PORTAL, Before Purity Guest House, New Creation Field, Auroville, Bommayapalayam, Tamil Nadu, 605101 Auroville, India
#5 of 30 hotels in Auroville
Guests' ChoiceBased on 50 hostel reviews
9.2Cleanliness
9.0
Comfort
9.1
Location
9.3
Facilities
8.9
Staff
9.8
Value for money
9.3
Free Wifi
8.8
Real Bookers. Real stays. Real opinions.
Read more– opens a dialog boxEach review score is between 1 and 10. To get the overall score you see, we add up all the review scores we’ve received and divide that total by the number of them. We use a weighted review system, which means the more recent the review, the bigger the impact on the total review score calculation. Guests can also give separate “subscores” in crucial areas like location, cleanliness, staff, comfort, facilities, value, and free Wifi. Note that guests submit their subscores and overall scores independently, so there’s no direct link between them.
You can review an accommodation that you booked through our platform if you stayed there, or if you got to the property but didn’t actually stay there. To edit a review you’ve already submitted, contact our Customer Service team.
We have people and automated systems that specialize in detecting fake reviews submitted to our platform. If we find any, we delete them and, if necessary, take action against whoever is responsible.
Anyone who spots something suspicious can always report it to our Customer Service team so that our fraud team can investigate.
Ideally, we'd publish every review we get, positive and negative. However, we won’t display any reviews that include or refer to (among other things):
To make sure reviews are relevant, we may only accept reviews that are submitted within 3 months of checking out. We may stop showing reviews once they’re 36 months old, or if the accommodation has a change of ownership.
An accommodation can reply to a review.
When you see multiple reviews, the most recent ones will be at the top, subject to a few other factors (e.g. language, whether it’s just a rating or contains comments as well, etc.). You can sort and/or filter them by time of year, review score, and more.
Sometimes we show external review scores from other well-known travel websites, but make it clear when we do this.
These guidelines and standards aim to keep the content on Booking.com relevant and family-friendly, without limiting expression or strong opinions. They're also applicable regardless of the comment's tone.
Contributions should be travel related. The most helpful contributions are detailed and help others make better decisions. Please don’t include personal, political, ethical, or religious commentary. Promotional content will be removed and issues concerning Booking.com’s services should be routed to our Customer Service or Accommodation Service teams.
Contributions should be appropriate for a global audience. Please avoid using profanity or attempts to approximate profanity with creative spelling, in any language. Comments and media that include hate speech, discriminatory remarks, threats, sexually explicit remarks, violence, or the promotion of illegal activity are not permitted.
All content should be genuine and unique to the guest. Reviews are most valuable when they are original and unbiased. Your contribution should be yours. Booking.com property partners should not post on behalf of guests or offer incentives in exchange for reviews. Attempts to bring down the rating of a competitor by submitting a negative review will not be tolerated.
Respect the privacy of others. Booking.com will make an effort to obscure email addresses, telephone numbers, website addresses, social media accounts, and other similar details.
The opinions expressed in contributions are those of Booking.com customers and properties, and not of Booking.com. Booking.com does not accept responsibility or liability for any reviews or responses. Booking.com is a distributor (without any obligation to verify) and not a publisher of these comments and responses.
By default, reviews are sorted based on the date of the review and on additional criteria to display the most relevant reviews, including but not limited to: your language, reviews with text, and non-anonymous reviews. Additional sorting options might be available (by type of traveler, by score, etc...).
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, express or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
End of dialog content
Showing 1 - 25
Reviewed: April 7, 2025
Lisa
GermanyThe huts are super cute and comfortable. Its a good place to calm down, relax and socialize at the same time. The host is so nice, he made sure everyone feels good and has a good time. This place with its vibe and everything invites you to stay for a longer
Stayed in April 2025
Reviewed: March 7, 2025
Katie
United KingdomPortal is a very peaceful beautiful place to stay in the tranquility of the forest. I loved sleeping in the traditional keet thatched hut, I slept so well bring so close to nature. Parth is so friendly and welcoming and everyone makes you feel at home. I will be back .
Stayed in February 2025
Reviewed: March 4, 2025
Annie
United KingdomLovely place, run by a really helpful and interesting person. The queen room on stilts are lush. It's quite far out of town, but I had a cycle and it took me 20 mins, nice cycle.. Kitchen not great but if you are eating out that's fine. Wash rooms were very lovely. Artistically created with love. This place is highly recommended if you want a rustic experience in nature ;)
Stayed in February 2025
Reviewed: March 3, 2025
Divy
IndiaHad the time of my life while staying in Portal. The host, Parth, whattaguy. Loved his vibe. Really wholesome stay. Parth had to leave for his hometown while I was still at Portal and his friend Rajat Bhaiya took over as our host, again, whattaguy. Just book this place if you're planning to visit Auroville without any hesitation and they'll take care of you like you're one of their own
Stayed in February 2025
Reviewed: March 1, 2025
Annie
United KingdomWonderful experience. Loved Parth who runs it - so kind and will do anything to help you. A real experience of peace and rest, with a quirky edge. You feel like you are right out in the wild when sleeping ❤️
Stayed in February 2025
Reviewed: February 21, 2025
Bringer
DenmarkElectric cut,hahaaa
Good atmosphere
Stayed in February 2025
Reviewed: February 21, 2025
Benoit
FranceLocation is far from everything. The bathroom space could be upgraded a bit.
The host Parth was very friendly and welcoming. It’s a great experience to sleep in one of these huts.
Stayed in February 2025
Reviewed: February 19, 2025
Снисаренко
RussiaIt's very cozy, comfortable, wonderful hosts, you feel like you're in paradise!)
Stayed in February 2025
Reviewed: February 18, 2025
Mitha
IndiaPleasant stay
Stayed in February 2025
Reviewed: February 16, 2025
Kiruba
IndiaThe communal kitchen area could have been better.
You should stay here mainly for the host, Parth Chopra. A very friendly guy with a warm smile. He is an excellent conversationalist. He is a traveller himself and hence understands the needs of fellow travelers.
Stayed in February 2025
Reviewed: February 13, 2025
Romain
FranceWe had an amazing time at Portal! Parth is incredibly chill and welcoming, making us feel right at home from the start. The hostel’s location in nature creates a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, and sleeping in the hut was such a pleasant experience. We also enjoyed a delicious dinner there, which made our stay even more special. Highly recommend! 😍
Stayed in February 2025
Reviewed: January 28, 2025
Weronika
SloveniaNA
I loved being surrounded by nature all the time. Living in the hut was an incredible experience
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: January 21, 2025
Aiswarya
IndiaLoved everything about it.
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: January 20, 2025
Diego
GermanyAmazing place, and amazing staff - Parth is just the best person that could take care of the place!
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: January 19, 2025
Christian
SwitzerlandHere’s the English version in the “you” form: It’s hard to put into words how special my time with you was. From the very first moment, I felt welcomed and at home. Your place is so much more than just accommodation – it’s a magical retreat that nourishes the body, mind, and soul. Parth, you are one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. Your warmth, wisdom, and openness touched me deeply. I learned so much from you, and these experiences will stay in my heart for the rest of my life. I tried all the nature rooms and can recommend every single one of them. Especially the room with the balcony was a highlight – it’s perfect for meditation and invites you to find peace and connect with yourself. Your place captivated me so much that I stayed longer than I had planned – and I could have stayed even longer. The surroundings are simply breathtaking – perfect for finding peace, connecting with nature, and recharging. If you’re looking for a place where you can truly feel at home, I wholeheartedly recommend your place. Thank you for letting me be a part of your world. I will definitely be back! Does this match your vision?
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: January 18, 2025
Mokani
Indiaa green beauty on this god's grey earth, and the host (Parth bhai) goes out of his way to ensure you have a wonderful experience during your stay , tries to connect to you on a deeper level and makes you understand the place , Auroville starts from here .
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: January 15, 2025
Amit
IndiaCommon washroom.
Nature , greenery, aura.
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: January 15, 2025
Sharma
IndiaReally nature lover stay as like we stay in a nature as like many types of fruit tress and our culture base hut stay ❤️❤️
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: January 9, 2025
Cal
United KingdomThat I couldn't stay longer!
Parth was a legendary host and made us feel very welcomed instantly. He went out of his way to prepare delicious food for us and helped us get a scooter. The location itself is beautiful - an oasis in a hidden corner of Auroville - with a variety of crops growing all over the property. The hut experience was also amazing, and you can hear the sounds of birds and wind at night. There was also an amazing communal vibe, where we sat around the fire, listened to music, chatted and ate prepared bbq food. Definitely recommend!
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: January 9, 2025
Anish
IndiaIf you're thinking about whether to book your stays at Portal or not, I'd say stop thinking and book the rooms to try it out because this place is not something to think but instead feel. It has the best atmosphere filled with good energies and also a friendly host who's open to every guest. You'd know it all when you get there. ✌🏻
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: January 7, 2025
Marlen
GermanyI'm a solo female traveler in India. I've stayed 2 weeks in Portal in the dorm and I can honestly say, that was my best sleep I've ever had. Souranded by nature, lovely people, good food and a chilled vibe. The peace which I felt at Portal helped me also to connect with myself more. I felt welcomed and the owner tried to find solutions for every wish. It's an open space for every creature. Projects and people with visions can live it freely at this place. Thanks Portal that I could be a part of the tribe. Lots of love.
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: January 7, 2025
Dennis
GermanyI had a fantastic time staying here and felt truly comfortable throughout my stay. It’s such a cool place to unwind and a magical spot to connect with nature. The host was incredibly friendly and went out of their way to help me with so many things, from arranging a scooter rental to sharing valuable insider tips about the area. They genuinely cared about making sure the guests had an amazing experience, fulfilling all requests and ensuring everything was perfect. I’d love to come back here again and would absolutely recommend it to anyone. Thank you for an unforgettable stay!
Stayed in January 2025
Reviewed: December 28, 2024
Colmant
BelgiumSomething worth noting is that this location is a bit further out. So, it’s important that you rent a scooter because travelling by foot will be too far. However, with a scooter it is a perfect location!
The property is so beautiful and grounding! The dorms are spacious, clean and have great natural lighting. The host and volunteers are such friendly and open people. It’s effortless to feel at home here! especially as a young couple travelling :)
Stayed in December 2024
Reviewed: December 21, 2024
Simon
FranceNothing
Everything was great. Amazing staff and the location was peaceful and very unique. We both really enjoyed it
Stayed in December 2024
Showing 1 - 25
Booking.com is part of Booking Holdings Inc., the world leader in online travel and related services.
We have more than 70 million property reviews, all from real, verified guests.
1
The only way to leave a review is to first make a booking. That's how we know our reviews come from real guests who have stayed at the property.
2
When guests stay at the property, they check out how quiet the room is, how friendly the staff is, and more.
3
After their trip, guests tell us about their stay. We check for naughty words and verify the authenticity of all guest reviews before adding them to our site.
If you booked through us and want to leave a review, please sign in first.
End of dialog content