On my recent trip to Shirdi (my first in my lifetime), I had to understand a bit about the accommodation criteria as there are lot of private or Tourism Board hotels and also dormitories run by the Temple authorities. I did not know much about the place and did not have the time to explore. In short, I stayed at the MTDC Guest House(just a few buildings behind the temple). After the Darshan in the morning, I went to this hotel(Sai Palace Budget Hotel) to sip early morning coffee and also breakfast. I found that the pure vegetarian restaurant is good and so were the rooms well kept on a quick look. The tariffs did not vary too much from MTDC and the upkeep o the rooms are way above in comparison to MTDC. The restaurant is open from 0600 to 2300 Hrs. and we got fresh food. Ofcourse there is one thing useful in staying here, its very near to the temple, so, useful(Rajeev_Vermacially for senior citizens) in going to and fro. Pure vegetarian food(onion and garlic used in some dishes, though) in a clean atmosphere.
Here is some useful information about this hotel(as on early NOV 2011):
Tariff of Superior Rooms(72 in number):
MON-FRI: INR1200(Non-AC), INR1400(AC)
SAT, SUN and Public Holidays: INR1400(Non-AC), INR1600(AC)
Tariff of Deluxe Rooms(9 in number):
MON-FRI: INR1600(AC)
SAT, SUN and Public Holidays: INR1800(AC)
Government taxes are included in the rates above.
Checkout-time: 1000 Hrs.
(Why the differential tariff, I really do not know!)
Guest Room Features:
LCD TV with cable connection, Running hot water from 0200-1000 Hrs. and Telephone with direct dial facility, Safety Lockers, Doctor on Call, Travel Desk
Of course almost all accommodations in the Shirdi do not allow one to indulge in playing cards and Alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Contact Information:
Near Saibaba Temple, Pimpalwadi Road, Shirdi Taluka Rahata, Ahmednagar District. Pin 423109
Phone:+91 2423 258181 to 84; Fax:+91 2423 258186
E-mail: shirdi@saipalacehotels.com
Website: https://saipalacehotels.com
Well, this is my personal opinion on this place of stay as on most of my travels, like others, I ensure there is a safe and sound place to stay and eat. This time I ate here, well next I plan to stay and eat here:) Till next time.