Amar yatri niwas is very well located hotel in the budget price range, among a lot of more expensive properties in a clean quarter among (the closer you are to the taj the dirtier it gets). The taj is a pleasant 10 minute walk away or approx 5 minutes by cycle-rickshaw, and on the ground floor there is a pizza hut and costa coffee to hangout for variety where you find to your surprise that all the foreign tourists hang out too. i booked through make my trip.Com and there were no problems in checking in though i reached at 8pm and check in time was 12 noon (informed by phone in advance).
Food in the restaurant is excellent, indian, chinese or continental with good serving portions and breakfast is complimentary which is convenient. Be sure to check out the imaginative portrait of shajahan imprisoned in the agra fort and looking out towards the taj which dominates the reception. Rooms are rather small at rs.2500/- as are the bathrooms, but there is a bathtub to cheer you up (no bubble bath was available) and very pretty tea table. Laundry service is same day and good. Staff are cheerful. View out of the room is not good as we got to see another building next door about 10 feet away. The window had an interesting sticker on it which gave a stained glass effect.
The room was centrally airconditioned but the a/c failed sometime during the first night i stayed there and we woke up in the morning feeling quite warm. It was serviced when we complained and chilled fine thereafter. Also a couple of bulbs were missing from the bathroom when we checked in - but put in promptly when complained. Beware of cycle- rickshaw and auto-rickshaw drivers who will try to lure you into curio shops, leather goods stores or garment shops large or small where they have commissions even if you are least interested in shopping.
