Now, I won't pretend that Broadlands is for everybody. Indeed, it's a bit of an acquired passion. You need a bit of soul to dig it, because that's what this place is all about.. Soul. It's a great rambling grubby place; full of odd nooks crannies and secrets. Good ghosts haunt it; old ravens roost in the eves and great tree in the inner courtyard; kitties poke and wander about.. Folks come and stay weeks, months, meaning that this place is much more a boarding house than mere hotel.
First, the great practical appeal of this place is that it is cheap. Accordingly, the amenities in most of the rooms are very simple: a clean bed, fan, wicker chair, folding metal chair and writing desk. Communal Indian style shower and toilet facilities. Nothing less or more. The rooms vary in size (and hence price, starting a couple hundred rupees for the smallest and simplest rooms), some have balconies or windows facing the Wallajah (Big) Mosque, which makes the usual racket that mosques tend to make at the customary times. A few rooms have their own toilet and shower en suite, and there are two such very airy and open rooms on the roof that are especially nice; you should make advance reservations for these if you happen to covet them. There are nice patio spaces on the roof where you can sunbathe or have evening get togethers, and there are...Now, I won't pretend that Broadlands is for everybody. Indeed, it's a bit of an acquired passion. You need a bit of soul to dig it, because that's what this place is all about.. Soul. It's a great rambling grubby place; full of odd nooks crannies and secrets. Good ghosts haunt it; old ravens roost in the eves and great tree in the inner courtyard; kitties poke and wander about.. Folks come and stay weeks, months, meaning that this place is much more a boarding house than mere hotel.
First, the great practical appeal of this place is that it is cheap. Accordingly, the amenities in most of the rooms are very simple: a clean bed, fan, wicker chair, folding metal chair and writing desk. Communal Indian style shower and toilet facilities. Nothing less or more. The rooms vary in size (and hence price, starting a couple hundred rupees for the smallest and simplest rooms), some have balconies or windows facing the Wallajah (Big) Mosque, which makes the usual racket that mosques tend to make at the customary times. A few rooms have their own toilet and shower en suite, and there are two such very airy and open rooms on the roof that are especially nice; you should make advance reservations for these if you happen to covet them. There are nice patio spaces on the roof where you can sunbathe or have evening get togethers, and there are a few courtyard and lounge spaces to relax in as well.
There is typically touch and go Indian wifi available for 25 rupee an hour next to reception, and you can get drinks there as well. You can order lunch, dinner, beer and tea out. Raja, Mehendra, Salvo, Krishna and the rest of the staff are super - they will do whatever they can to make your stay in Chennai great.
Tell your tuk tuk guy to take you to Triplicane (Trip la khan - like Cannes, on the Cote d'Azure) High Road, next to the mosque. The Paradise hotel is right next door, so if you show up without reservations and there's no room (not unusual circumstances) there is your backup, with a lot less soul but hot water. Decent Indian food - with Chicken etc, because the places are owned by Muslims - is on the street. Sealord and Firdous Hotels are on Triplicane HR- the Saravan Bhavan pure veg chain has a couple locations about ten minutes toward the trainstation by foot; and there are a load of cheap eats on Veeraghava (Big) Street, one block to the east toward the Bay of Bengal across Triplicane HR from Broadlands.
Like I say, Broadlands is the sort of place that...More
Show less
