The LaLiT Grand Palace Srinagar — Hotel in Jammu and Kashmir

Kashmir - A slice of paradise on earth that proudly boasts a blend of all seasons, scenic beauty, cascades of fountains, some never seen variety of flowers, and cuisine so flavorful. And, when you take a trip to this Eden on earth, the first few things to top your wishlist are location, hospitality, service, and food! Isnt it?

It is a beatitude when you find a hideaway under the ceiling of a living legacy that has witnessed such significant events of history and continues to telltale through the well-groomed team that takes no less pride in it. Lalit Grand palace in Srinagar is a property carved out of perfection that harbors a love for the Kashmiri culture, the renowned Chinar, and the magnanimous Himalayas. The hotel built in 1910 has seen centuries of evolution under various reigning hands within the royal family to help adapt so that it continues to win hearts and stand as the numero uno it is today.

Each room across the fascinating alley has been tastefully and spaciously designed considering the comforts of those who visit for a few nights and proudly quote this as " A luxurious & dreamy getaway". The rooms/suites are enormous, the upholstery & linen are so vibrantly hued, the wooden floors give you the warmth of a soil-like embrace as you tiptoe in your restful space, and the mattresses are so massive and yet cozy.

The corridors and common areas are adorned with rich & elegant crafts from artisans who have beautified the walls of the sovereigns for epochs with their distinctive art forms, so you are sure to feel the regal connection as you stride through the linear lobbies that lead you to uniquely composed dining rooms & service areas.

The acres of structured gardens with a cluster of nature-loving personnel looking after the flowers & fruit trees season after season, ensure you witness the best of whatever time of the year you choose for your stay. The enormous Chinar trees in the garden with flamboyant fountains narrate a timeless saga of this immense property, and the tiny flowers chortle with the soft breeze as they see you mesmerized by the beauty of this hotel, no matter which sides you glance at.

There are heartening smiles as soon as you enter the gate guiding to the center building that cradles a reception full of people waiting to host you and help you carve an unforgettable stay. The generous welcome with a warm Kashmiri Kehwa will win your heart.

If all this isn't enough, you may add the magnific meals to your list of "unforgettable"! The best croissant & danish pastry I have eaten and in the longest time was here. Everything from the freshly cut seasonal fruits, patiently simmered variety of teas, and multi-cuisine hot & tantalizing breakfast but placing the local bread & food above all; your plate and palette will seem fulfilling rest assured.

Kashmiris love their clients as much as they love their culture. The pampering and compassionate care continues even after you bid goodbyes and move on to your next destination. We were dearly looked after by the DGM of the hotel - Mr. Ajaz Samad, GM Mr. Nikhil Chandra, and the professional team; during our stay and post check out as well. Places to see, food to eat, and "Must haves" in our memoirs of Kashmir, we were guided selflessly.

In a nutshell - a beautiful stay and a big reason for us to plan yet another trip to this divine property in...

It was my wife's 50 Birthday & we were keen to ring it in at what we thought was a great property. Had booked a suite & had written to them in advance to make sure there were no glitches during our two night stay as the reviews online were a bit inconsistent. They wrote back to assure me that we would be looked after well. The check-in was the most cold process I have ever experienced. No welcome drink or polite conversation asking us how we were or where we were traveling from. Instead we were simply handed our room keys & advised to follow one of the hotel staff to the room. The suite itself was bare & lacked warmth ( not the heating kinds). There was no fruit platter or cookies or flowers.

I called the front desk & reminded them that I was celebrating my wife's birthday & the entire check-in process had been disappointing. I also requested them to shift me to the first floor which had a better view of the lake.

It took them over two hours to 'prepare the room as per my expectations' & to shift me.

This time the room had a fruit platter & some cookies ( which had fungus) & there was a happy birthday sash on the bed.

The bathroom floor & counter was heavily stained. The flush wasn't working properly. There was just one charging point throughout the suite. When we wanted to have some tea we realised there were no spoons in the room.

We were booked for another night but decided that we'd had enough & at 9:00 p.m. informed the reception that we would check out the next day. I was asked why & when I recounted the problems I was simply asked 'Sir, how can we help you?'

The Buffet Breakfast the next morning was extremely disappointing. The spread was limited & lacked both imagination & flavour.

It had been over 12 hours since I had conveyed my unhappiness & my decision to checkout early but no corrective action was taken, in fact no one even bothered to get in touch with me.

When I went to check out I was told the GM would speak with me. He listened to what I had to say & tried explaining that he was understaffed & once again asked me 'What can we do for you?' & wanted me to at least accept a cake which they had been planning to give to us at some point...which we refused to accept.

It's a real shame that a property so well located & charging such high tariffs still don't know how make your stay memorable & need to ask you what they should do.

An extremely disappointing experience...any other half decent chain would have taken immediate steps to rectify the situation by offering to upgrade us to a better room or organising a special meal for us instead of lamely asking us what they could do for us!

Checking out one day early was the best decision I've made in my life.

Please book this place only if you like the location but have zero...

Stayed at Lalit Grand for 2 nights in one of Oberoi blocks (extension to the palace). The rooms are decent and cozy with access to lawn (we were on the ground floor). The lawn was dry and its the same across Srinagar due to season, so less colourful and inspiring. The best thing with this property is the palace, its grandeur and its vibe. Palace tour is a must do activity. And it all stops there.

The service and hospitality we experienced were like any 3-4 star property and food was like any other 3-4 star with a 7 star price tag. The staff (especially from Darbar) were more obsessed with getting 5 stars on feedback forms rather they should focus more on providing 5 star service first. The bizarre experience was, they even changed my original feedback form and gave themselves all 5 stars and added some great words as if I wrote them (I wouldn't knew about it if not for the email copy I got). The weather wasn't great (raining mostly) but it didn't inspire us to stay indoors too. Wifi was pathetic and don't expect anything close to connectivity in Oberoi block. I gave up and used my 4G after a couple of reminders to fix it. To top it all, we had noises coming from construction behind Oberoi block. Travel desk either had too many people or no one, we even got misguided by one of driver who was sitting at travel desk. Arshid from travel desk and Sameer (our driver for 2 days) were very helpful, genuine and trustworthy. Highly recommend them.

Overall, it wasn't worth the bomb (money) we spent for the service, hospitality and experience expected from a 5 star palace property. If you ever decide to spend for the vibe, would recommend to visit ONLY during summers (May-July) for greenery.

We spent at ITC Pahalgam (another 5 star property) after this and by far our experience was best (and worth every penny). Lalit has a lot of things that can be picked from competitors like ITC or Taj, to stay relevant. Small little things like being available, providing things that are not expected usually, high teas, gatherings, etc.. make a lot of difference. Hope things change for...