Many pick this upscale downtown hotel for its superior restaurant, the delectable Karavalli, but the rooms are just as tasteful. The setting here is calm, and the location is perfect for shoppers with their sights on MG Road. They even offer a jetlag service for international guests.

Located 4km (2.5 miles) from the city centre, the opulent Leela Palace is set in lavish grounds beside an azure lagoon. True to its name, the hotel is indeed palatial, with gilded domes, soaring arches and stylish rooms that strike the perfect balance between heritage glamour and modern luxury. The hotel has three restaurants and a well-regarded spa and gym.

Set in a veritable jungle of landscaped grounds in the heart of the city, the Oberoi is luxury written large. As well as calming views of chlorophyll, the hotel offers a sleek spa, an outdoor pool, Thai, Chinese and European restaurants and perhaps the most attentive service in the city.

Soak in the space that's right in the centre of Bengaluru’s business and entertainment areas. The lobby of this luxurious hotel in Bengaluru is a unique mix of chic and classic. This is where sophisticated business travellers can find intelligent work environments and vibrant leisure options in one hot spot.

This city centre hotel benefits from better than average décor and modern rooms with wooden floors, flat screen TVs and icy air-conditioning. There’s free Wi-Fi, tourist services and a coffee shop open 24 hours. Conveniently close to Mahatma Gandhi Road, its light rooms are a decent size with large beds and natural colour styles.

Designer but without designer prices, St Mark’s offers the full modern hotel experience in a handy location downtown. Rooms live up to the promise of the marble lobby, and there’s Wi-Fi access, a rooftop terrace, a fine-dining restaurant and a bar. The hotel also boasts a state of the art gym onsite.

This stylish, old mansion was built in 1887 and started life as a boarding house, but soon became a lavish retreat for Bengaluru’s wealthiest colonial rulers. Luxuriously refurbished and surrounded by an 18-hectare (45-acre) garden, the hotel drips with character. There are two pools, a gym and beauty parlour, as well as fine dining at the Mynt, Blue Ginger and Masala Klub restaurants.

Hotel Ajantha is a reliable budget hotel in a handy central location, right near the midst of the shopping bustle on MG Road. It also has decent facilities for the price it charges. Although the rooms won't win any design awards, they are clean and well looked after.

A budget hotel with an unbeatable location right in the heart of Bengaluru, Hotel Empire International is close to the shops and traveller hangouts of MG Road. All rooms are clean and offer air conditioning, safety deposit lockers, and TVs. There’s also internet access and a respectable in-house restaurant.

Small but perfectly formed, the Iris offers a big package on a modest floorplan. Its contemporary rooms are compact yet comfortable and include LCD TVs, free Wi-Fi and air-conditioning. There’s even a small pool, in-house spa and business meeting rooms, all in a great location near Mahatma Gandhi Road.