Somewhere an hour south of Mumbai lies Lonavala, an area of hills and valleys, a popular "hill station", a lush green oasis. It is invariably described as beautiful. Except for when it is described as very beautiful but that is usually when it is compared to the nearby city! Around Lonavala are lakes, caves, thick forests and even a peak for rock climbing. Not surprisingly, a lot of hotels to choose from.
We passed plenty of hotels on our way from Mumbai offering luxury rooms, deluxe accommodation, breakfast - even a bed! - but having stayed before at a couple of Sarovar Hotels and finding them comfortable, clean and good value, we opted for here. As we bumped along dirt tracks, doubling back behind what looked like tumbledown shacks with signs outside proclaiming themselves "hotels", we began to worry if maybe I hadn't made the wrong choice.
Finally we turned off a mud track onto an even small dirt track, pulled up alongside a low, grubby wall, and the driver stopped. "Going to ask for directions again?" I enquired. "No, we are here," he replied, as if I were bonkers.
And sure enough, over the wall, I could see what looked like a couple of lights and - the real giveaway - a sign next to the gate. I
Arrival and Lobby The hotel is two stories high, offers 23 rooms and is laid out in a rough semi circle around a garden, in the centre of which stands a single tree. The rooms are all to the outer, rear side of the building overlooking the swimming pool or, in my case, a small children's play area. The inner side is mostly open, with the corridor overlooking the central garden.
We strolled through the central garden to the centre of the building where there was one small Reception Desk. Behind the desk were two, small seating areas which I assumed was the "lounge" mentioned in the brochure.Next to Reception, was a spiral staircase down to the lower level where the restaurant, bar, meeting room/night club and pool are accessed.
Check in was done quickly and half cheerfully, if a bit disorganised. I was then given the key to the room, which was attached to a large, bulky key chain. So I set off to find the room, dragging my case in one hand and the key in the other.
The Room There being only 23 rooms, shared between two floors, it was not hard to find mine. I was on the ground floor looking out onto what at first looked like waste land but, to one side, I could see a children's play area.
The room was slightly larger than average sized and fairly sparsely furnished. There were two single beds, which looked somewhat rickety. There was a TV on a shelf to one side. Against the near wall was a cupboard. At the far end there was a small desk, a table and that was it - no excess furniture to speak of. There was also a door to the rear of the hotel. I was a little concerned to find that there was no bolt, just the press-button lock, so anyone with a key could open it from the outside. It didn't worry me unduly but, if I was a woman on her own, it might be a bit unsettling.
As I prepared one of the beds I noticed that the sheets were a bit grubby and stained. I didn't examine it too closely, I just used the other bed. It was made up with sheets and a thin blanket under the bed spread. Once I settled in, the bed was not uncomfortable.
The bathroom was small, but functional. Most importantly, other than the stained sheets the room seemed reasonably clean and well maintained. I don't remember there being any in-room internet.
Restaurant and Bar There is one restaurant, described as "multi cuisine". I've been caught out by that before - I assumed it meant different styles of cooking, but it turned out to mean that you could have curried meat, curried veg, or Chinese as long as you liked it spicy. Here it was a little better than that, there were non-spicy dishes as well, but the choice was quite limited.
The meals were buffet with a soup, a couple of salads, then about four main courses of which half were vegetarian. Indian breads were supplied fresh. There followed one dessert and coffee. The food itself was quite good, fresh and with a good flavour and not too spicy. I could imagine, though, that after two or three days the limited choice would get tiring.
The "bar" is little more than a counter at the entrance to the restaurant. It is separated from the restaurant by a shoulder high wooden partition and consists of a bar counter with four bar chairs in an area that about six foot square. The selection of drinks is somewhat limited.
Other facilities The hotel offers a Spa, which can be found at the left end of the hotel. It is essentially the last room in the building on each floor, converted into a treatment room. They offer a range of massage treatments, facials etc.
At the rear of the hotel is the pool, with a sun deck around it. The pool is small, mainly good for dips and splashes. The surrounding area is nice and relaxing with some nicely landscaped gardens and loungers.
There is a single meeting room which could hold 20-30 people. This room doubles as the night club. In looking around I tried a few switches and suddenly yellow and pink lights started flashing across the back wall. Imagine that in the middle of the cost-cutting presentation!
There is a small lounge area behind reception, as well as another on the lower level, next to the night club/meeting room and restaurant/bar. The latter is larger and has a Carrom board set up to pass the time away.
Service The people at the hotel were all polite and fairly pleasant. The did what they were asked, without doing any extra, with the exception of one or two who really did seem eager to please.
Summary The hotel is described on the website as breathtaking which frankly is a little exaggerated! If you arrive expecting to be rendered breathless, you will be sorely disappointed!
However, it is a reasonably clean (Psst. Check the sheets!) and comfortable. The food is fine, if limited and the bar would comfortably accommodate a crowd of two. It's not the place to stay for more than a few nights but, as a base to explore the lovely Lonavala area, it is more than adequate.
Rack rates are INR (Rupees) 2,200 for a single room, which is about US$49. At that price, it represents good value.
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
