Guest User
January 5, 2023
This is a decent mid-budget Manor stay / hotel in a great location in Mall road. I enjoyed our anniversary weekend here, even though I had a couple of complaints. AMBIENCE: It's just a short walk away to mall road but quiet and scenic, with the same view as the one you get on Camelback road. The building is, as you can see from the pics, old world charm with a nice history behind it (this is the summer home of Sir Courtenay Pergine Ilbert, who drafted the controversial Ilbert Bill and inadvertently played a part in the birth of Indian National Congress - google to know more!). It's also quiet and serene around, despite being just a stone's throw from chaotic Mall road. ROOMS: We booked early and got the Fanny Parks suite that had the best view. So glad we did this. It was so cold during our stay, we spent most of our time in the room, gazing at the beautiful Himalayan peaks. Pleasing interiors, good storage, spacious room, attached toilet was also quite spacious. Bed was very comfortable. Wifi was pretty decent. There were frequent power cuts but came back in a few minutes. FOOD: The breakfast buffet included in room tarriff is strictly functional and is there to fill your stomach only, not for taste; I could not really say anything more than that. Personally I preferred to order from room service, available 10am to 10pm. Made to order stuff from this hotel is really good. We ate most dinners from the hotel's kitchen as it was very cold to go out, and the room service was quick and delicious. They make a mean lemon tea, served in pretty flasks and cutlery. STAFF: Staff are very helpful and always had a smile for us. We could see them working diligently. Since my pidgin hindhi is not of much help, I asked the hotel well ahead to arrange airport pick up for us and they replied instantly, recommending a local driver and asked us to book him directly; we did, with the help of Google translate, and everything went well. We did get a small shock as the cab entered - dropped down - on the incline that leads to the hotel. Reminded us of a mini rollercoaster. LOCATION: 5 min walk downhill from Library Chowk. The walk uphill will be a challenge unless you are fit, but it is good for health, so no complaint there, esp since there is free shuttle also. Main complaints 1. My biggest complaint is the room temperature that was in single digits all our stay. One heater was not enough - you can't have more either. Since this is a heritage property, the room can have only one room heater (the wiring load won't bear one more). All rooms have high ceilings, so you can guess the temperature of the room. Try using the toilet at 2am when it is minus 5 outside! The shower cubicle ought to be covered on top too, otherwise you are just shivering the minute the shower ends. Not fun. Food will go ice cold in 5 min. In winter, you better layer up. If you cannot bear the cold indoors, either book Ilbert manor in non-winter months or opt for modern hotels that have c