Right, so the title bought you here, and if you are here it means two things:
- You are looking for some alone time with your love, or
- You are one of those who plan for the future :)
Yes, we know about all the issues and rants a couple faces when they want to rent a room. Those awkward stares, those totally idiotic reasons and the ‘extra charge’ scenarios, but who cares?
You obviously can’t take your unmarried partner home and snuggle while watching a romantic movie. Man! What you wouldn’t do to just stay relaxed for a couple of hours without worrying about the door bell ringing.
We have listed down a few places where you can get the privacy you need for a couple of hours. Catch up on a movie or have that massive fight that has been brewing, gossip endlessly with no one listening or just have that ‘serious talk’. These hotels will let you be for as long as you need.
Stayuncle is currently the biggest player in this segment. This Delhi-based start-up is functional in Mumbai, Delhi and Gurgaon and soon plans to expand to other cities. Even though you don’t have the flexibility of choosing 2 or 3 hours, you are given the option to book for 10 hour slots. Their USP is that they do not judge you for being unmarried and wanting to rent a room. With 60 hotels already in their kitty, the rates vary anywhere between 1400 INR to 5000 INR for a 10 hour slot; depending upon the hotel and location. They have 2 defined slots – 10 am to 7 pm and 9 pm to 8 am.
Another start-up making waves in this sector is Gurgaon based Mistay. Unlike Stayuncle which offers only 2 slots, Mistay offers 3 different slots for couples to rent. These are 8 am to 11 am, 12 pm to 7 pm and 8 pm to 7 am. The rates at Mistay are more affordable as compared to Stayuncle. However, that is generally because of the quality of the hotels rather than any deep discounts. Mistay is currently functional in Gurgaon, Mumbai and Delhi.
Chaturmusafir.com offers greater flexibility than the prior 2 start-ups since it lets you decide the time of check-in and allows you to select options for 3 hours, 6 hours or 12 hours. However the only disadvantage is that it does not allow you to browse through available hotels. On the other hand, you need to generate an online request on their website mentioning the date, check-in timing and the number of hours you would like to rent a room. The hotels that are interested in accommodating you will get in touch with you within an hour; after which you can complete the payment
OTHERS
Apart from these market players, there are several small and big hotels, as well as service apartments that allow unmarried couples to rent out rooms. Some may offer a room on an hourly basis, whereas some may charge for 24 hours; depending upon the owner’s discretion. This sector is largely unregulated and you never know which hotels are open to renting out rooms to unmarried couples and which aren’t.
This is the beginning, it won’t be too long before most hotels will bring in the change and make life much easier.
