India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [303]
The most atmospheric place to dine in the city at night (weather permitting) is on a rooftop with a view of the temple goparums. In the city center your two best options are the pleasant Mogul Rooftop Barbeque Grill House at Royal Court (see below), where a good meal will never break the bank (note however that no alcohol is served), or the equally good-value vegetarian restaurant Surya (where alcohol is served but no meat). Surya, within sight of Mogul, is located on the rooftop of the Hotel Supreme (entrance from West Perumal Masonry St.; exit the temple’s West Gate and walk down Town Hall road, then turn right into West Perumal).
For a more fine-dining occasion, look no further than On Board, the elevated al fresco terrace at the Taj (not to be confused with The View, where cuisine standards are patchy). There is a very good set menu (predominantly tandoor-style kebabs), and it is only open at night, when the city sparkles at your feet. The menu is priced at Rs 1,500 (plus taxes) but is well worth the splurge for the atmosphere alone.
GRT Regency It’s big and it’s bland, but this professionally run hotel—part of the small but growing South Indian GRT chain—is the best-value option in its price category. The deluxe rooms, renovated in 2009, are definitely worth the extra Rs 1,000 per room, featuring all the modern touches you’d expect from an upmarket corporate hotel (standard rooms are same size and comfortable, but decor is very dated). It’s a slickly managed outfit, with generous touches (free Wi-Fi and daily newspapers) designed to make guests feel at home (the exception being the pool area, which could do with a bit of screening and greening). It’s not walking distance to anything, so you have to catch a taxi to get to Madurai’s atmospheric streets; if this is important, book Royal Court. Alternatively, if you like your hotels to have character and atmosphere, you’d be better off at the Gateway (assuming you’re happy to pay for the privilege).
38 Madakulam Rd., TPK Rd., NH7, Palanganatham Signal Junction, Madurai 625003. 0452/237-1155.www.grthotels.com. mail@grtregency.com. Rs 3,750 standard double; Rs 4,750 deluxe double. Rates include breakfast; exclude taxes. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; airport transfer (Rs 500); Ayurvedic massages; babysitting; gym; pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (free).
Heritance Madurai At last, Madurai has a stylish, luxurious boutique hotel to cater for the well heeled; a lush, peaceful oasis (like The Gateway, though with none of The Gateway’s glorious views) located around 15 minutes’ drive from the Meenakshi Temple. Opened in late 2008 on the sprawling grounds of what used to be the Old Madurai Club, the Heritance is still a work in progress (Wi-Fi is planned but not yet available). But it is clear just how classy the final outcome will be, with the club buildings, once private gathering place for the wealthy textile mill owners, artfully renovated, and new villas built in similar style using local and recycled materials, including honey-colored Nagamali Hills granite, stone slabs from abandoned textile mills, and Chettinad doors and pillars taken from derelict homes. The Luxury Villas are huge, each with separate private plunge pool and gorgeous drench shower rooms; the seven Club Rooms, all opening onto a deep shared stoep (veranda), offer exceptional value, given that they enjoy access to all the same facilities, including the magnificent swimming pool, prettiest in Tamil Nadu.
11, Melakkal Main Rd., Kochada, Madurai 625 004.