OK it is not perfect or 5 star, but it met our requirements completely for a good quality small hotel. Small but spotlessly clean room with flat screen TV, a shower with hot water, a full complement of towels for 2, tea and coffee making equipment and believe it or not duvets and not blankets on a bed not made entirely of iron. The service was friendly and efficient and we had a lunch and dinner in the restaurant which catered for a variety of tastes and served us lovely south Indian food at good prices. The building itself is a bit strange with an odd arrangement of floors and lifts, and Hassan itself is not attractive for a tourist, but we can thouroughly recommend the Southern Star as a base for visiting Helebid, Belur and Sravanabelagola temples.

Hotel Southern Star is a fine place to stay for a couple of days while visiting the temples near Hassan. It is clean and comfortable. The staff were helpful and the restaurant food and service were good. Hassan city is not an inspiring place so don't linger too long!

India travel itineraries at times leave tourists with a need to overnight in a city which offers nothing more than the convenience to future sightseeing locations. Hassan and the Southern Star Hotel fills that need. This growing city in the center of the southern state of Karnataka, is a logistical staging point for tourists arriving from Shravanabelagola and moving on to Belur and Halebid. So, Southern Star Hotel became my bed du jour for two nights as I completed just such an itinerary.

The multi-level building is offset from the main highway in a quiet neighborhood surrounding; a short walk from the main market but away from the incessant traffic drone which can last into the wee hours. As part of a corporate chain (USHA-Lexus), the same mid-range amenities in comparable hotels can be seen throughout the guest experience: friendly efficient check in, luggage service to the room, western toilets with shower and full time running hot water, TV, phone and room service.

My arrival time happened to coincide with the in-take of 2 charter buses carrying a full load of Russian tourists. Their luggage was strewn about the lobby as the limited number of bell boys scurried to make sense of the situation. But this didn't pose a problem for me or my travel companion. We easily skirted past the crowd to the front desk, presented our hotel voucher and were sent on our way to a clean, sun soaked room over looking the front entrance and adjoining road below. Unfortunately the WiFi service promised on the hotel website was "not working". Although the WiFi boxes were prevalent in the hallways, my laptop was DOA. So much for Skype in Hassan.

Morning breakfast (included with room) was served in the common dining area. On morning #1, we had no choice but to take the buffet offered to accommodate the bus crowd from the night before. A rather dull presentation of continental foods mixed with lightly spiced Indian fare was enough to stop the stomach pains but not a memorable meal by any stretch. On morning #2, we were thrilled to find an empty dining hall, two waiters along with menus offering South Indian foods. It took no time to decide we needed idlis and dosa with all the trimmings. Our waiter was thrilled to be sending a proper order to the kitchen rather than eggs and toast. Much to our surprise and the smiley satisfaction of the waiters, both plates were far better than expected.

Overnight guests will especially appreciate the quiet, safe neighborhood just outside the front door providing a great opportunity for morning exercise. Walkers can pick up hot chai a few blocks away, watch kids walk to school, listen to the street merchants open up for the day and catch a glimpse of the local women scurrying off to temple. Along with easy access to the popular sightseeing, Southern Star offers just what a weary traveler needs: clean rooms, peace & quiet, neat & clean toilet with shower and decent food.

© 2010 FullStopIndia.com India Travel Blog

Like most other visitors we used Hassan as a base to visit the wonderfull Hoysala temples at Belur and Halebid. In retrospect we should have used the excellent state tourist board hotel at Belur - half the price and immaculate.

The rooms were clean and good and the bathrooms clean but tatty. Food and service were average but un-inspiring. The veg restaurant at The Suvarma Regency was better. This is quite possibly the best choice in Hassan but the best choice is to avoid Hassan.