India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (84 page)

Note:
During the quieter summer and monsoon months, the resort runs a 2- night, 3-day “Amazing Weekends” package (Rs 14,600 double, including accommodation, meals, robes, HIV test, and your daily meditation pass)—it’s an excellent deal, and great value if your time is limited or you need to test the waters before committing to a longer stay. However, it’s worth noting that 2 days is really just enough time to find your feet—if you want to experience a profound shift, you’d do well to make a longer commitment.

17 Koregaon Park.
020/6601-9999.
www.osho.com
. Daily meditation pass Rs 550. Entry to the resort is dependent on obtaining a negative result on an HIV test conducted at the Resort’s Visitor Centre during the registration process.

WHERE TO STAY

Pune has a vast selection of hotels, including several newly built upscale properties aimed at the burgeoning business market. Many of these are very conveniently located within walking distance of the Osho Resort, which also has its own very efficient, very Zen, guesthouse (reviewed below)

A Home Away from Home in Pune

Pune’s packed with accommodations, but most of these cater to the city’s multitudinous business travelers—so if you want anonymity and kid-glove service you’ll find it easily enough. The perfect antidote for anyone who’s grown weary of hotel blandness is
Casa Nava
(
98-2316-9507;
www.casanava.com
), a string of individually designed apartments (from studios to three-bedroom units) that can be rented for a day, a week, or as long as you want. Each flat is personally furnished and decorated by Nava Sanders, an Israeli interior designer who arrived in Pune 15 years ago and fell in love with the place. Today, she braves the traffic on her little scooter, keeping an eye on nearly 30 different places in and around the tree-filled lanes of Koregaon Park, and all convenient for the Meditation Resort. Each chic little unit has its own character—decor is a mix of effervescent European design, traditional Indian art, hand-picked fabrics (and curtains made from recycled saris), and bold colors or cheerful motifs that tie everything together. Each bright, light-filled, slightly boho property is tended by a housekeeper and there’s a handyman to deal with any potential problems. It’s like being a full-on resident, but without the hassle. Besides which, Nava herself is always on hand to assist—she recommends restaurants, gyms, spas, and salons, helps with travel arrangements, and lets you in on the best shopping secrets. Top picks include the Zen-simple White House apartment, with a rooftop balcony poised above the neighborhood park, and the “Studio Flat” at Casa Shanti—an enormous space with a river view, statues of Hindu gods, and a wonderful, partially covered terrace. Each unit has a full kitchen with enough bits and pieces to make it feel just like home—Nava will show you where to shop for groceries. All this, and the price is just perfect, too—from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 per night for a one-bedroom apartment, to Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000 for a two-bedroom unit; there are larger places, too. Your laundry gets done for Rs 200 per week, and most electricity (within reason) is included in the price.

Expensive

In addition to the better-located hotels reviewed below, another interesting choice is Pune’s very own version of
The Gordon House Hotel
(132A University Rd., Ganeshkind;
022/6604-4100/4;
www.ghhotel.com
) where, as with the two sister hotels in Mumbai, rooms are characterized by a theme. You can go for the clean-lined Ikea look of the Scandinavian rooms or the overly dainty apple green and floral ensemble in the Country rooms—but we definitely think you’ll have more fun in either the macho “Don’s Den” or minimalist “Zen & Now” suites. The hotel has a lovely light-filled lounge, a restaurant with live music, a spa, and access to a five-screen multiplex and shopping mall, all of which is only going to prove distracting if you’re trying to get in touch with the inner you through daily meditation.

The O Hotel
This glitzy, fresh hotel is all about good looks, kinky design-centric novelties, and high-level pampering; ultimately, it’s quite a bit of fun, too. Everywhere you look there’s a quirky feature, whether it’s the huge variety of unusual light fittings, the dreamy use of colors and patterns, the starlight effects in the elevators, or great views from the rooftop pool (where you can dine at tables parked in the water). Rooms are sleek, slick, ultramodern spaces with bathrooms divided from the living area by a curtain that can be pulled back to allow you to watch TV while lying in the tub. Aside from a pillow menu featuring, among others, a mustard pillow, there are thick, firm mattresses with lusciously soft linens, and very cushy leather armchairs. The spa features a set of open-air rooftop cabanas—beautiful massage spaces with views over Koregaon Park; lying here, you can see Osho’s main auditorium, probably before drifting off into a beautiful reverie.

North Main Rd., Koregaon Park, Pune 411 001.
020/4001-1000.
Fax 020/4001-1009.
www.ohotelsindia.com
. 112 units. Rs 11,500 deluxe double; Rs 13,500 Club double; Rs 17,500 suite. Rates include breakfast and airport transfers; 10% tax extra. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
3 restaurant; including Addah (see “Where to Dine,” below), outdoor hookah lounge, 2 bars; free airport transfers; health club and spa; large outdoor rooftop pool; room service; Wi-Fi (in lobby; Rs 400/hr.). In room: A/C, TV w/video on demand, hair dryer, Internet (broadband; Rs 393/hr.; Rs 770/day), minibar.

St. Laurn
Panels of primary colors add a dash of fun to the steel and glass facade of this smart, contemporary hotel that opened in 2007. Step inside and it feels as though you’ve entered a compact version of a modern airport—in fact, even the staff uniforms resemble airline outfits. Lots of mirrors and massive windows help create an illusion of space; swaths of marble and straight, unfussy lines keep things looking slick and impeccably professional. The rooms are thoroughly modern, yet—thanks to a designer’s touch—rather handsome, with wood flooring, smart rugs, leather headboards, and glass walls separating the bathroom from the sleeping area. There’s a rooftop pool with 360-degree views of the city and leafy Koregaon Park; you can also get a good view from your room if you book an odd-numbered unit on floors five, six, or seven.