The Firs Hotel

This was my second visit. My first one was fabulous, and manager Sudarshan gave us great service that day. This time, his service was highly disappointing. He and the room boy seemed focused on their own comfort instead of looking after guests. The room boy wanted to finish all work at 9.00 pm and go to bed, and wouldn't let us stay outside our rooms after that. They told us to go to our rooms like we were at school. The food tasted good, but the prices were sky-high and not worth it. I really can't recommend this place.

The rooms are beautifully decorated and have all the amenities you could need, and the place itself is gorgeous. But the service didn't feel welcoming. We were told on Agoda that we could pay in USD at the hotel. The manager would only take $100 bills, saying smaller notes gave him a worse exchange rate, so we had to pay by card. We got one 500ml bottle each for one day, and had to pay for more water. They charge like a 5 star hotel but make guests pay for water. We hadn't had lunch when we arrived and were told we couldn't get any. They offered to make dinner if we ordered ahead, so we did, but the two curries came in 200ml bowls that would barely feed one person. Both were watery and flavourless. The hotel is quite far from the centre, with a five minute walk to the main road to get a ride. The manager said they can sometimes get a tuktuk for guests, but since there were four of us we'd need two, then shrugged. He said cabs don't come there, though thankfully we found one through the apps. The place is very quiet, but I could hear staff dining in the dining room until at least 11pm, then again at 6 in the morning. The staff other than the manager were helpful. The place could be great, but the management is terrible.

We came at the last minute without a booking, so couldn't get a room. Still, the staff were fantastic and helped us find somewhere else to stay. The place looks great, with a good view, it's very clean, and the location is ideal, walking distance from Gregory Lake.

The staff were friendly and worked hard to look after guests. We had an amazing stay and I'd recommend it 100%. There are only 5 rooms, so they can be tricky to get before they're sold out. Book well in advance.