Mitra Hostel 2.0 Mcleodganj

The mountain views from the rooftop are incredible, especially for a relaxed evening, and the common spaces make it easy to meet other travelers. I found Mitra McLeodganj a memorable part of my Dharamshala/McLeodganj trip. Cafes, shops, Dalai Lama Temple and local sights are all within walking distance. The staff are often praised for being warm, friendly and genuinely helpful, and guests feel at home. Rooms, especially the dorms, are clean, comfortable and good value. There's also a cute hostel cat and a friendly atmosphere. I'd recommend it to solo travelers and groups looking for a comfortable Himalayan hostel with a sense of community.

The rooftop cafe is a great place to sit and take in the mountains. The whole hostel had a fun, welcoming feel, and both the staff and the other guests were friendly. Himangi ma’am and sir were especially warm and fun hosts. I had an amazing stay at Mitra Hostel in McLeod Ganj and would recommend it to anyone visiting McLeodGanj.

Mitra feels like a community, thanks to the hospitality, especially from Karni Singh. Its rooftop cafe serves excellent food, and the terrace has wide views of the Dhauladhar range. Book a balcony room if you can, that mountain horizon when you wake up is worth the money. The place is walkable to everything but tucked away from the main square's noise. Rooms are spacious and clean, with a cozy minimalist look. The Wi-Fi is surprisingly solid for remote work, and the common areas are good for meeting people. There's also the resident cat. The balance of social energy and peaceful isolation makes it feel like the soul of McLeod Ganj. Sunset dining up on the roof is a must.

We had to wait until noon for another room because every other room was occupied. Since I had booked and paid for the first night, that night was effectively lost. The replacement room was better, with no odor, clean sheets, and a bathroom mirror, but there were splashes around the mirror from previous guests brushing their teeth, lots of hair on the floor, and dirty carpets by the bathroom door and bed. The place has a serious cleanliness and hygiene problem. Even the drinking water dispenser on the roof terrace had green growth on its lower part. We'd arrived on the morning of June 15th by night bus from Delhi, hoping to get straight into a room and sleep. I had booked for June 14th to make that possible and messaged the accommodation to explain, but got no reply. Instead, we were put in a room nothing like the "Deluxe" description or photos. Its door and the door of a toilet on the same floor were wide open, and a horrible urine smell spread over half the floor. Our room was right next to the toilet, and we felt like we were sleeping in a urinal on the Reeperbahn in Hamburg, not a "Deluxe" double room. The sheets were dirty, and there was no bathroom mirror. It was unacceptable. At reception, a staff member said the toilet door had accidentally been left open all night, though it was left open several more times during our stay. He tried an air freshener, but we wanted a room change as a lasting fix. He wasn't interested and simply said "No". Another guy at least gave us the impression that a change might be possible.