Family friendly Hotels in Nainital

I can never say no to hills! It was sister’s birthday and she expressed her desire of heading to the hills. Hence, we packed our bags, booked our ride and headed to the hills. For our abode, we didn’t have a second thought. We had loved the hospitality of Sterling Mussoorie last year. Hence for Nainital, we booked Sterling Holiday Resorts in Nainital. Nestled amidst the picturesque hills of Nainital, far from the hustle and bustle of the city center. Our unforgettable getaway was filled with breathtaking views, delectable food, impeccable hospitality, family time and heartwarming surprises. A beautiful drive led us to the property and upon arrival, from the moment we stepped into the grand lobby, enveloped by warm smiles, we knew we were in for a treat. We were treated to refreshing welcome drinks while the staff efficiently completed the check-in formalities. The corridors which led to our rooms were adorned with pictures that captured the essence of Nainital, further amplifying the excitement for our stay. It was time to check out our heavenly rooms. The Super Premier Room with a Balcony & Valley View was a delight! Stepping inside, we were acquainted with spaciousness and artful design. The highlight, undoubtedly, was the private balcony offering a mesmerizing vista of the valley below. The room itself was a haven of comfort with calming interiors, a plush double bed overlooking the view, TV, cozy seating, ample luggage space, wardrobe, and a spacious bathroom. To add a touch of local charm, there were welcome goodies including special Uttarakhand delicacies waiting for us - a delightful start to our stay. The balcony became our favourite spot, especially during mornings and evenings. As we sipped on our cups of tea, we were enveloped by the beauty of the valley, making it the perfect way to start and end our days. After a long journey, we were famished. In-room dining came to our rescue, and we ordered some delicious grilled sandwiches with tea before heading for dinner at the hotel's restaurant. The restaurant Tadka was a visual delight, exuding elegance with a touch of greenery. Plush seating in pastel colours like pink and green created a warm and inviting ambiance. The culinary experience at Sterling Nainital was nothing short of extraordinary. Every bite here was a journey of flavours. Let us take you through the culinary extravaganza we indulged in. Our culinary adventure began with a delightful spread of appetizers. We savoured both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, including Vegetable Sweet Corn Soup, Chicken Sweet Corn Soup, and Garden Green Salad. The flavoursome soups were a perfect precursor to the mouthwatering starters. For starters, we tried the irresistible Fish Fry, Paneer Tikka, and Vegetable Kebab. The Vegetable Kebabs were particularly delightful - crispy on the outside and bursting with flavours on the inside. We could not resist ordering Chinese, our indulgence included Wok Fried Paneer and Gre

I am typically wary of flowery coverage of Hotels that are featured in Travel magazines, as they are more driven and fueled by the special treatments that the authors got, leading them to celebrate the hotel more than it deserves to be. This was one such case! Both Outlook traveller and Travel + Leisure had celebrated this way more than it deserves. But still it had its highlights. I would have given 3 stars, but raising it upto 4 stars only because of the lovely setting, the sweet and hardworking staff, and the quality of Food etc. Frankly speaking, I am not a big fan of the label ‘Hidden gem’. But this boutique beauty - that is stunningly situated on a clifftop against a striking backdrop of hills and terrace fields - certainly deserves that title! You can get treated to panoramic views of the Kumaon Hills leading to the magnificent Himalayas right from your Balcony! Unfortunately, during our stay the weather fairy wasn't on our side. The imposing peaks of Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot, Panchachuli, Trishul were teasingly playing Peekaboo with us all day long - just like Mt Fuji did with us in Japan, or Mt.Rainier used to do in Seattle! Nonetheless, the views were still stunning enough and this was one of the closest encounters with the hills we had been blessed with in the recent past! LOCATION: Stunning location on a Clifftop and just 80 minutes drive from Bhimtal. DINE + DRINK: They dont have a BAR as advertised, and the restaurant could certainly be better decorated or setup. HOwever the food was to die for! THe Chef whipped up some wicked meals for us. The Kumaoni Thali in the night got us high on food. And the breakfast was divine - Piping hot Masala Maggi and Puffed up Pooris under the winter sun accompanied by flavorful Masala Chai!! ROOM: We stayed in 306, so this review is based on that; VIEW: Spectacular views of the Kumaon Hills and Himalayas ; SIZE: Very spacious room; AIR-CON: No A/C as the nature did a great job of setting the perfect room temperature; BED: Comfortable bed that played the expected part to put me to sleep; BATHROOM: Stand in shower; TOILETRIES: OK Justa cosmetics. Bring your own FACILITIES: No Gym on site. And the Pool was closed due to Covid. So DONT BELIEVE THE GLAMOROUS pics you see on these travel magazines and expect a fun time in the Pool. They do have a Spa on site though, though the quality and experience of the staff looked questionable SERVICE: Friendly staff that took care of all my needs with a smile and made us feel pampered and well taken care of. Special Shout out to DILIP KUMAR, DINESH, and GAJENDAR at the restaurant. And RAMESH who attended to our special requests. They can surely do better with the FRONT OFFICE staff who certainly needed a lot of training and coaching! HOW WIRED YOU WILL BE: Free Wifi, but VERY POOR CONNECTIVITY and severe issues and be warned that if you plan to do some work stuff or call, it will be a NIGHTMARE! Big Plasma TV screen dishing out dozens of channels s

It's a beautiful property, which you would love for sure. Right in front of the property is a river streak, which you can actually cross by walking. Beyond the river is lush green jungle. With no network, it's a good hideout place. But the real sham are the caretakers. While they are sweetspoken, but deeds are not really upto the mark. I booked the costliest room in the property but the fan had a rattling noise, which they couldn't fix even after 2 days. The cable tv was not working and could only start after 2 hrs post complain. But the worse is the chef surrender - who tries to be oversmart. He is sweet to speak to, with a genuine pahadi smile, but he tries to be overs-mart with his cooking. When we checked in it was lunch time - we ordered a loo gob-hi and dal for lunch. He told us a loo gob-hi would take time, as they prepare only fresh food on order. But surprisingly the food was ready in notime. What we found out was that he mixed fried potato and gobhi in the leftover curry of some other veggie. So instead of a dry aloo gobhi served across india we had a a loo gob-hi with butter pane-er gravy. Well we were hungry so we are it. Next morning we ordered egg curry for lunch and found that mr. Surrender was preparing kadhi for a bigger group, so he mixed kadhi curry into boiled egg and served us as egg curry. Can you imagine a egg kadhi! we literally shouted on him and then he gave us another egg curry little better prepared using the same eggs. But loved the stay. Minus food and issues with their caretakers

Our experience at hotel himalaya was mixed. While the location is great and it offers convenient parking, the staff were not as welcoming or polite as expected, which left a less-than-ideal impression. The rooms were decent and provided the basics for a comfortable stay. We didn’t try the food at the hotel since there are plenty of dining options nearby. Overall, it’s an average stay, but the service could be improved.