Hotel Sahiwa

The location worked well, with Dalai Lama temple close by. My first room had a broken door lock and power switch, so I asked to move and the replacement room was nice. Dinner was a letdown: the mixed vegetables weren't properly cooked and were too spicy, while the butter tawa roti wasn't cooked well either. It seemed like an untrained cook had made it, and the price was far too high for that food. I stayed for a day and night on my McLeod Ganj trip.

The hotel is right in the market, so you can walk around the streets easily, and it's opposite the parking. Service was quick, and otherwise I had a good experience. The washrooms weren't very clean, though, and the blankets looked used. It was also annoying that the owner would only let families with small children stay if they booked two separate rooms. That doesn't make much sense for a family.

The location is hard to beat: right beside the temple, on the main road with no steep climb, and close to restaurants, shops, and cafés. We were in McLeodganj with family in April 2018 and walked in without a booking, because other hotels were full or required climbs that the older members couldn't manage. We ended up staying here, but the hotel itself was in terrible shape. The front desk staff seemed indifferent, the staff didn't seem trained, the rooms were dirty, sheets had stains and holes, and the bathrooms leaked. Nothing about the stay was positive.

The geyser in our room didn't work properly, which was the one thing I disliked. Otherwise the hotel was quite good, with very large rooms and all the best facilities. Better than most hotels in Mcleodganj, I'd say. I'd give it 9 out of 10.