by Santorini Dave • Updated: June 19, 2019
Hotel Pushp Villa – Modest, compact, likeable, and more affordable than rivals.
Despite the name, there are no villas – only spacious rooms and suites featuring an appealing décor. Some have separate living areas, while most face the undersized but serviceable pool to the side or better, the cricket pitch and vegetable gardens of an adjacent hotel. As a boutique hotel, the staff is more personable and rates considerably less expensive than major resorts. Added attractions are the city’s only revolving restaurant on the top floor and an uncommon bar at ground level. In a quieter part of Agra and along a far less chaotic road than other hotels, it’s not too far from the Taj Mahal.
Hotel Pushp Villa – The Location
- Address: Southern part of Taj East Gate Road (also called VIP Road) which extends as far as the Taj.
- Area: In a safe and reasonably clean area. A few places to eat nearby, as well as a mall, but these are set up more for locals than tourists.
- How to Get There: About 2km from the Taj Mahal (8-minute drive); 8km from the Agra Cantonment Railway Station, which has most services to/from Delhi and Jaipur (17-minute drive); and 14km from the new airport (34-minute drive). All are accessible by taxi or auto-rickshaw.
Hotel Pushp Villa – The Basics
- Guests: Caters for all, including Indian business people and foreign tourists.
- Views: Choose carefully. Some rooms face the pool and an empty property alongside the hotel. Far better are those at the back which face the gardens and lawns (of another hotel).
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Neither expected nor provided at a mid-range hotel like this in Agra.
- Extras: Newspaper delivered daily to each room.
- Wi-Fi: Available free throughout for all guests.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +91 (0)562 233 4301
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: hotelpushpvilla.com
Hotel Pushp Villa – Amenities
- Pool: Tiny and uninviting, but decent enough during a hot day.
- Spa: The Elixir Spa is quite large. Many hotels in Agra 1-2 stars higher don’t even have a spa.
- Fitness Center: Not expected or provided.
- Other Facilities: Laundry. Business services. Travel desk. Money-changing.
Hotel Pushp Villa – Food and Drink
- Restaurants & Bars: Rates also available that include lunch and/or dinner. Merry Go-Round – Agra’s only revolving restaurant is not as quick as the name might suggest(!). Contemporary western, Indian, and Chinese cuisine, with exquisite views from the top floor, but too far from the Taj Mahal. • Fuel – Tiny bar at the lobby level.
- Breakfast: Costs extra but worth paying for.
- Room Service: Available during restaurant hours – 7 am to 9.30 pm.
Hotel Pushp Villa – Rooms
- Room Types: Executive Rooms • Executive Suite Rooms • Taj Suite Rooms
- Smoking Rooms: Some rooms allow smoking, if requested.
- Best Room: Taj Suite Rooms offer a corner position with abundant floor-to-ceiling windows and separate living/dining areas.
- For Families: An extra bed can easily be added to any room. The 2 sofas in the Suite Rooms can be converted into single beds, allowing space for 4-member families.
Hotel Pushp Villa – Local Transport
- Walking & Cycling: Streets around the hotel are flat and quiet, and some even have sidewalks. Nowhere to rent bicycles in the immediate area, but some travel agencies and cafés do so along Taj East Gate Road, near the Oberoi hotel, 1.5km away.
- Public Transport: Nothing of any use to tourists.
- Taxis & Auto-rickshaws: Taxis (unmetered) are hard to find because they’re rarely needed in this area. If required, arrange through the hotel reception, or book an Ola cab. Plenty of auto-rickshaws and a few cycle-rickshaws can be found along the road outside.
Hotel Pushp Villa – What’s Nearby?
Restaurants & Bars
A range of low-key places set up for locals but of course, tourists are always welcome and menus are in English.
- Golden Street Restaurant – Street-side courtyard and swanky interior. Opposite the hotel entrance. 1-minute walk.
- FOYER Restaurant & Café +91 90840 95462 – Cute, friendly, and authentic. Less than 100m northwest up the road. 1-minute walk (65m).
- Taj Rasoi – Another modest but inexpensive eatery for authentic meals at local prices. Just past the FOYER. 2-minute walk (130m).
- Trident Agra – At a corner down the road, 350m to the southeast. Majestic hotel, offering buffet lunches and delicious a la carte meals all day. 4-minute walk (350m).
- Taj Hotel and Convention Centre – Previously known as the Radisson Blu Agra and Mansion Grand. Many options at this ultra-modern resort, about 500m up the road towards the Taj, including Daawat-e-Nawab (award-winning Indian cuisine), Palato (massive, with extended menu), and Infini – The Sky Lounge (rooftop pool, trendy DJs, and Taj views). 7-minute walk (550m).
Shops
- The low-key and Indian-style TDI Mall is about 600m away, southeast down the road and turn right at the corner (8-minute walk). Bit forlorn with many empty shops, but a few decent places to spend some Rupees.
Attractions
- The Taj Mahal is certainly Agra’s, and possibly India’s, number one attraction. The ticket office at the East Gate is only 8 minutes (2km) by auto-rickshaw, and even walkable. Separate entries for men and women. Open from sunrise to sunset, but closed on Fridays.
- Agra Fort – The grand Red Fort (Lal Qila) symbolizes power and resilience. Partly occupied by the Indian Army, tourists can still see multiple mosques, palaces, and other structures inside this vast monument located close to the city center. Open from 6 am to 6 pm on all days. 14-minute drive (5km).
- Itimad-ud-Daula – Popularly thought of as the first draft of the Taj Mahal, and often known as “Baby Taj”. The tomb is the first marble structure built by the Mughals and features intricate lattice work. Open from sunrise to sunset. 23-minute drive (9km).
- Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary – A haven for several species of birds and a must-visit for wildlife photographers. Apart from birds, it also houses pythons and Wildlife SOS, the largest bear rescue center in India, as well as the only elephant hospital in the country. 50-minute drive (26km).
- Fatehpur Sikri – This majestic red sandstone fort is known for the Buland Darwaza, Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chishti, Diwan-i-Aam, Diwani-i-Khas, and several other monuments on-site. Built in the 16th-century by Emperor Akbar to celebrate the birth of his son, Jahangir, in Sikri. Open daily from 6 am to 6 pm. Tickets can be bought online from various travel portals or at the fort entrance. 1-hour drive (42km).
Hotel Pushp Villa – The Hotel
This mid-range hotel is along a comparatively quiet street in the center of Agra, and only 2km from the Taj Mahal.
The back of the hotel – and some rooms – face a cricket pitch which belongs to the neighboring Trident Agra hotel.
Despite the name, Pushp doesn’t offer villas, but is a comfortable and functional hotel, more affordable than most in the area.
The sizeable Elixir Spa is in the hotel basement.
A rarity among rivals of this standard is the bar just off the reception area.
Some rooms overlook the pool and an empty parcel of land next door, while others face the cricket pitch and gardens to the back.
All rooms are more spacious than imagined, and feature a likeable décor.
Even more roomy and comfortable are the Suite Rooms.
Suite Rooms are nicely-furnished and are ideal for families.
There are spacious sitting areas in the Suite Rooms with 2 sofas which can convert to single beds.
Facilities along the road outside the hotel are more for locals than tourists, but the general area is comparatively quiet, safe, and clean.
Across the road from the hotel, the Golden Street Restaurant offers a shady courtyard and swish interior.
Just up the road, less than 100m away, is the friendly and quaint FOYER Restaurant & Café.
Taj Rasoi is another authentic and inexpensive restaurant within a few minutes’ walk of the hotel.
Only a 5-minute stroll up the road (towards the Taj Mahal), the Taj Hotel & Convention Centre offers several excellent places to eat and drink, including the massive Palato restaurant.
Also within the Taj Hotel & Convention Centre, the sophisticated Daawat-e-Nawab restaurant provides exquisite décor and wonderful Indian cuisine.
About 5 minutes’ walk down the road is Trident Agra, a likeable hotel with an excellent restaurant offering buffets at lunch.
Facilities along the road outside the hotel are more suited to locals than tourists, but it’s still an interesting (and safe) area to explore on foot.
There is nowhere locally to rent bicycles, so the best way to get around is by auto-rickshaw.
The ticket office for the East Gate to the Taj Mahal is about 5 minutes’ by auto-rickshaw, and easy enough to walk to (2km).
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