Baseraa's brochure informs you that there are several reasons to visit Hyderabad, but it, modestly, forgets to mention that its Matka Biryani is one of them. Here's a hotel that has been around for nearly a quarter of a century, and has kept pace with the changing requirements of the "discerning business traveler".

Baseraa's proximity to the railway station and the airport, and its location in a locality that is extremely vibrant trade-wise, make it almost ideal for the man on the move. The fact that its bar, Outswinger, serves the best beer in town doesn't hurt either.

But Baseraa's USP remains value for money. The rooms offer a sense of plush comfort. The hotel has 77 rooms, including 2 presidential suites and 4 executive rooms. One of the presidential suites is only a one-room affair, but offers a very cosy ambience. The executive rooms are secluded from the main body of the hotel, and are, rumouredly, extremely preferred by honey-mooners (some inside info there!).

Baseraa has a big open area that is quite popular for functions with the locals. It has three other banquet halls, each of which doubles up as a board room. Its multi-cuisine restaurant Mehfill has a very nawabi flavor, complete with rose petals decorating the entrance. And its 24-hour coffee shop Pickles plays host to several food-fests.

With big renovation plans in the pipeline, Baseraa demonstrates why it has not only withstood the test of time, but has grown stronger with the passage of it.