Hackett Stayz Homestay

We only stayed two nights, and I wish we could have stayed longer. It was surprisingly quiet for a place so close to Shimla, with lovely valley views and lots of nearby trails for walking. Playing Badminton with the mountains in the background was another great experience.

A really poor stay. The property looked nothing like the photos, and LivingStone came across as one of the most unprofessional companies. There were no sofas or recliner, and the rooms were in very bad condition and full of spiders. The workers were unprofessional and asked for money for everything, including bone fire, swimming pool, and room cleaning. After we’d paid, the lady from LivingStone spoke rudely and stopped answering our calls.

My family was unhappy with this stay. We had nowhere else to go, or we would have left on the first day. The owners or people at the property seemed to watch guests from their windows all the time, and there were too many restrictions, including no walking outside and no music in the garden. The cooks were very slow, and the gas stove had problems. On our last morning, they initially refused to make breakfast, saying through someone from Livingstone that we had paid for only three nights, not the fourth day we were leaving. At a hotel, I expect breakfast the next morning, and the way they spoke to us was unprofessional. Livingstone also won't respond after 10 pm, whatever problem you have.

I’ve been to Shimla several times and usually stayed in a hotel on Mall road. This time I wanted somewhere peaceful, still near Mall road, and this place turned out to be just right. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys nature and quiet.