms, is a high quality hotel with A/C rooms. To get there you may have to ask for the Prachi Hotel, which is its old name. It is modern, but some of the rooms are a little small. The best thing about the hotel is that it is in a good quiet area where the sea water is not polluted. Rooms and deluxe rooms were available.
Sterling Resort, by the Bhargavi River, 7 km from town, is a new high class place. It is not far from the ISKCON temple.
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