Denzong House, Kalimpong, West Bengal
_{Justice Biswas Rd, Kalimpong Khasmahal, Kalimpong, West Bengal 734301}

We booked an Airbnb/homestay called Denzong House situated near 9th Mile beside Dominos Pizza outlet

The main taxi stand is located at around 10-15 minutes walk from the 9th mile road. The breakfast was complementary and they charged us Rs 1800 per night.

Liked · The room and the staffs were very nice and helpful. The room was big, clean and spacious. Overall a budget staying options. 24/7 hot water was available which was a necessity.

Disliked · The location is a bit odd. Not recommended for people who are old. If you have a car then its fine as the road leading to the B&B is a steep 7 mins walk uphill. If you don’t have a car you have to rely on the B&b Transport. You can easily climb down, but its a very difficult climb up. Also for food you have to arrange for your own, but as it is so difficult to climb up and down on our request they helped us with the food as well for dinner for one day. You would have all utilities if you would like to cook your own food, so that’s the good part of it.

The hospitality was really good. Loved the homestay. Food was also very good. Really want to visit again.

Rating – 7 out of 10

Golden Orchid, Darjeeling
_{1/7 Dr. Zakir Hussain Road, Near S.P. Cottage and Chowrasta, 734101 Darjeeling, India}

Liked · The location of the hotel is nice. its like a 5-7 minutes walk to the mall you can easily go out whenever you like. The support staff who were actually serving food and alcohol are gem of a person. Abhishek and I cant remember the name of the other guy who has served us food (he left though being his last working day). The food is delicious and they have their own bar as well. Do try their Thukpa. The rooms had geiser and they had heating beds as well which was a necessity during the cold winters.

Disliked · 1) They dont accept cards which was very odd. you have to pay by cash or upi. 2) the road which leads towards the hotel is a little dirty because there is a horse stable and dustbin just beside. so if you have a trolley u need to pick it up at times and also the condition of the road is not in good condition, so there is a chance that one of your wheel of your trolley might come of, as it happened with us. 3) They dont serve food in room which is odd. you have to climb up to the restaurant every time to eat something if you are staying in the first floor rooms. not advisable for elderly people. 4) rooms had no view. 5) no cleaning staff came during our 3 days visit, may be we needed to submit the keys which we dint while going out. 6) we paid around 2300-2400 per night without breakfast, which i felt was quite high, but u cant do anything as december is a peak season 7) if you are coming by share cabs you will be dropped near the main market area and from there the hotel is far away, we did the mistake by climbing up to the hotel to save some extra bucks but was a huge mistake.if you are coming by shared cabs, then take a local taxi to get down near prasar bharati and then walk down to the hotel or get down near the stand close to keventers. if you are taking a reserved cab get down near prasar bharati or the long route is get down near the stand close to keventers and then walk up to the mall road and take the lane from horse stable. 8) they dint provide electric kettles for warm water or tea or coffee. everytime we needed to drink warm water we had to call reception.

Rating – 7 out of 10

Colonel’s Dacha, Kasol,Himachal Pradesh
_{Circuit House Rd, near Himachal Tourism Log Huts, Old Manali, Manali, Himachal Pradesh 175101}

Colonels Dacha is a small homestay situated 4km away from the Kasol main market beside the beautiful Parvati River. The location of the property was the main reason of choosing this one. As its a little away from the main market you can actually enjoy the real beauty of Kasol away from the traffic and noise of the market area. Its located beside the Kabila Camps, the road is a little tricky to figure out, but the Manager Jeetu ji was waiting for us on the road itself.

The river bank area is so peaceful and calm you can actually sit there for hours and hours. The property has a direct access to the road which leads to Chalal Village, if you ask the manager Jeetu ji and Ajit Ji, they will surely guide you with the hike trail. Its a 2 km hike from the property.

Room – We stayed in a 3 bed room accommodation from December 31 – 2nd Jan which costed us Rs 4000/day which was quite decent considering the fact that it was peak season and we booked at the last minute. The room had two bathrooms, with geyser facilities in both which was quite important during the freezing December nights. They also provided room heaters and extra blankets which kept us quite warm even in -4 degrees.

Restaurant – They have their in house dining area. The dinner items were quite tasty and the proportions were also quite good. The snacks items could be a lot better.

Cons – No specific cons as such. Only feedback is they can add more staff and security to the property.

Rating – 7 out of 10

Hotel Greenfields Manali, Himachal Pradesh
_{Circuit House Rd, near Himachal Tourism Log Huts, Old Manali, Manali, Himachal Pradesh 175101}

If you are planning to visit Manali, try to stay as far away from the Mall road as possible. Well there is a reason behind it of course. Tourists often try to stay close to a Mall road whenever they plan any tour to any hilly region. But trust me Manali Mall road is different. It is very congested, very much crowded and the traffic situation is worse. Also you wont get the best view of the mountains as well. Try to stay a little away from this area and thus we chose Old Manali. Situated in close proximity to the Hadimba Devi temple and just opposite to the Log Huts area (beside The Orchard greens resort) is Hotel Greenfields where we stayed for 4 nights and 5 days.

The location and the view of the snow capped mountains from the hotel terrace is to die for. The staffs are quite humble and very good. The check in & check out process was quite smooth. The hotel is managed By Sharma ji & Chaman Ji who were also quite helpful.

Rooms – We booked a duplex room with a decent view which costed us only Rs 3000/night for 5 people at December end time (peak season). Watch the video of the room tour and the terrace view. The rooms were quite big and spacious and had two bathrooms. The geysers takes a long time to heat up the water. They also provide room heater at additional price.

Restaurant – The best part of the hotel was their food. We did not liked the food much in Manali, and the prices of food is exorbitantly high, but the food served in the hotel was delicious. Not only the taste , the proportions were also quite good which can easily serve two people and the prices were moderate as well. We always had the dinner and lunch from the hotel itself. The Chef is superb. Do try their Tandoori Alu and Chicken main dishes. Outside food is not allowed in the room which was quite strange and they told us directly also. So keep in mind this point.

Cons – No cons as such. However we felt a little weird about couple of things. Like they were constantly asking us to have their breakfast even though we said we wanted to eat outside. Secondly we dint the thing that outside food is not allowed inside the room also. Last but not the least do not book a full tour cab package from the hotel

Rating – 7 out of 10

ibis Kolkata Rajarhat, Kolkata
_{Address – Cf 12, BG Block(Newtown), Action Area 1C, Newtown, Kolkata, West Bengal 700156}

Situated in the heart of the famous IT hub of Kolkata, ibis Kolkata is more of a new property which has been quite an exciting destination for lot of young people for a day outing amidst the corona situation. The location is just between the famous shopping mall Central and Pride Hotel in New Town, so it will not be very difficult for people to spot it.

The people in the reception greeted us with smile which we really liked. We booked two connecting room for ourselves which costed us around 4K. The hotel has its own restaurant, bar and cafe.

The rooms were quite cozy with all the modern amenities (two mini fridge,super chilled ac, coffee/tea maker) and the view from the room was beautiful. So if you are planning for a day outing , this is definitely a good option inside the city if you are in a group or a couple who wants to spend quality time with each other.

Rooms– Quite spacious once again. starts from 4k-4.5k per night depending on the occasion you choose. Try to take a room on the 8th floor to get a better view

Restaurant – Spacious and beautifully decorated with all CoVID 19 norms. We ordered fish finger and chili chicken which was quite tasty however the price of the food was on the higher side.

Cons : Wished it had a big lawn to sit outside in open air or may be a cafe.

Rating : 7 out 10

Central Heritage Resort & Spa, Darjeeling
_{Address – Robertson Rd, Chauk Bazaar, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101}

Central Heritage, one of the oldest property in the main town of Darjeeling near the Chowrasta, still holds in charm after so many years. It is a more than 110 years old property and is a symbol of the British Colonial era. The Central Group of Hotels have another property in the close proximity to this place which is the Central Nirvana Resort.

Both properties are very well managed with beautiful decorations and a friendly staff. Be mindful of booking well in advance as they get reserved very quickly.

The Central Heritage have two buildings , one is the main one and the other Annexe Building just opposite to the road. The pictures that you can see are of the main building. We stayed in room 121 and 122, the deluxe rooms.

Room rate starts from 2.5k-3k per night depending on the season you choose.

Rooms – Quite spacious, with all modern amenities. Most of the rooms have wooden floors and if the high end rooms have their separate fire place as well.

Restaurant – Quite spacious once again. We took their CP Plan i.e. Room plus complimentary Breakfast, The breakfast was quite lavish with a wide variety of items on the table. Just make sure you reach before 9:30 as they dont allow people to come after that.

Staffs – The staffs require special mention as they are very courteous and always smiling, The bartender was equally helpful. Just don’t remember to submit the keys before you leave for a sightseeing tour (they will arrange for one if you want) as they clean the room during that time.

Cons : Nothing that we noticed of.

Rating – 9 out of 10. Overall we really liked their professionalism and hospitality, we would definitely come back again.

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Pondicherry Executive Inn
_{1-A, Perumal Koil St, White Town, Puducherry, 605001}

Compact will be the word which will describe this hotel. The hotel has got all the basic amenities with a warm host. The rooms are quite cozy, and the best part is they have utilized each and every corner of the room which is something unique. We stayed in the Executive Suit which had two rooms.

Location – In close proximity to the Rock Beach. Just 5 minutes walking distance from the Beach road. It is also close to Mission Street where you will get all the bike/cycle/scooty rent.

Room Rate – Stars from 2.5-3K depending on seasons. Executive room was Rs 3,500 (excluding tax) per day

Rooms – We took the executive room for 4 people with two rooms one washroom one balcony, one proper double bed and one small sofa cum bed with twin ac’s and a mini refrigerator.

Restaurant – In house restaurant with all kind of food options available starting from English breakfast, to north Indian, Continental , Chinese and south Indian cuisines. We had complimentary breakfast buffet.

Staff – Courteous and humble.

Cons : Few staffs had a bit of attitude. One of the staff infact knocked our doors telling us to not smoke in the room and go to the balcony as smoke was coming out of the room (although the door was closed) which might cause issues for other guests. But nothing major.

Rating – 7.5 out of 10

Asian Inn, Puri

Beautiful property, well maintained, one of the top hotels near Marina Beach Puri. This was the only hotel in Puri where we have stayed which actually got a tube lift inside the premise to move from one floor to another which was cool.

Location – In close proximity to the Beach. You can actually get the partial beach view from the room. Located in a prime spot with the famous Swargadwar and the beach market nearby. You can easily get an auto to reach to the famous Puri Mandir

Room Rate – Stars from 2.2K-2.5K depending on seasons. Our deluxe room was Rs 2200 per day

Rooms – We took the deluxe room for 3 people with one bed, tv, washroom, ac with a partial view of the beach

Restaurant – We really liked the food in the restaurant. Specially their thaali which was sumptuous. If you do not stay also its recommended that you should try out their Thaali. We remember having a veg meal with non veg side dish paying just Rs 90 for the thaali and could not finish the meal as it had so many items back in 2015.

Staff – A bit weird. One of the staff just entered our room to have a discussion casually when we were having our snacks thinking that we were a group of bachelors and we wont mind it. But we actually did. They might push you for tips but that is very common in hotels in Puri beach.

Cons – There was no remote to the ac as it was a centralized ac service. At night it was freezing cold.

Rating – 7.5 out of 10

Aranya Tourism Property (earlier Jaldapara Tourist Lodge) Dooars, West Bengal

Address : Jaldapara National Park, Dooars, West bengal

Seen the pictures? Coming straight to the point , What if I tell you that thisis a Government property ?

Sounds crazy right ?? Yes it is. It is one of the most beautiful property of the West Bengal Government of India. Properly maintained, decent staff with delicious food what more you want in the middle of the jungle ? 😉

They have their wine shop as well. The best part was the you don’t have to go anywhere to book for the jungle safari via elephant or a jeep as the counter was right beside the lodge. Just make sure you book the safari as soon as you reach there as there can be rush depending on the season,

Location – Get down near New Mal Junction 30 minutes drive from their and 2 hours drive from NJP station located just beside the highway and the National Park

Room Rate – Starts from 2.2K-2.5K depending on seasons. Our ac deluxe room was Rs 2400 per day (tax seperate). Link to the website.

Rooms – We took the deluxe room for 3 people with one bed, tv, washroom, ac with the garden view. The garden was huge and spacious, it had badminton court, carrom board area, children park etc

Restaurant – We really liked the food in the restaurant. But the prices was a bit high again cannot complain as it was located close to the forest area.

Staff – Decent and helpful staff.

Cons – Nothing as such except the price of the room and the food were a bit high considering it is a Government enterprise.

Rating – 7.5 out of 10

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