Hotel Hari Piorko

Hotel Hari Piorko is located just off a busy thoroughfare, but is contrastingly quiet inside. Guests enter through a small door into the main lobby area, with lots of seating along the walls, a few fake plants, aquariums full of fish, and low wood-and-bamboo ceilings that give the place a late-1970s vibe that's prevalent in Delhi. Stairs and elevators lead upstairs to the rooms, and there's an additional common area up on the rooftop, which also houses the hotel restaurant. Most guests are foreign backpackers and Indian budget travelers who need easy access to the nearby train station.

Hotel Hari Piorko is located in the Paharganj neighborhood of New Delhi, an area known for its cheap hotels, backpacker-friendly eating joints, and numerous shops selling cheap hippie clothes and costume jewelry. Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk is a half-hour drive away or about 15 minutes by bicycle rickshaw, while Connaught Place can be reached in about 15 minutes on foot. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and Jantar Mantar, both near Connaught Place, can take as little as 10 minutes to reach by car, but getting to both usually takes longer due to the city's infamous traffic. The Rama Krishna Ashram Marg station of the Delhi Metro is a 10-minute walk away, while New Delhi Railway Station, which also has a metro stop, takes 15 minutes to reach on foot. Factor in about 15 minutes by car to India Gate or 20 to 25 minutes for Humayun's Tomb. South Delhi attractions such as the Lotus Temple and the Qutub Minar can take 45 minutes or longer to reach depending on traffic. The Indira Gandhi International Airport is about an hour away by car. 

The Hari Piorko features a wide range of room types, especially for a relatively small property. Decor is simple and bright, with white bedding and walls, though some of the higher-category units spice things up a bit with patterned throws, cushions, and upholstered furniture in shades of brown and white. All rooms have air-conditioning and attached bathrooms and all but the entry-level Club Rooms and Semi-Deluxe Rooms (which, incidentally, lack windows) come with flat-screen TVs, kettles, and mini-fridges. Triple and Quad Rooms have three or four beds, respectively. Deluxe Rooms, amusingly, add fish tanks to the mix, as do Executive Rooms, which come with sofas and huge mirrors by the bed (which the hotel hilariously refers to as "honeymoon glass walls"). The large Executive Gold Rooms are the cream of the crop -- not only do they come with the hotel's signature fish tanks and mirrored walls, but they also throw in full wardrobes and dining tables. Bathrooms in most rooms are simple, wet room-style affairs, but the Executive Gold Rooms have separate walk-in showers and green marble vanities.

Amenities at the Hotel Hari Piorko are limited. There's free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and the front desk can arrange for services such as laundry, dry-cleaning, and currency exchange. Traditional massages can be arranged on request. There's also a rooftop lounge area with plenty of seating and great views of the surrounding neighborhood plus a rooftop restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating where guests can chose from Indian and continental specialties plus baked goods.