Chinar Bay — Hotel in Jammu and Kashmir

We visited Srinagar on 12 May 2018, a time which was rife with clashes between the police and Kashmiri separatists. Obviously, we were a little on edge about visiting the city as we were travelling all the way from Bangalore and had no idea of what to expect in terms of a local reception. However, our one-night stay in Chinar Bay altered any preconceived notions that we had arrived with.||||Right from the moment that we reached the hotel, the service of the hotel staff was exemplary---Jehangir and Akthar helped us with our bags, and immediately showed us to our rooms without making us go through the customary check-in procedure as they noticed that we were tired. The owner then came down to meet us and greet us, and personally ensured that we received every comfort during our stay. ||||If your stay includes dinner, you're in for a treat because the chef cooks up a storm with rotis, pulao, three vegetarian items (or more, if you're vegetarian), chicken, fish, and the famous Kashmiri gushtabha (mutton; a delight for those with slightly experimental palate) as well as dessert (they even went the distance of providing a lactose-free alternative as my mum is lactose-intolerant).||||Furthermore, the owner of the hotel was extremely conversational and enlightened us about the state of the Valley, all the while ensuring that any doubts or anxieties we had about travelling around Srinagar were addressed. ||||The property is beautiful as it is located right on the bank of River Nagin and has a little pier, where you can sit and read a book, surrounded by water lilies. There is also a splendid rose garden that invokes poetry on the most prosaic day. ||||The rooms were extremely clean, warm, and welcoming, and there was no issue with hot water (something I came to appreciate later in my trip through other parts of Kashmir). There is, however, no workspace for a laptop, but the staff will do their best to arrange a chair and table for you if you request for one.||||The only qualm I had about the property was the fact that it is located at the end of a narrow road, and if you have a wide vehicle and there is traffic, you're probably going to reach the hotel quicker on foot. This is the ONLY reason I have given the hotel a rating of 4 stars. ||||Please stay at Hotel Chinar Bay to experience Kashmiri hospitality; you will find no better base camp for your visits to Dal Lake, Sonmarg,...

The proprietor, his family & the staff are extraordinary. They communicated with you through Whatsapp, and made sure everything you needed would be taken care of.||||The problem I had was that I came at the time of the curfew. So I had 3 days to wait for the next part of my program. Unfortunately I couldn't go out much, so had to stay in the hotel for 3 days, quite alone. The garden was nice, overlooking Nigeen lake, but a little small.. Unfortunately, there was no lounge to spend the time in, and the garden, could get hot, wet, or invaded by mosquitoes in the early evening.. ||||The good thing was that it was next to the fabulous NEW YORK HOUSEBOAT. The owner very kindly offered to have me move to the houseboat on the last day, but I declined as I was lazy. This is the Houseboat to stay in... the next time..||||I would have given 5 stars despite everything, but the place really needs some work. Actually there was some work going on at the rooftop - an extension of the hotel I believe - but it started leaking, and it made the stay quite uncomfortable. Also, it would have been nicer if smaller details could have been looked into - such as some worn out parts of the building, the door/entrance to the building, uneven steps in the stairway, the foyer on the 1st floor which seems to have signs of abandonment, and lack of hot water in the showers.. A pity, as the place has...

The property was under renovation during our visit in the first week of July 2016. So we were given accommodation in their houseboat, which turned out to look like a boat owned by royals & VIPs. The location is serene; courtesy of the staff is overwhelming, food is great; everything about this place is just amazing. The owner is a kind hearted man & came to meet us at dinner inspite of his tight schedule & tiredness (it was the month of Ramzan). We had a nice chat & he gave us a clear insight of Srinagar's culture, good hearted people & places to visit. The man had a clear vision to have installed ACs in the houseboat; turned out we needed them in July (Effects of global warming).||Overall, we enjoyed our stay at Chinar bay with no regrets. The efforts of Mr. Basheer, the caretaker in pleasing guests are to be truly appreciated. I'll certainly visit again & recommend the property...