Upper Deck Resort - Highest Peak, Lonavala

Getting to the property takes some planning. We arranged a taxi from the railway station for the drop, a Lonavala tour the next day, and the return to the station, so we didn't have to sort it out at checkout. The location is peaceful and green, though, and the staff were humble, quick and polite. Our family enjoyed the stay in two Deluxe rooms and a Cottage room, which we upgraded from Deluxe by paying extra at the property. The rooms were clean and well maintained. There's a swimming pool, a restaurant with a nice view, and a play area for kids. The cottages have lovely mountain views, but the windows in the Deluxe rooms don't open onto the mountains, which was disappointing. Better window placement or some open view in every room would improve the layout. The food was good, but a little expensive. That's somewhat understandable given the location and logistics, though more reasonable prices would be better. Booking half-board or full-board with the room may be better value. The birds kept at the property could use a more open, hygienic space. Even so, it was a comfortable stay. I'd recommend it to families and couples wanting a peaceful break, especially if they take time to relax and enjoy the natural setting.

The natural views are lovely, and the cottages are very good. The food tastes good and is good quality, but there's no à la carte service. Book with all meals included, or they charge Rs.1500 per person for each meal. The indoor games also weren't good.

I had a terrible experience here. There was no Wi-Fi, and mobile reception in the rooms was almost nonexistent, so staying connected was impossible. There was no room service for food either, leaving guests to manage on their own. That doesn't meet basic expectations for a comfortable resort stay. Staff were unprofessional and unresponsive. Requests and concerns were ignored or met with indifference. After I accidentally left belongings in the room, I contacted the resort several times but got no proper reply or help recovering them. They made no effort to assist. Facilities, service and management all fell short, with no accountability. I strongly advise travelers to avoid this property and stay somewhere that values its guests and provides the services it promises.

The staff were friendly and helpful, but reaching the resort can be tricky. The roads are narrow, especially over the last 1 km or so, and you need to be a patient, experienced driver. From the decks around the property, you can see mountains, valleys and the dam, and it must be lovely here in the monsoon. The location is great, though the views from rooms 144 and 143 were just a blank wall. Other rooms are big and many have good views, but they charge five-star rates for those rooms too. The pool tiles were broken, and the food, at around 1200 per person, was quite costly for what it was.