Lake View Hotel

The owner was helpful, though the services he recommended seemed pricey. I paid 12,000 PKR for a shalwar kameez and waist coat, which felt expensive. Maybe I was charged a special rate as a foreigner. The taxi from Mingora to Kalam was 15,000 PKR, and that also seemed a little above the usual price. The rooms were clean and modern. The front rooms had plenty of space and a great river view, with people constantly passing along the promenade.

The staff were not professional, and pretty much everything else was a minus too. Room service: minus 1000. The location was minus 100000. It's right on the road, with traffic noise all night, and local singers sometimes playing drums and music very late. Mosquitoes got into the room whether the windows were open or closed. There was no privacy, and parking wasn't proper either. Staff would say our vehicle wasn't safe in front of the hotel and send us to park at a nearby watchman's place.

We had plenty of power outlets, and each room got a free bottle of water. My room had no TV, while the others had small old CRT sets. The metal beds were noisy, and the slanted room walls meant the beds didn't line up properly with the corners. The wide corridor carries street noise into the rooms quite loudly, and children shouting there made it worse. The plumbing was the best part. Among about 20 hotels we stayed in, this was the only one with proper bathroom plumbing, and both hot water and water pressure were satisfactory. It's fine for a shower and a night's sleep, but that's about it. The owner seemed accommodating at first, but we were already being charged too much for two double rooms when he said he'd include a five-bed room for the same price. We brought our own food and asked the staff for crockery. Some arrived promptly, but the rest took two trips to the manager and 45 minutes. It's a cheap place with poor construction, but a workable option on a limited budget. Don't expect much service, just enough to sleep, shower, and leave.

We had a much better experience with the manager here than at the River Palace hotel a few steps away. He treated us with dignity and kindness, and even offered a discount. The room was spacious, with two master bedrooms, and it was clean. The staff were helpful too. I'd definitely recommend this hotel for a trip to Swat.