Hotel Atithi Mall Road

The climb to Mall Road is very steep, even though it's nearby. Getting to the hotel is a chore too, since taxis can't reach the doorstep in the restricted area. We had to walk uphill for 5 to 10 minutes with all our luggage, possibly with elderly people too. Reception is up on the 3rd floor, reached by very tall stairs that test your stamina. Our room was big enough but not clean, and the bathroom wasn't clean either. There's no view from the room or balcony, and staff warned us about monkeys getting in through open windows, so you can't linger on the balcony. The windows and door didn't close properly, and room service was almost nonexistent. I won't stay again and don't recommend it.

We were a tired group of eight with a crying baby, and ended up going to another hotel late at night. We'd called ahead for four rooms and explained that we had an elderly person and a baby. We were assured, but once there we were told we couldn't bring our car to the hotel and had to make a difficult 20-minute uphill walk. They showed us four rooms on the top floor and gave us keys, then at reception, while we were giving ID, said two rooms were no longer available because new guests had arrived. Staff insisted we take a double room instead, and the manager was rude and confrontational, telling staff to cancel our booking if we wouldn't agree. The rooms we'd first seen were unclean too. The staff behavior felt like a scam, and the information was misleading. I advise against staying here, even if you can't find another booking. About the owner's reply: We didn't stay because staff cancelled our booking after seeing new guests arrive. I never said I'd booked online, so how would I have a voucher? I know you've hired marketing people to manage your profile and post fake 5-star reviews. Mine isn't fake. We went there, and your staff showed us the rooms, not a porter. Stop lying and scamming.

The car they provided was an Alto 800 in pretty poor shape. I understand commercial cars can get rough after 7-8 years, especially in the mountains, but even the horn didn't work. We drove all the way to Narakanda and Hatu Peak and back to Shimla without a horn, which felt dangerous. Also, the car had no restricted road pass. The road beside Atithi and Shiwalik is limited to private vehicles, so after 8 AM commercial cars with yellow number plates can't use it. On our trip to Narakanda and Haatu Peak, we had a long uphill walk to the commercial car parking, which is tough for people from the plains. We'd arrived in Shimla in September 2024 on the HRTC Himsuta bus, which got to the stand around 5AM. Since we'd booked ahead, we called the hotel for directions and asked if they could arrange a room. They answered promptly and said they would. We hired a car at the stand, and someone was waiting to help with our luggage and the room. He showed us the available rooms and let us choose one, then handled the paperwork and document checks. Having a room at that hour was a huge relief. It was clean, organized and furnished, and there was a geyser, though the lighting was a bit dim. Food wasn't available, especially in the off-season, so we had to rely on outside restaurants.

Good hotel, nice service, and the staff are very good people.