What's so good about this place? Serenity. Immerse yourself in the frenzy of India but here there is an option to take a breather. The staff are imbued with a universal "helpful" gene.
And the bad? Try getting across the roundabout next door to the hotel. Go on, I dare you. One afternoon, when poor rationing had seen my two slabs of Whittaker's hokey pokey chocolate disappear within a fortnight, I thought I'd treat myself to a couple of Subway cookies as a break from 24/7 curries. Gliding with the traffic while staring into the whites of the drivers' eyes was unforgettable. However, I panicked when a bus barrelled around the corner on two wheels and scrambled back to my room a gibbering mess. Cue serenity.
What's in the neighbourhood? Cars, auto-rickshaws and buses that could have completed the stunt scenes in Speed. The Shreemaya is dry, but 300m along the road The Lemon Tree has a cracking boozer with an antique chess set and pool table.
Food and drink? The breakfast was a delight. I try to go local in India which meant stuffing myself with masala dosa, dhal, paratha and lassi. Once the staff established my routine they delivered everything to the table, including a cup of tea made to my specs.
The bed? A comfortable queen. It must've been. I conked out within seconds every night while the test was on.
Bathroom? The hot water took a while to work through the pipes ... a minor blemish. Quibbling now, but constipation's hardly rife when you tour India, so the one-ply dunny rolls cut it a bit fine on the absorption front.
Noise: A highlight with the perpetual soundtrack of parping horns. I opened the window and had instant "theatre of the mind" for my radio work. Then a local festival started and the fireworks sounded like bombs going off, adding spice to live interviews. Nothing disrupted my sleep.
Perfect as: A refuge on any trip to Indore.
Would I return? Without doubt, because of how the customer service exceeded expectations ...and to have another crack at that roundabout.
