Bungalow 99

It’s possible to stay at every five-star hotel in Delhi and still feel vague unease in them. The lobbies are magnificent, and yet, something about a breakfast buffet the size of a cricket pitch doesn't quite add up to comfort. Bungalow 99, on a leafy lane in Defence Colony, is the answer.

This is a bed-and-breakfast in the truest sense of the word. Two bungalows sit on the same genteel street in one of South Delhi's most excellent neighbourhoods. Each has the same smart concept – three rooms per floor, arranged around a shared living room, a verandah you'll find hard to leave, and a full private kitchen that is well stocked. For travellers who like meeting other travellers, book a single room and share the common spaces with fellow guests. Book the whole floor and enjoy the privacy that comes with it. You can book it for a night or a whole month. The flexibility makes this a great bet.

What to expect

The rooms themselves are small-ish, but thoughtfully done. Clean lines, gentle furnishings, good natural light, and a bathroom that several guests have described as ‘sumptuous’, which is not a word one typically deploys for a B&B. 

Air purifiers are available in every room, but to be fair, that’s more of a moral choice and less a luxury in Delhi. There's a washing machine on each floor, a water purifier for refilling bottles, and enough plug sockets to charge every device you brought. Small things, but the kind of small things that make the difference between a hotel and a home away from home. Then there's breakfast which is fresh, generous, and served by staff who are among the most warm in the city. The owner, Aditya Dhirani personally likes to greet his guests, a wonderfully hospitable gesture, especially if this is your first trip to Delhi.

The neighbourhood

Defence Colony is what Delhi optimists mean when they say the city has a quieter side: tree-lined streets, a buzzing market block five minutes on foot, Hazrat Nizamuddin a short auto-rickshaw away, Lodhi Garden and Khan Market both within easy reach. Humayun's Tomb is 4.2 kilometres away, India Gate not much further. You are not in the thick of anything, which is the point, except some of the city’s best small art spots, best known together as the eleven Def Col Art Galleries. You are in the kind of residential neighbourhood where you take an evening walk without meaning to and come back having eaten somewhere excellent entirely by accident.

Bungalow 99 won't suit everyone, though. If you need a gym, a spa, or a lobby bar in which to conduct slightly performative laptop work, look elsewhere. But if what you want is a peaceful stay and breakfast worth getting up for, this is one of the best-value stays in the city. 

Time Out tip: Book the whole floor if you're travelling as a group.  The verandah alone is worth the upgrade. And whatever you do, don't skip breakfast.