Manali, HP Holiday Inn

A relative had recommended that we stay at the Holiday Inn in Manali as it was the best place to stay in town. There is no doubt that the Hotel is well designed with rooms that have a commanding view over the mountains and Manali town.

What let's this hotel down badly is the attitude of the staff. The staff at this hotel have been told to charge guests for everything they possibly can; for example this is the first Holiday Inn that I have stayed in where they charge guests for use of a sauna or every facility, and even when you do pay, a member of staff waits outside armed with a stopwatch so that they can charge you for the number of minutes you have used the facility. We were told that a bottle of mineral water was complimentary, but we later found that we were charged for it. Although the amounts charged were small, what really annoys me is that when you are paying premium prices for accommodation they should not be continually charging guests for everything else.

Housekeeping was terrible. The beds and sheets had faint smell of urine, and we had to get these changed. The staff were also reluctant to provide extra soap or toilet roll.

The food was generally good, but the staff were annoyingly over helpful, to the extent that you wanted to tell them to go away. At the Buffet a member of staff would follow you, watching each spoonful you put on your plate.

Overall, this hotel is badly let down by its staff and its policy to make even more money out of guests by charging for small items and facilities.

There are better hotels to stay at in Manali with equally good views.