Hotel Sahara

You’ll find Hotel Sahara over in Malviya Nagar, tucked into 90/45 on the lower ground floor. Being on the LGF means it stays a bit cooler during those really hot Delhi summers, which is nice. Malviya Nagar is a bit of a maze if you aren’t used to it, with all the blocks and small lanes, but we’ve been here long enough that most of the local rickshaw drivers can point you toward us. It isn’t a grand hotel like the ones you see near the airport. It’s just a practical space for staying in South Delhi without spending a fortune. The stairs going down are a little steep, so we tell people to watch their step. Since we’re below the main street level, you don’t hear the traffic as much, though you can still hear the neighborhood waking up in the morning. We have a few rooms, and they are pretty basic. Just a bed, a fan, and the usual stuff you need. We handle the laundry ourselves mostly, and there is usually a pot of tea going if someone asks. It’s the kind of place where you just come to sleep after a long day of walking around the markets or doing business in the city. There isn’t a lobby for sitting around, really, just the rooms and a small desk where we keep the register. You can hear the neighbors talking in the courtyard sometimes too.