Puri is a city and a municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. I went to Puri on June 22nd, 2017. It was during the Chariot Festival(Rath Yatra). During Rath Yatra, Puri, is a busy place with people coming here from all over the world for this auspicious occasion. All the hotels had to be booked at the earliest(4 months before going) otherwise going there and finding a holiday home or any hotel would be difficult.
Other times it is not so much difficult to get accomodations. There are lots of Hotels and the place is quiet clean. For a short holiday trip, Puri, is the best place to go and enjoy. Nowadays online hotel bookings have made it a bit easier for the tourists to book any hotel beforehand. You can book the hotels at an affordable price. Both AC and Non-AC rooms are available.
The Puri Hotel is the oldest among all hotels in Puri and is situated close to the beach. The vast Bay Of Bengal attracts tourists throughout the year.
For offering puja in Jagannath temple you will have to contact "Pandas" beforehand.
Local Sightseeings: Puri Beach, Konark Sun Temple, Lord Jagannath Temple, Chilika Lake, Chandrabhaga Beach, Gundicha Temple, Swargadwar, Sakshi Gopal Temple etc.
For short vacations, I would suggest Puri to be the first preference.
And to talk about Safety, the government and the police are always there to help you in your needs. Also during beach hours there are life guards and coast guards near the shore to keep a watch on the visitors taking a bath in the sea and take care of any mishaps.
Overall Awesome place.Vast sea, Moderate warm climate and lots of Hotels for a perfect vacation.