Named after the Mughal king, Aurangzeb, Aurangabad is dotted with historic monuments and ancient marvels like the Ajanta and Ellora Caves and Bibi ka Maqbara. Its no wonder then, that the city is a hit among domestic and foreign tourists alike. This ensures a myriad of hotel options to stay at, and if you’re visiting purely to sightsee, you’ll want to pick a hotel that’s close to as many monuments as possible.
Hotel Green Olive
We narrowed down our search to Hotel Meadows and Hotel Green Olive but picked the latter on the basis of proximity to the railway station and Ellora Caves. If you’re looking for a pool and a room with a view, you won’t get it here. This one is purely a comfortable, convenient base camp.
GETTING THERE:
Hotel Green Olive is located on a busy street, barely 5-10 minutes away from Aurangabad Railway Station. You can get there by taking a rickshaw from the Station – many drivers know of the place, and if they don’t, the Baba Petrol Pump is a landmark right next to it. Alternatively, if you book online on their website, they arrange a complimentary pick-up at any time of the day.
There’s not a lot to see in the immediate vicinity of the hotel – no great restaurants or cafes within walking distance so just stay in, watch TV and order room service once the day is through! Bliss!
THE HOTEL
From the outside, Hotel Green Olive looks boxy and basic. But on stepping in, the lobby immediately seems larger than it actually is, with the smart use of glass and mirrors. This three-star hotel provides centrally air-conditioned rooms with a homely touch that’s ideal for a leisure and business traveler. They also have a restaurant offering complimentary breakfast and a pub on the second floor, which we found out about only after we left.
Being a three-star hotel, it offers modern comfort and spotlessly clean rooms, albeit a little too small for my liking. The lobby, rooms and restaurant hinge on the verge of both, basic and tasteful.
THE ROOM
The rooms are air-conditioned and sufficiently decorated. While it was small, it was clean and nicely cared for. It came with all the standard business-hotel offerings – a flat-screen TV, fridge, tea and coffee-making facilities, and toiletries. The bed was super soft and although we asked for an extra bed in our room (we were three people in a double bedroom), even the makeshift arrangement made was comfortable.
The bathroom was again, cramped, but clean nonetheless. Being as small as it is, it is necessary to have a partition between the shower area and the sink+toilet portion of the bathroom instead of merely a curtain and one-inch high divide. Our tiny divider had a little hole in it, so the water from the shower flooded the rest of the bathroom and the floor was wet during our entire stay. We made do by putting towels on the floor – which were obviously cold, wet, and unpleasant to stand on while brushing our teeth in the morning.
AMENITIES
First of all, let’s talk about the amenity that makes or breaks a hotel experience for most of us – WiFi! It was super-fast, seamless and at no additional charge!
Another important aspect is that travel assistance is provided. The receptionist tells you what you would be able to cover given your time in the city. He maps out the stops in sequence and even arranges a driver for the day. We paid Rs. 1600/- and used the car from 10 am to 5:30 pm. Things we saw include Bibi Ka Maqbara, Ellora Caves. Aurangzeb’s resting place, a temple, a water mill and we also took a coffee break. We did have the option to stop at a couple of other places, but since none of us were interested in the silk museum and things like that, we passed it up. Given the distance travelled, it is a reasonable fare.
THE FOOD
Apparently, the buffet dinners are to die for, but I didn’t stay at Hotel Green Olive long enough to try it. As far as the complimentary breakfast goes, it was way too simple for a restaurant of this standard. Simple bread, butter, jam, and eggs with one or two South Indian breakfast options comprised the breakfast menu. Oh, and two varieties of fruits and tea + coffee were offered too. Definite improvements are needed here!
WHAT I LOVED
The staff was very polite and went out of their way to cater to our requirements.
Proximity to points of interest and a knowledgeable driver to take care of mapping out routes.
WHAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER
The breakfast is far too modest for a hotel that presents itself in such an up-market fashion!
A bigger cupboard – it’s cramped with no drawers!
We got a wake-up call every morning, multiple times, whether we liked it or not. We could have done without that.
The bathroom can be improved. The motion sensor lights tend to go off and on when you’re in the shower. Took me a while to figure that out, and got thoroughly spooked until then. Too many horror movies, I guess!
GET IN TOUCH:
Cost per night – Rs. 4000/- for 2 Adults
Hotel Green Olive, 13/3 Bhagya Nagar, CBS Road, Beside Punjab National Bank, Near Baba Petrol Pump, Aurangabad- 431 001. Maharashtra.
http://www.hotelgreenolive.com/
That wraps up my review of Hotel Green Olive. If you’ve ever been to the city, I’d love to know more about where you stayed. Comment below! Also, don’t miss reading this post I wrote about Phoebe’s Farm, Mumbai.
Bye for now!