The Hotel Mudra

I had a great long stay at Hotel Mudra, with excellent hospitality and service throughout. Special thanks to Arun & Soumen from the restaurant team. They were courteous, quick to help, and made every meal comfortable. Keep up the great work!

The rooms were well kept, the linen spotless and fresh-smelling, and the club rooms with balconies were a good place to relax after darshan. The restaurant breakfast and à la carte food tasted very good, and the staff served us with a smile and took great care of us. We were travelling with 11 senior citizens aged 70-84 and 2 people using wheelchairs. Everyone, from the entry gate security and doorman to the front office and housekeeping staff, was helpful and eager to assist. The location is a bit away from the main temple complex, but convenient for getting to Namo Ghat, Sarnath, Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple, Durga mandir, Tulsi Manas mandir, Chachi ki dukan, and Pehelwan lassi. It was a pleasant, memorable stay, and I’d highly recommend it for a large group that wants to be pampered.

The hotel was clean and gave us a warm welcome with drinks, and our room was ready in about 10 minutes. Dinner was difficult, though. The 8.30 pm serving time was too late for me as a diabetic, and when we returned from the temple at 8.45, only half the food was ready. I asked for lassi and was told it cost extra because yoghurt was available at the buffet, which was disappointing. Just one person was serving and helping, so we waited for him to clear plates before I could have dessert. There were no teaspoons for stirring tea or coffee, and when I asked, he brought one for our group of eight. The housekeepers also made noise from 5 o'clock in the morning.

The doormen and cleaners were lovely, but the reception experience left me feeling like a nuisance. When I arrived in the early hours, the receptionist nearly refused to let me in because my travel agent had made a typo in my name. There was no welcome at all. The fridge didn't work, and the king size bed I was promised for my second night instead of twin beds never appeared. The worst incident was with an Uber driver on my second night. He came in demanding money, saying my card payment was still pending. The receptionist, who said his name was Mukesh, sided with the driver, raised his voice, and intimidated me into paying INR582. Later, when the original digital charge went through, Uber issued a full receipt for INR421, including the INR50 tip I'd given. It looks like the driver hadn't marked the trip complete before asking me for the higher amount. I was shocked that the hotel receptionist dismissed my side, especially while I was abroad and expected the hotel to be impartial. He laughed when I asked for an apology and didn't seem to care when I said that. He did refund me after I explained what had happened, but this and the way I was treated should never have happened. I can only imagine how frightening it would be to need help from reception at Hotel Mudra. I'd book somewhere else and save yourself a lot of unhappiness and intimidation.