For visitors planning for long stay in Bangalore and looking for value-for-money accommodation with homely stay, Alcove is the best choice.

Alcove Hospitality is among the prominent accommodation operators in Bangalore. Alcove has recently added two new properties, bringing it to a total of seven serviced apartment properties across Bangalore in Koramangala, Electronic City and HRBR Layout. Alcove Serviced Apartments is already present in Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Coorg. Alcove is on an expansion path and plans to add more cities to its network. It currently operates with 40 apartment units and is looking to quadruple the inventory by 2013. Alcove’s repeat business is high, which is testimony to the promoters’ passion for hospitality and setting high standards in service.

If you are looking for Accommodation in Bangalore for long or short stay, you can choose from among the six locations in Bangalore :

HRBR Layout, Villa
The Villa in HRBR Layout has nine serviced rooms

Koramangala, Villa
The Villa in Koramangala Layout has four serviced rooms. Facilities include AC bedrooms with double beds and attached bathrooms, TV with Cable.

Koramangala, Raheja
Raheja in Koramangala offers 1/2/3 BHK Independent service apartment for long stay of 3 months and more. Raheja has a large swimming pool, Club House with Billiards, TT, Gym & Tennis Court and a Departmental Store

Facilities in Raheja Apartments

• 2/3 bedroom apartments with living/dinning room, opening into spacious balcony.
• AC bedrooms with double beds and independent bathrooms.
• TV with Cable & DVD Player.
• Wireless Broadband Internet Connection (512kbps).
• Fully Furnished Kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, toaster, coffeemaker,
mixer grinder and gas stove.
• Utility with fully automatic washing machine, iron and ironing board.
• Cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils.

Koramangala, 535
‘535’ in Koramangala offers serviced rooms and Independent 1BHK / 2 BHK Apartments

Facilities in ‘535’

• Single rooms or 1/2 BHK independent apartments with living/dining room.
• AC bedrooms with double beds and attached bathrooms.
• LCD TV with Cable.
• Wireless Broadband Internet Connection (512 kbps).
• Fully Furnished Kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, toaster, electric kettle,
mixer grinder and gas stove.
• Utility with fully automatic washing machine, iron and ironing board.
• Cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils.

Koramangala, Studio Rooms
Studio Rooms offers 25 serviced rooms. The rooms are spacious and come with Kitchenette, includes Microwave, Refrigerator, Kettle & basic Cutlery. bedrooms have AC and LCD TV.

Electronic City, Block A
This property has six serviced rooms. The deluxe rooms are of 250 Sq ft with AC, TV and attached bathrooms

Electronic City, Block B
This property has eleven serviced rooms. The deluxe rooms are 130-160 Sq ft with AC, TV and attached bathrooms

Tariff ranges from Rs. 1500 to Rs 3000 for a serviced room per day. The room rate includes breakfast and free internet access. Daily rate of 1BHK Apartment ranges from Rs. 2750 to Rs 4500

All the properties have following in common :
• Doctor on call
• Round the clock service
• Laundry service
• Internet Wi-Fi connectivity
• Daily Housekeeping
• Travel services

Looking at installed capacity, industry experts estimate the current serviced apartment capacity  to be a small proportion of the overall hotel room inventory.  According to  ‘The Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report 2011-12’ , with room supply growing at 15% a year, India is one of the few global serviced apartment markets where supply is expected to exceed demand in major Indian cities in 2012 to 2013.

Hotel rates have been forecast to fall as a result of increased competition from the serviced apartment and budget hotel sectors. As a result, companies are being advised not to commit more than 75% of their requirement of advance purchasing of room nights at discounted corporate rates. A large number Indian organizations have switched to serviced accommodation. In contrast to Europe and the US, booking of these apartments is left to individual travelers to arrange instead of being managed centrally.

Among prominent serviced apartment brands operating in India is Alcove Hospitality.  Alcove Serviced Apartments is already present in Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Coorg. Alcove is on an expansion path and plans to add more cities to its network.  It currently operates with 40 apartment units and is looking to quadruple the inventory by 2013.

Alcove adds two new accommodation properties in Bangalore

Villa in HRBR Layout

Facilities :
•    Air-conditioned rooms
•    International / National Channels on TV.
•    Doctor on call
•    Round the clock service
•    Laundry service
•    Internet Wi-Fi  connectivity
•    Daily Housekeeping
•    Travel services

Studio rooms in Villa, Koramangala

Facilities :
•    Spacious rooms
•    With Kitchenette, includes Microwave, Refrigerator, Kettle & basic Cutlery
•    Wifi enabled with 100% power backup
•    Fully equipped Gymnasium
•    Board room for conference of upto 20 persons
•    Camera surveillance across building & 24hrs security
•    In-house kitchen facility available
•    AC & LCD TV in bedrooms

Alcove adds three new Apartment Hotel properties in Chennai

Villa in Saidapet

Facilities :
•    Air-conditioned rooms, Lounge and dinning area
•    International / National Channels on TV.
•    Doctor on call
•    Round the clock service
•    Laundry service
•    Internet Wi-Fi  connectivity
•    Daily Housekeeping
•    Travel services

Villa in Perungudi

Facilities :
•    Air-conditioned rooms, Lounge and dinning area
•    International / National Channels on TV.
•    Doctor on call
•    Round the clock service
•    Laundry service
•    Internet Wi-Fi  connectivity
•    Daily Housekeeping
•    Travel services

Uno in Karapakkam

Facilities :

•    Air-conditioned rooms, Lounge and dinning area
•    International / National Channels on TV.
•    Doctor on call
•    Round the clock service
•    Laundry service
•    Internet Wi-Fi  connectivity
•    Daily Housekeeping
•    Travel services

Providing all the features of a hotel, serviced apartments are set in a residential locality, yet situated within close proximity to commercial districts, public transport and local shopping,   They offer a much larger space vis-a-vis a hotel room with facilities like a fully equipped kitchen, individual washing / drying machine, ample storage, quality furnishings ensuring comfort convenience, safety and security for the long-stay guests. Due to the under supply of serviced apartments in the country, and perhaps lack of marketing, a significant percentage of long-stay demand is absorbed by hotels; what is not well known is that long stay category contributes close to 20% of the hotel industry’s overall business.

At Alcove’s accommodation in Pune,you have your perfect answer to your search. You can now enjoy the luxury and privacy of your own fully contained serviced accommodation in an independent apartment or room as an alternative to 3-star hotels, and make your stay in Pune comfortable, homely and economical.
We are delighted and proud to announce that for the third year running, according to our ongoing survey results, Alcove accommodations in Pune has been voted as the best in city by discerning travelers.

The interiors are a study in aesthetics with exclusive furniture and furnishings accentuating the appeal. The three Alcove Accommodation properties in Pune are a blend of innovative and contemporary benchmark in hospitality. We make the stay of each guest a unique experience where they can indulge themselves in luxury and where every whim is catered to.

General Facilities in all  Apartment Accommodation

• 2/3 bedroom apartments with living/dining  room, opening into spacious balcony.
• AC bedrooms with double beds and independent bathrooms.
• TV with Cable & DVD Player.
• Free Wireless Broadband Internet Connection
• Fully Furnished Kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, electric kettle and gas stove.
• Utility with fully automatic washing machine,  iron and ironing board.
• Doctor on call
• Business Center
• Electronic safe
• 24 Hrs room service
• Daily Housekeeping
• Travel services

Amenities in Accommodation : Service Apartment – Greenville

• A large swimming pool with Children area, Sun deck, A swim up bar & Jacuzzi
• Club House with Gym, Lounge/Party room, Steam Sauna & Massage room
• 24hrs Security
• Power Back up
• Basket ball & Badminton court

Electronics City has a world class infrastructure which has housed major technology companies like such as C-DOT , Wipro, Mahindra Satyam, Hewlett-Packard, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Patni Computer Systems, CGI, Siemens, Biocon,  3M India  etc

Alcove has launched two serviced apartments in Electronic City, Bangalore :
•    Serviced Apartments – Electronic City (Block A) which has 6 Delux
•    Serviced Apartments – Electronic City (Block B) which has 11 Executive rooms

Deluxe rooms in Block A are large rooms approximately 250 Sq ft with AC, TV and attached bathrooms. Executive rooms in Block B are large rooms approximately 130-160 Sq ft with AC, TV and attached bathrooms.

Amenities

• 24hrs Security
• Power Back up
• Water softener plant
• Intercom Connection

Services Offered

• Daily newspaper
• Free unlimited internet usage
• Doctor on call
• Travel related Services

Connectivity between Electronic City and Bangalore City

The 9.985 km long 10 lane mixed corridor Elevated Highway on NH7, Hosur Road, between Silk boad junction and Electronic City is India’s longest Elevated Highway. The toll system is now operational. The elevated stretch has brought down the commuting time to less than 15 minutes from Silk Board to Electronic City. A fully functional stretch of NICE Road (Bangalore Mysore Infra Structure Corridor), is still awaited.

Employees of the various industries in Electronic City, now have an option to live in a pollution free environment away from the city buzz, yet connected to the main Bangalore City.

Distances :

-    55 Km from Bangalore International Airport
-    20 Km from MG Road. Bangalore’s main commercial area
-    25 Km from White Field, Bangalore IT Park

Coorg (or Kodagu) is a popular hill resort in Karnataka.  Coorg is Set amidst verdant valleys  of the Western Ghats.  Madikeri,is  the district headquarters of Kodagu and is located 252 kms from Bangalore and 1525 m above sea level.

Madikeri town reflects an old world charm and is famous for its tourist attractions, some of which are historic Madikeri Fort, the Omkareshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu, viewpoints such as Raja’s Seat.  Around Madikeri, there are lots of recreational and pilgrimage sites such as Abbey,  Irupu Falls and Bylekuppe.

Talakaveri

River Kaveri which is one of the 7 sacred rivers, originates at a place is called Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri hills, at about 4,500 ft above sea level. There are temples at Talakaveri of Agasthyeshwara and Lord Ganapathi.  It is about 48 kms from Madikeri.
From Talakaveri, steps lead up to the nearby Brahmagri peak (300-feet high), where the 7 great sages called the Sapta Maharishis had performed a special yagna.
On a clear day, one can see Kudremukh, Chamundi Hills of Mysore, Wyanad Hills of Malabar and Arabian Sea from the peak of Brahmagiri Hill.
There is a shrine near the kundike and a big tank in front of it where devotees baths before offering prayers. There are 2 temples, a Shiva temple and with a rare and ancient Shiva Linga, and another temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. This temple has a holy Ashwantha tree where, according to legend, the Trimurtis – Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh gave darshan to sage Agastya.

Raja’s Seat

A popular viewing point to see Coorg valleys, it is this place where the kings used to relish the sunset and beauty of Coorg every evening. Today, the area around Raja’s Seat has been developed into a public garden.

Omkareshwara Temple

Omkareshwara temple was built by Lingarajendra in 1820 in worship of  Lord Shiva. The Shivalinga in the temple has its origins in Kashi. Among the many Shivalingas in Kashi five are considered the most sacred, and Omkareshwara is one of them.
The interesting feature of this temple is that it is a blend of Islamic and Gothic styles of architecture. The temple has four minarets around it and a dome in the center (similar to a Muslim Masjid).

Abbey Falls

Abby Falls is located  8 kilometers from Madikeri town It is located in a private property. Abby cascades 70 feet down to flow as a small river . A path through coffee and cardamom plantation off the main road leads to the falls. A hanging bridge has now been built across the gorge here offering a good view of the falls. The best time to visit is early winter when the monsoons bring plenty of water.

Iruppu Falls

It is at a distance of 91 km from Madikeri and is a pilgrim center associated Lord Rama, There is also a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and on Mahashivratri day pilgrims take a holy dip in the river.
River Lakshmana-tirtha, a tributary of Cauvery, starts from these falls, which fall 60 meter amidst the lush  green mountain. According to legends Rama and Lakshmana, passed this way in search of Sita. Lakshmana shot an arrow into the Brahmagiri hills and brought into being the river Lakshmana tirtha when Rama asked him to fetch some water.

Madikeri Fort

Madikeri  Fort was built in the 19th century. A chapel, the Kote Maha Ganapathi temple and the district prison are located within its premises. The Church, in Gothic style, with color stained glasses has now been converted into a museum  The museum also houses a ancient antiques of Coorg like armors, paintings and spot arms. The Palace of the Kodagu kings located inside the Fort, now houses the offices of the Deputy Commissioner.

Bylakuppe Tibetian Settlement

Bylakuppe in Kushalnagar, about 30 km from Madikeri town is one of the many Tibetan settlements in India.  Lugsung Samdupling, oldest of all Tibetan settlements in India came into existence in 1961 in Bylakuppe.
The most popular among the tourists is the so-called Golden Temple, located inside the large Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery. Three beautiful golden Buddha statues each of 40 Feet namely Padmasambhava, Buddha and Amitayus look down at visitors above the altar.   The monastery is home to a sangha of over five thousand lamas (monks and nuns), a religious college (or shedra) and a hospital.
Sera Je Monastery is modeled after the original Sera University in Tibet. Sera belongs to the Yellow-Hat Gelugpa sect of Buddhism and is the local seat of education.

Accomodation in Coorg

Coorg offers a wide range of accommodation choices to its tourists, in the form of hotels, resorts, bungalows and homestays. Both luxury and budget hotels are easily available.
Alcove Exotica Resort in Coorg offers a rejuvenating stay for families on vacation and is also ideal company conferences or workshops. It offers Outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, Massage and multi-cuisine Restaurant.

The Traveller piece recommends Karnataka for its palaces, tiger-spotting at unspoilt sanctuaries like Bandipur, the rapids of Coorg with the homestay experience along with the specially brewed coffee and the temples of Belur and Halebeedu.

Your best option for long stay is Alcove Serviced Apartments in Bangalore and Exotica Resort in Coorg.

We may add trekking in the Western ghats as one of the major attractions of the state. The ghats are only a few hours’ drive from Bangalore. This mountain range is home to many hill stations in the state like Kudremukh and Kodagu.

Several peaks in western ghats are located in Karnataka and are trekkers’ paradise : Kemmangundi (1434m), Tadiandamol (1,748 m), Mullayanagiri (1,930 metres), Pushpagiri (1,712 meters), Kumara Parvatha (1712m) and kodachaadri (1343 m).

The list tourist attractions in Bangalore has a new entry : Pyramid Valley in Kanakpura road.

Maitreya-Buddha Pyramid, with a capacity of 5,000 people, is the World’s Largest Pyramid built for practicing intensive meditation. It has a base area of 160ft. x 160ft. and is 102ft. heigh. The exterior surface of the Pyramid is covered by beautiful murals depicting various elements of nature.  Its spiral and vibrant King’s chamber, the most energetic spot of the Pyramid, stands 34ft. tall and accommodates 40-pepole for meditation at a time. The lower hall of the Pyramid has beautiful murals and art work of Buddha, reminding us of the powerful meditation techniques that Buddha had discovered and shared.

Increased travel has lead to soaring costs of travel and hotel stays. For export oriented companies like IT services, travel cost is a major expense. The recession of 2008- 2009, followed by ‘green shoots’, has led to increased competition and customers are re-negotiating costs.

Corporates are looking at innovative ways to cut costs under all heads, including travel. Large corporates, employing over 20,000 employees across multiple locations were earlier operating own guest houses. But it not feasible to operate guest houses at all locations cost efficiently. service apartment  and corporate managed residences are options that companies are switching to, especially for extended stays.

Corporates are entering into long term agreements with serviced apartment  operators for maintaining a fixed number of rooms for its employees through the year. Such companies are realizing cost savings in multiple ways :

• The room tariff of serviced apartment is around 30% less than that of a hotel. On top of that, the negotiated rates for the serviced rooms are naturally lesser than the rack rates.
• While the major savings comes from the lesser room tariffs, the supplemental costs of stay are lower too.
• Cost of food at serviced apartment is approximately 30% to 40% than restaurant or room service bills.
• Cost of services such as laundry and telephone & internet access charges are 25% to 40% cheaper.

Another concept that is catching on is ‘corporate managed residences’. The company selects the location, amenities required in the residence and even the budget tariff and outsources it to a hospitality services company for a fee. The latter conducts the property search, sources the furnishings, fittings at a lower cost, and trains and employs the housekeeping staff.

To illustrate cost benefits, a hotel room in a Tier one city like Delhi would cost Rs. 12,000 while a comparable service apartment is priced at Rs. 3500 and a managed residence would cost between Rs. 1500-2500 per day.

Managed residences do offer a higher degree of customization. Sensing opportunity, several international players in the space are entering India.

Alcove Service Apartments offers a range of  service apartments&  hotels in cities of Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and a resort in Coorg. Alcove has entered into long term deals with several corporates in all these locations.

Demand for luxury apartments in India is rising as the biggest rally in stocks in 18 years in 2009 boosted the ranks of the affluent in the third-fastest-growing major economy. Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest person, will move into a 27-story skyscraper in south Mumbai that cost $2 billion to build and is the world’s most expensive home, according to Forbes Magazine.

There is now considerable demand for high-end apartments in Bangalore, and it is led by the senior management class, corporate houses, nonresident Indian businessmen and high-net-worth individuals.

Homes in central Bangalore cost about Rs. 10,000 a square foot in the quarter ended June, about 21 percent below the price in the first three months of 2008, according to data from a leading property broker. Prices dropped by about 30 percent during the economic slowdown in the second quarter of 2009, said the report.
Bangalore, had a 13 percent increase in buying transactions in the September quarter compared with the three months ended June, JPMorgan Chase & Co. said in a note to clients.

India’s Construction Boom

Evidence of India’s construction boom can be seen in the new high-rise apartments sprouting up across India, but the industry is suffering from a serious shortage of engineers and designers .

Bright, well-educated graduates are choosing careers in banking, management consultancy and computer technology instead of civil engineering, with many universities closing down their degree courses in the subject.

Infrastructure problems ranging from dirt roads to power cuts are a major obstacle to India’s future growth, and the government plans to spend one trillion dollars on upgrades between 2012 and 2017.

India has jealously watched China’s remarkable economic development over the last 20 years, which has been made possible by huge and successful public construction projects.

Experts however warn that India faces a massive shortfall of qualified civil engineers.

The World Bank estimates that India’s urban population will grow from 331 million to 500 million by 2017, putting massive pressure on civic infrastructure.

Financing for housing in India

Only 25% of urban Indians have used bank finance to invest in a house, government data released on Monday showed. Instead, over 61% of the cost of houses built by families across urban India was financed by themselves.
This means India is quite removed from the build-up of sub-prime lending bubble as of now.
The figures from the National Sample Survey Organisation’s report on Housing Conditions and Amenities in India for the 2008-09 are startling. They confirm the anecdotal evidence of the boom in construction of residential properties in Indian towns unaffected by the changes in the rates of interest for housing loans from banks and housing finance companies.

Indian government has launched a scheme of visa on arrival (VoA) to attract more foreign tourists from January 2010 for citizens of Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore.

The first 6 months of 2010 has already shown an over 20 per cent increase in tourist arrivals both domestic and international in Karnataka, according to Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC).  During the period, there were about 19.8 million domestic arrivals as against 14.3 mil in the same period the previous year.  While 1.60 lakh foreign tourists visited the state in the first six months this year, against 0.96 lakh during the same period the previous year. Union tourism ministry has released data recently which shows that during 2009, the number of domestic tourist visits to various states was 650 million, as compared to 563 million in 2008 and 527 million in 2007.

According to the report the top 10 states in terms of number of domestic tourist visits during 2009 were Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Gujarat. Put together, these states accounted for 88% of the total number of domestic tourist visits in 2009.

Karnataka has realized the immense potential of tourism and the budgetary allocation for tourism, which was about INR 150 million five years ago, has been increased to  was now Rs 2500 million.  Country’s first night time wildlife safari at Bannerghatta National Park, on the lines of Singapore, would take off in two years time, he said adding the government had set apart Rs 180 crore for the same.

A new brand of eco tourism experiences called ‘Jungle Camps and Trails’ has been launched and the ‘Great Western Ghat Trails’ would be launched soon, he said. From October, ‘Silver Chariot’ project in which tourists are taken on buses will take off. The trip will cover the route of the ‘Golden chariot’. The tariffs would work out to Rs 3000 per person per night, he said.

Sanganakallu, a pre historic village near Hampi belonging to the Neolithic age has been excavated and is being developed as a tourist destination that would be of interest to avid history buffs. This destination takes the visitors back to 8000 years ago.
All 30 districts in Karnataka, including the recently-formed Ramanagaram and Yadgir, will soon have their own tourism master plans. This is expected to attract tourists to little known places with potential and thus improve the prospects of Karnataka becoming one of India’s leading tourism destinations. The master plans will identify the destinations and develop infrastructure there.

Tourist destinations in Karnataka

• Bangalore Karnataka
• Mysore Karnataka
• Shravanbelagola
• Belur
• Halebid
• Bijapur
• Aihole
• Badami
• Pattadakal
• Hampi Karnataka
• Srirangapatnam
• Sringeri
• Dharmasthala
• Udupi
• Gokarna
• Katil
• Kollur
• Kukke Subramanya
• Moodabidri
• Karkala
• Melkote
• Somnathpur

The wild game sanctuaries :  Bandipur, Nagarhole and Dandeli, the Ranganathittu Bird’s Sanctuary.

Hill stations : Nandhi Hills and Kemmannagundi and Mercara,
Beach resorts : Karwar, Ullal, Malpe and Maravanthe

Brindavan Gardens at Krishnarajasagara, near Mysore

The monolithic statue of Gommateshwara at Sharavanabelagola, Gol Gumbaz with its whispering gallery at Bijapur,
Water falls : the Jog falls and other water falls at Shiva Samudram, Magod, Unchelli or Lushington near Siddapur, Lalguli at Yallapur

The temples at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal in Bijapur district  Halebedu, Belur and Somanathapura

Historical places : Hampi [Bellary district], The Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim-Roza at Bijapur, the Daria Daulat Bagh (Summer Palace) of Tippu Sultan at Srirangapatna

The smart alternative to hotels in Bangalore

Alcove Service Apartments is the choice of smart travelers who get the best value for their money. We offer a range serviced apartments and serviced rooms in Koramangala, Bangalore for both short and long stay.

Advantages of Alcove Service Apartments over Hotels :

• Our apartments offer you 2 to 3 times the space of a hotel room, giving you total flexibility to work, entertain, cook, sleep and relax whenever you want.
• Service Apartments offer you the privacy and comfort of your home and the additional facilities of a hotel. You get a fully equipped kitchen, living room, separate bedrooms with attached bathrooms.
• Best of all, Service Apartments cost around 35% less than booking individual rooms for a family.
• To make your life even easier, we offer additional services such as shopping brought to your fridge, free broadband, laundry, and travel services!

For more information about  serviced apartments Bangalore, then you can head over to Alcove Service Apartments and see facilities offered, videos, picture gallery, online chat for booking and other services.

Locations : All our apartments in Bangalore are in Koramangala, with easy access to all important business and leisure destinations in Bangalore.

Distance from Koramangala Bangalore to Electronics City is 12Kms (approximately 30-45 minutes)
Distance from Koramangala Bangalore to Bangalore International airport at Devanahalli is 48 Kms.  There is a 24 Hr Volvo Bus Service to Bangalore International Airport.
Main shopping districts, MG road and Commercial Street are  2.5 Km to 3 Km away.