The Citadel Resorts,Jiya

At checkout, the promoter, Mr Bhardwaj, added Rs1500 for MAP for one day. He said the Rs750 rate was for one person, even though there were two of us, and claimed it was his mistake to quote that rate. He then charged the extra amount for both days. I pleaded with him, but he wouldn't budge. This was unfair trade practice. I had booked a super deluxe double bedded room for 2 guests at Rs3500 per day, plus Rs750 for MAP, breakfast and dinner, making Rs4250 per day. He had acknowledged and confirmed those terms when he took the advance payment.

The balcony and restaurant have stunning views. We had an unforgettable stay, and the room service was up to mark. It's away from the city, so book if you want to be in nature. The roads weren't great. The owner was welcoming, and I hope The Citadel gets lots more visitors. With low footfall, the place isn't as well maintained.

We paid a 10000 advance to book the room. As we were nearing the property, I called the owner for directions, and he said there was no booking. After I sent a screenshot of the payment, he said it had been booked online by mistake and there was nothing he could do for us, though he'd return the money. His unprofessional behavior cost us the whole day.

The setting is lovely, with rice fields in front and snow-covered mountains behind. The property is large, maybe around 20 rooms, and sits next to a power house. I was glad I didn't book. I was driving alone and planned to reserve one night through Makemytrip before heading home, but decided to look around first. The gates were shut, the watchman had no idea what was going on, and he couldn't show me any rooms. I don't blame him. The owners seem to have put millions into land and buildings without spending even a fraction on training their workers. The chowkidar offered to wait until someone arrived to show me around, but I wasn't willing to stay somewhere with rooms locked up for who knows how many days or weeks. A good location gone wrong in Himachal.