Gem of the Himalayas. One of the best properties I have ever stayed at. Warm, hospitable and amazing staff. Exquisite rooms. Excellent food. And a location to die for. What an experience. Leave with a heavy heart but with a promise to come back again, soon. Thank you Windamere Darjeeling.

Windamare is a very romantic and has a very old world charm. Windamare is one of my favorite hotel I have stayed so far, the location is spot on, the service is extremely good , the colonial architecture is absolute treat. The view from observatory is exceptional . The Staff Sanjay and Sankalp were very helpful and went out of the way to help us in a family emergency. Big thumbs up for them. It was a great experience.

Words fail me…the property…the staff…all are amazing…once in a lifetime experience…met the MD Mz.Emily…everything here has a personal touch to it…Front Desk Manager Aman is very helpful…the property is very well maintained …loved it.

We were a group of 8 who spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the Windamere. Since I felt conned, let me put down why I felt so: 1. There was no water in our building from around 6.30-9.30 am. Many people discovered this after embarking on their ablutions. This was handled in as pathetic a manner as can be imagined. A clueless girl at the front desk who was forced to lie through her teeth; invisible senior management till 2 hours in to the crisis; and absolutely no apologies from anyone for the trauma. The only person who showed some leadership and tried to pacify irate guests and distribute bottled water was an elderly housekeeping supervisor. 2. There was no coordination between departments. Despite there being no water, the dining room supervisor refused to serve an affected guest (and misbehaved) saying that the lack of water was the guest’s problem. This, in front of the so called hotel general manager, who was completely aware of the problems. Interestingly, there was a building opposite with bathrooms and even a shower, which would have sorted out the immediate problem while the plumbing problems were being addressed, but affected guests were left to their own devices. 3. Food seemed to be in short supply. The hotel runs on set menus and you pay for everything that is on the menu. However, our experience was different. The promised ‘hash brown’ turned out to be a tiny helping of mashed potato (see the pic) and ONE cocktail sausage (although we got more when asked). The point is one had to ask for what should have come automatically. One of the courses during the Christmas dinner was ham and pineapple. This was completely passed over. When asked, I received a small portion on a tea saucer. When I insisted that we wanted the course for everyone at our table, a larger helping was produced. 4. For a hostelry that proudly calls itself a colonial hotel, playing old Hindi film tunes on a synthesiser at Christmas dinner seemed a sad decline. The food was good and wholesome; most of the outdoor staff were excellent; the location of course is great. The rooms have seen better days, but were not a dealbreaker for us. Although the gap between Windamere’s pricing and that of other luxury properties in Darjeeling has narrowed, I was not convinced that the Windamere was value for money. Had it literally lived up to its reputation as a ‘country house’ with a convivial atmosphere, plenty of food and drink, and interesting company, may be it would have been with the price for the experience. But for that the ownership and management need to have imagination, a genuine desire to look after guests, and some grace, all of which was singularly absent in our experience. The supervisory, management and office staff need urgent training (our struggles with the booking process almost deserves a separate post). The Windamere is currently a confused place: a 2 star hotel with 5 star prices masquerading as a colonial hotel with boorish owners who seem to have entered the hospitality industry without understanding basic concepts of hospitality. Caveat emptor!

Well we booked through booking.com and were promised superior rooms but ended up getting two different rooms of different sizes in a thirty-year-old block (OH) on two different floors. The colonial facade is, of course, fake and the smaller room has a TV inside a wardrobe with hardly any space for your clothes. This is the so-called Roy Bahadur room. The food is great, the location excellent and the owner (Elizabeth) amiable. This is till checkout time. Right at 11 they start calling you up, and if you protest that booking.com advises stay till 12.30, they shrug it off. We requested time till 12, and when I lost it, Elizabeth decided to shout at me. It isn't that the property is bad, but it can take you for a roughish ride unless you know the place well. Ensure you check in no earlier than 1pm and check out at 11 on the dot. Again, choose your rooms wisely if you want an 18th century experience. Finally, don't dare take on the front desk, they'll let Elizabeth loose on you.