The Nishat By BOHO

You have to walk to reach the property, which is the tradeoff for staying near Mall Road. Kalibari temple, a famous Shimla attraction, is only 5 minutes away, and the scenery from the rooms was lovely. Check-in was quick and easy, cleanliness was maintained, and we even got a free upgrade. All in all, a good budget place if you want to be close to tourist spots.

The rooms are basic, but feel homely, and the views are stunning. We stayed one night, and the staff were really friendly and helpful. Getting there is a bit difficult: it's a walk uphill from where taxis can drop you, with some stairs. The staff met us there, and the walk wasn't a problem for us, but it's worth knowing about. The one downside was very low hot water pressure, which made showering hard. We didn't mention it because we were checking out soon after using the shower.

I don't usually review hotels, even after a bad stay, but this experience was so poor I had to say something. The taps ran so slowly that filling a small bucket took 10 minutes. When we complained, we were told to leave it running for 15-20 minutes. The bathroom had no place for toiletries, just a window and no exhaust, so apparently you have to open the window to clear steam or smells. The room was barely big enough for the bed, with no space to open luggage without things getting cramped. The location was awful, and cabs couldn't get anywhere near. With tourist luggage, be ready for a memorable uphill walk on slopes. Porters are available, but they charge for the service. Staff didn't even seem to care about providing water. They may make your trip memorable in other ways too. Please think carefully before booking. I'd share pictures if I could to prove what I'm saying.

The rooms we finally got were spacious but not properly cleaned, and we'd already waited 4-5 hours to get them. The location is strange and nowhere near mall road. The manager, or maybe just another staff member, was at reception and refused early check-in even though rooms were available. He made us wait, then came over and yelled at us. I've never seen someone in hospitality shout at customers like that. He was ill-mannered and didn't know how to speak to people. It was a pathetic experience, with the worst service I've ever had.