Gokarna India – Best Hotels and Guesthouses to Stay

Gokarna has an excellent selection of small independent hotels, simple, family-owned guesthouses, beach huts and apartments, and a few luxury resorts. It gets very busy during peak season (December/January) and Shivaratri, therefore, we recommend you either book in advance or arrive ahead of time.

Budget and Mid-Range

Om Hotel, situated just north of the KRSTC bus stand, has recently had a face-lift and now offers, simple, yet clean and airy en-suite and AC rooms. It is mostly aimed at budget conscious Indian visitors but should you get stuck upon arrival head straight there. It has its own restaurant, a considerably large bar attached to it and is close to all the local amenities. Prices start from around INR800.

Another place in town, should you decided to spend a few nights there before moving onto one of the beaches, is Shastri Guest House. About a 100 metres east of the bus stand, behind the local clinic, on the main road, Shastri offers cheap, basic, rooms for about INR500, as well as small cottages a little farther up the hill for a mere INR750.

Most travellers strike out for the beaches after spending a day or two in town, where the choice of accommodation is much greater and more varied. All the beaches surrounding Gokarna offer dozens of rough and ready palm huts, most of which have excellent sea views but no electricity. Stone fashioned beds, lumpy mattresses, and shared bathroom facilities are the norm in these places, which charge around INR200 per night. Alongside these, however, you will also find rows of concrete cell-like rooms with en-suites, working fans, better mattresses and electrical sockets. A stay at one of these type of guest houses, which a pretty similar across all beaches, will set you back anywhere from INR300 to INR450. The prices depend on the beach of your choice as well as the cleanliness, location, and facilities on offer. It is, however, worth exploring the beach before deciding to stay there as you may find surprisingly cheap and cosy rooms behind seafront hotels, such as the very popular Namaste Cafe hotel on Om Beach, which charges around INR700 for a room.

The fairly recently built Zostel, up a hill south of the Maha Ganapati Temple, leading toward Kudle beach is a great choice if you’re after a clean, modern, place to stay as well as chill-out. Zostel offers sea-facing dormitories as well as private shacks, has an in-house cafe, wifi, a communal area, and is located on a cliff overlooking the sea, next to the town’s only library. A private shack will set you back about INR1500, while a bed in a shared dorm is around INR800.

Top End

If you’re after something much more self-indulgent and luxurious, however, Kudle Beach View Resort and Spa may be exactly what you’re after. About a 10 minute walk away from Kudle Beach, this exclusive hilltop property, is also conveniently located about half a mile from the town and a mere five miles from Paradise Beach. The resort offers bright, airy en-suite rooms with flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, tea and coffee making facilities, free Wi-Fi and around the clock service. In-house amenities also include a casual open-air restaurant with a great selection of organic, Indian as well as continental dishes, and an outdoor pool with a hot tub surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens. This is arguably the best of what Gokarna has to offer for those after a truly memorable stay, and some restoration which you will be offered in-house as the resort has its own spa, runs yoga classes and offers its guests water sports equipment. A night at Kudle Beach View Resort will set you back around INR4500. But it will be money well spent if you’re after some truly memorable moments in beautifully tranquil surroundings, complemented by efficient service and excellent facilities.