Hotel Piccolo: Comfortable Base to Explore Assam’s Ancient Kingdom
Far in the forests of the Brahmaputra river basin exists a land that was once a powerhouse of a kingdom. Known as the Ahom kingdom, this Assamese kingdom evaded all kinds of influences (Mughal, Burmese, mainland India and the British to a large extent) for a very long time and hence its past has survived the vagaries of time. I am talking about the gorgeous cultural town of Sibsagar, that is an ode to Assam’s glorious past. I recently visited this historic town during an exploration of East Assam and during this visit, I stayed at Hotel Piccolo, one of the well known hotel names in the city. The below hotel review is based on this hotel experience of mine.
1) One of the best perks of staying at Hotel Piccolo is its proximity to the market, the Shiva Dol, the Sibsagar tank, restaurants, ATMs, bus stops, auto stops and basically all conveniences. One can simply walk to all these tourist attractions and conveniences. And a 5 minute autorickshaw ride takes you to the older part of town that houses the palaces and other remnants of the Ahom kingdom.
2) The hotel is one of the iconic names in the city, though like most of Assam, the rooms are a bit expensive for the facilities provided. They do have all the modern amenities like air-conditioned, hot water geyser, satellite television, backup power, laundry and the likes. And, they have great parking space available that comes in handy in case you are on a driving holiday.
3) Breakfast is included in the room tariff and is served every morning at the restaurant downstairs. Breakfast is simple, but wholesome.
4) The hotel has an in-house restaurant that is known in the city for its great continental and Indian food. However, they do not serve Assamese cuisine. So, if you wish to smack on some local delicacies, you would need to head to the nearby restaurants.
5) The hotel offers free wi-fi, but the connectivity was pretty poor when I was around.
6) The hotel staff are helpful and they give you directions and suggestions based on your itinerary.
In overall, Hotel Piccolo is a good family hotel that offers enough modern amenities and is located real close to the temples. It might be one of the best in the city, though a bit dated.
