The Fern Residency, Haridwar

Breakfast was good, and the staff were very cooperative. The location was inconvenient for us, a bit far from Har Ki Pauri and beneath an under-construction flyover. The facilities were disappointing too: there was no pool, kids’ area, or gym, and the place had apparently been under renovation for many months. You may find it okay if location and amenities don’t matter much, but I wouldn’t recommend it for families or anyone wanting a relaxing stay. There are better deals for half the price, so it didn’t feel worth the money.

The bedsheets were in poor condition, and cold air came into the rooms from the balcony, so they didn’t seem suitable for winter. There was no room heater. The hotel is old, with few amenities available, and even advertised facilities like the swimming pool weren’t operating. The TV had an old set-top box. It felt like they were charging too much for what was offered, and the hotel seemed to be in serious financial trouble.

The restaurant food was the highlight for me. They prepared it to our requests, and we enjoyed it a lot. We stayed three nights in a spacious room, though it felt pretty average for a four-star hotel. The staff were exceptionally friendly and polite, especially Ms. Sonam.

We couldn’t last even an hour there. The rooms had insects, a foul smell, and stains in the bathrooms, and they didn’t even have clean glasses for drinking water. The service and everything else were awful. Staff spoke without basic courtesy or sense, and the manager and others were far too unprofessional. The whole place gave us very negative vibes, and they did nothing to improve things.