Bihar elections: Poll season exposes Patna's paucity of good hotel rooms

PATNA: The paucity of hotel rooms in Patna is showing with top hotels in the city full due to the election fever.

Hotel Maurya has been booked by political parties, with the conference hall doubling up as the main venue for events hosted by them as well as TV channels. A "sold out" message is sent if you try to reserve a room at Chanakya Hotel. It's a similar situation at the other large hotels in the city.

Rooms at the recently opened Taj (IHCL) are going for Rs 18,000-20,000 a night, according to tariffs on travel booking sites. IHCL has also opened a budget hotel in the city.

"Rooms are booked by the parties for politicians even if they have to be left empty. They know how tough it is to find a room here if the need arises," says an executive at Maurya, which has around 80 rooms.

The state capital has failed to keep pace with the demand for room capacity in hotels. Both Maurya and Chanakya have been around for over four decades, and the Bihar govt-run hotel is under renovation.

While there was no major addition to the inventory in the 1990s and early part of the 21st century due to the law and order situation, prohibition in the state has since resulted in several plans being grounded. The ban on sale and consumption of alcohol has prompted several visitors to the state to undertake day trips, with weddings and conferences moving out of Bihar as well.

The story is similar in other major cities in the state, and the absence of quality hotels reminds visitors of the gap between Bihar and other states. With the economy growing at a fast clip and more business expected in the coming years, there is talk of a couple of international chains looking to establish a presence in the state. But a lot will depend on the poll outcome.