Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort

I had great expectations of a luxurious getaway in the hills and wanted “nothing but the best”. Sadly, I was very disappointed. The hotel is rather far from everything, and not even well placed for secluded walks, being on a steep incline which is a busy road, with no walking path. They have a shuttle service, but it is too restrictive. Consider offering it all day, perhaps at a fixed timing, eg every half hour or every hour. Breakfast was a disappointment. Hot food stalls should be more visible, instead of being hidden away. There is no ambience. Outdoor seating is sadly off limits due to the monkey menace. And extremely slow service, even though it was not busy, with only about 20% occupancy! Even a juice at breakfast took 30 minutes. Hot food took longer! Complimentary high tea is a nice touch, but options can be more varied, and include healthy canapés perhaps? Again, service was painfully slow. Service at the bar was slow. And the cocktail (pardesh pani) was watered down and tasteless. The veg skewers were too much veg and too little paneer, and undercooked and too chewy. Live music in the evenings is nice. But if you’re looking for a “happening” vibe, that isn’t to be found. The spa area is terrible. No seating, no welcome drink, no comfortable reception. There wasn’t even any staff there, I had to call reception to ask them to send someone. Though the therapist was good and the massage was nice. The gym is tiny and basic. Compare with the one in Hyatt Kochi for instance, which was fab! Housekeeping needs to pull up their socks. Our room was not cleaned till after 3pm on day 1, though we were out for 5 hours! Turn down service is basic, most hotels leave little treats in the room. There is no bathtub in the bathroom. And no coffee machine!! Like who puts Nescafé instant coffee satchets in a 5 star hotel! Overall, not worth the price. Stay elsewhere.

Excellent property with a wide range of breakfast spread. They also had children camp from 9 am to 6 pm with full time nanny availability. And the best part was the high tea, so many delicious options of snacks to choose from. Overall it was a wonderful stay as expected.

Nicely located hotel away from very busy town centre, a good cool spot at a relatively hot time of the year Interesting town, provided you have a good driver/ guide