Ri Kynjai Serenity by the Lake

We had a wonderful and comfortable stay. Serene environment, scenic views of the Umiam lake, a secluded and majestic resort surrounded by nature. Add to this excellent service and good food. We in fact regretted leaving the hotel to go visit Shillong on the second day of our stay!

A wonderful resort : ensconced within a thick plantation of pine trees interspersed with a variety of flowering shrubs, beautifully landscaped with walks short and long. The theme was set from the moment we entered. The building we drove up to was a perfect match to its surroundings : practically all wood, wide open and utterly relaxing. Exactly what one would expect the best resort in the city to be like. But this is where the magic ended. Reaching the reception desk was the first hurdle : one and a half floor below the ground level which we had to walk down. This “up-and-down” seemed to be the underlying theme here. Even when on the ground floor, there were three more sets of steps to cover before we could reach our room. And it was the same inside. The washroom was on a different level than the dressing area, the bedroom on a third and the balcony on the fourth one altogether. A total disaster for the aged or the specially abled who would need constant assistance to move around even within the room itself. To come back to the reception. It was as cold to say the least. The lady did not really seem pleased to see us : completed the paperwork in a minute, rattled off her welcome speech in half that time and handed over the room keys pointing the way we should go. The suite was large, tidy and well furnished, but a second look and one could see that there was no thought behind it. The owners had spent good money to procure the best from the ground up, but had either shied away at the last minute or had left the finishing touches to someone who was not really qualified for the job. The first thing to catch my attention were the two apples placed on the centre table. They were there, yes, but without a knife or plates that would encourage one to actually enjoy them. They remained there for three days, neither replaced nor removed. No one cared. The room did have a TV placed on a table, but only as if to check mark the list of amenities published on their website. That it was a tiny 32” one (instead of a minimum 50-60” one for a room that size) or the fact that it carried nothing except a few “free news channels” did not matter. No one had bothered to consult a simple salesman who could have enlightened the management about the screen size required viz-a-viz the size of the room. No one cared. That the “Best Resort In Shillong” did not have air-conditioning in the rooms was something I could accept considering the fact that it was probably not really needed there. But the grotesque “desert cooler” placed facing my bed was definitely jarring. I fail to understand the mindset of the management. Desert coolers are used in hot and dry environments and are known to cause high levels of discomfort due to the humidity caused by them. Never seen one used in any establishment above the “cattle-class” level. No one cared. Packaged water in the room was rationed to 1 Ltr per person/per day. Some toiletries provided for two while o

Excellent location. Beautiful view from the room. Expansive room and balcony. Lovely walk within the premises. Great hospitality. Only hitch, good hour from Shillong. However once back one loves to soak in the ambience. Birds and crickets make wonderful music!

The best thing about Ri Kynjai is the location: it has great views of umami lake and is a quiet place. Although is is only 20km from Shillong, the drive can easily take an hour or more because of heavy traffic. We had a lake view cottage, which has a balcony overlooking the lake. There is a large bedroom, a small entrance porch with a bed that was unusable as a bed because it very soft. There was old but comfortable furniture in the room and a loft with a small bed that could potentially be used by a kid. Overall, the furniture and amenities were very minimal and shabby compared to the price. There are too many levels, no lifts and lot of stairs, so this isn't a good place for people with knee problems. This is a small resort with 5 cottages and around 10-25 rooms and there is almost nothing to do: there is a spa, small store & a badminton court. There was a little reading room with around 50 old books. Everything else is a long drive away, and one has to rely on cabs which are expensive in this area. The food and service in the restaurant was good. The resort has wifi but the speed was very low, around 4mbps.

Beautiful place on the lake!!! This property is unique in the sense that it has a cozy villa vibe as opposed to a resort hotel. The uniqueness is accentuated by the attention paid to decor. Every part of this resort is decorated thoughtfully with unique pieces. The room I stayed in was fantastic - very spacious room with doors that can be opened up to the balcony that overlooks the lake. In warm weather you can literally bring the outdoors into your room. Its an experience by itself to sit on the verandah outside the dining room that overlooks the lake and have a drink from the bar. There is a large gazebo on the property that also overlooks the lake. The grounds are beautiful and its well worth spending time strolling around. The service in all respects is top notch. Would love to come back with family and spend more time here. A couple of suggestions for the management: 1. The lobby area and the areas when you step out of the rooms smells strongly of food. Not sure what causes it - but it will be better to not have that 2. I asked for a local dish from the restaurant for dinner one night - that was not so great. The other food for breakfast and dinner was good 3. Consider starting breakfast a little earlier - at least 7 AM as opposed to 7.30 AM. 4. The public road outside that is used to approach the property is in bad shape. Not the property's fault, but hope that is improved. Overall great place - highly recommended. Good job by the management.

This property is beautiful and peaceful. The setting and views are amazing, the architecture and design are beautiful, the food was delicious and service was great. The traffic in Shillong area is very bad, so know that to get anywhere from hotel is usually an hour minimum.