Sunita homestay — Hotel in Agra

Sunitas Homestay is a very nice place to stay for several nights in Agra! Sunita, her husband, and the staff are super nice, helpful, and caring. You'll feel at home immediately. Plus, it is a real homestay. The two live on the ground floor. The guest rooms are on the second floor. They're divided by metal sliding doors, which do block sight but not much noise. However, during my stay the guests were all fairly considerate. I find it hard to give a specific rating as it really depends on what you compare places in India with. Compared to other Indian places, it was one of the best. Compared to western standards, there were a few things worth mentioning: I had the single room which had no window but enough lights. The bed had one cleaned blanket on the bottom, one sheet, and three warm multiple-use blankets. Furthermore, Sunita told me it's 150 for breakfast and 250 for dinner, however, when I payed I was asked to pay 250 and 350, respectively. The prices are still totally ok, and the food is delicious, so totally recommended! But for me personally, I don't want to be treated this way. Particularly, as other guests were asked to pay the lower rates. Lastly, punctuality is not their strong suite, even if you're promised tht it'll be on time for you to catch the train, so make sure you plan 30min buffer time yourself. To end on a good note, the handycraft tour with Guru was super nice, there is free filter water for refills, and they'll do everything in their power to make you feel welcome...

Sunita Homestay was, without a doubt, THE best place we stayed at in our 3-week India trip. The name actually sums it up perfectly: it truly is a HOME-stay. |Upon arrival, we were greeted by the lovely and wise owner, and his wife: Sunita. While they differ a bit in their approach, they both put hospitality very high on their priority list, and treated us (in a very natural way) like family. We sat where they sat, ate what they ate (Sunita cooks the best Thali's in the world!), and had many friendly chats. |When our train to Varanasi was cancelled, the owner cleared an extra room for us (he was fully booked), and arranged new transport for us the next day, all without asking anything in return.|We also had the privilege to join their Holi evening ceremony (see pictures), which gave us a unique, intimate look into the lives and rituals of Hindu-associated culture.|Finally, their location is amazing -- only 5 min walk from the Taj Mahal, and their price is very, very economical.||In conclusion: If you travel to India, and you are visiting Agra (of which the chances are high with the Taj and all), and if you want to stay - even just for a moment - with a warm Indian family, then Sunita Homestay is an absolute...

The host were generally friendly and helpful but made multiple homophobic comments, including about our gender presentations and the nature of our relationship. As a queer couple, we felt so uncomfortable and unwelcome that we left a day early. This place is more of a budget hotel or hostel than a traditional homestay. It's very close to the Taj Mahal and the instructions to get there were very easy to follow. Dinner was delicious, and we ate with the other guests, one from Serbia and a pair from the UK, but not with our hosts or their family. The host gave us a helpful map and a tip to walk behind the Taj Mahal to enjoy it around sunset. Our room shared an internal door with another guest room and had gaps under the street-facing outside door, so it was loud at times. Additionally because it is open-air, asthmatics might struggle (especially in winter when air quality in Agra deteriorates). The decorations include family photos and mementos which create a very homey atmosphere- like staying in...