Mumbai, India

Accommodation: Hotel Lawrence in Fort, Mumbai

To make reservations: No website, call 22843618 (+91 country code, 022 city code).

I've stayed at Hotel Lawrence half a dozen times over the last year, and I've always enjoyed it. There are only 9 rooms, and the staff is incredibly nice. While traveling alone, I invited the owner to dinner twice, and each time he dropped what he was doing and joined me. He was a great man who, over an excellent seafood meal, told me about his life and about Mumbai. Single rooms at 700 Rupees, Doubles 800 Rupees, and Triples 1000 Rupees. There are some things to know beforehand to make your stay as comfortable as possible: bring your own toilet paper, your own bed sheet (clothing, towels, or sleeping bag liners work great), and, depending on the day of the week and which direction your room faces, earplugs if you go to bed before 1 or 2 am. They provide drinking water, breakfast and tea, and all the help you could want. The bathrooms are not attached to the rooms, but there is warm water (which you won't need in humid Mumbai) and privacy. The location can't really be beaten if you want to be in the more touristy section of town. On the border between Colaba and Fort, Hotel Lawrence is close to some of the best restaurants and sights in Mumbai's popular south side.