I always believe that where you decide to stay during a holiday can either make or entirely mar your trip. Nainital is no different. In this post, I will write on the various accommodation options available at this hill town.
Broadly speaking, you may choose to either stay in the hub centre(on the Mall Road), where all the chehel pehel and raunak is or (as I did) away from the madding crowd, up in the mountains. All of this will depend primarily on YOU…what you enjoy- and both have their pros and cons.
So, the pros of staying at The Mall are:
Brilliant view of the Lake, City centre- hence most places accessible by foot and taxi expense will be lower.
Cons: Obvious- can get crowded and noisy during the season.
As opposed to this, further away from the Mall might get slightly heavier on the pocket as taxis may have to be hailed as you trudge uphill (especially if you have children with you). However, if sitting with a book amidst the mist and clouds,far away from the traffic noise is your thing then you may find this option well worth it!
As they say,what is the point of being in the mountains if you don’t trek the mountain trails and lie on the bed at night with a dull (albeit satisfying,may I add) ache in your calf muscles ! 😊
So,now that you’ve taken your pick…let me tell you more about the various places I thought were worth checking into…. Let me also add that the room tariffs etc you may have to check online.
The hotels on the Mall that I found charming were
1) Alka Hotel
2) The Grand Hotel
3) Classic- the Mall
4) Hotel Channi Raja
Hotels away from the Mall
1) Mannu Maharani
2) Naini Retreat
3) shervani Hilltop Hotel
And finally, the place we stayed at- ‘ The Hive Cottage’. We were absolutely blown away by this place and am going to fill you in about this place in a bit.
At this point,I would also want to add that, I have stayed in none of the above places so, please make sure you read the reviews before booking.
Okay….so now, about the little gem we were lucky to find…. ‘The Hive Cottage’.
It’s a little treasure perched on a hill, away from the madding crowds. The name of the property is,as already mentioned, ‘The Hive Cottage’. It housed the Post Office, way back in the late 1800s and Christopher William Corbett, father of Jim Corbett who happened to be the Post Master back then was a proud resident of the present ‘Corbett Suite’.
The Mall road is a short ( a Km maybe) trek down. We stayed at the Magnolia Cottage which gets its name from the wine coloured ( very rare colour for Magnolia flowers!) Magnolia trees that grow around it. The USP of this place is the personalized attention that you get once there…the food is home cooked and fresh. Whether you choose to order Indian or continental, the score is a perfect 10! low oil,yet flavourful! Orders have to be placed beforehand as they cook individually for their guests – very old dakbunglow style!
Compliments to the owners, Padmashree Dr Ranjit Bhargava(a renowned environmentalist who has been decorated globally for his rich work towards the environment in the Uttarakhand hills) and his wife Mrs Shrruti Bhargava for having kept the old world charm intact amidst the various multi star properties mushrooming all around it. Well done indeed! If in Nainital,do take a look at the property.
I am uploading the video link of this place below. Although let me add, the camera does not do justice to the beauty of this property,I feel. Please check it out.
I used Booking.com to book here. However, in case you are interested I will share the number of this place with you and you may also book directly with them. May I also add that I don’t earn any commission on account of it!
A few tips before you go:
- If you go by train or air, expect your cab to cost about Rs. 200 or so more on your way down.
- Mallital , refers to the higher areas and Tallital the lower areas-both being a part of Nainital.
- Rates of goods in most shops are fixed- I appreciated that!
- In case you have not visited Bhimtal and Sattal, do combine it on your way down from Nainital. In that case, expect to pay the cab about Rs 2000, till Kathgodam( all inclusive).
So, go on book yourself a trip to this lovely destination and enjoy!
I’d be happy to answer any further queries that you may have. Please leave your queries and comments and I’ll get back ASAP.
So, adieu….
Remain joyful and keep travelling…
Ciao
Joyful Steps 