OYO 17306 Hotel Apple Wood

I loved my stay here. The rooms are great, service was excellent, and there's a wonderful view from the terrace. It's an economical option within walking distance of Harminder Sahib. A couple of things to know: parking is a problem, and if you're driving you'll have to leave the car some distance away, which didn't feel safe. The power backup also takes a little while to start.

The rooms were pathetic, and the hotel is in a very shady location with no parking. One friend got sick during our stay, which we put down to poor hygiene. The owner also told us to cancel our booking in the OYO app and book directly to get free breakfast, so he wouldn't have to pay the commission. Don't book this hotel.

The one decent part was the room boy, who also handled reception and room service. He was polite and brought hot water whenever we asked for the baby we had with us. The rest of the stay was awful. It looked far worse than the pictures, and I don't understand its 3.9 rating. I wonder if locals or relatives made up the ratings to draw people in. The building seems to be about 8-10 years old and converted into an Oyo. It feels like traditional housing rather than a decent hotel. There are three floors in an area of about 500 sq ft, with narrow lobby and stair passages and no lift. Each floor has two rooms and a kitchen-like setup in between where trash and leftover food are kept. The smell when opening the room was awful, like puke. The curtains, linens, pillows, floor, and ceiling were dusty and smelly, and there was dirt and hair on the bed. The hygiene reminded me of public washrooms in India. Please maintain better hygiene, since it's essential for guests checking in.

This is only worth considering if your budget is very low. The accommodation is average, on a very narrow street. The road to the main road is narrow and muddy, and in rainy season we paid Rs 50 to get across because of waterlogging. They ask for full payment in advance and keep asking about it whenever you speak to reception. There were no basic items like soap, towels, drinking water, or even a table to put luggage on. The room we got through an online booking was a different basic room from the pictures, with no curtains and a damaged outside lock.