The Naini Retreat

Overview

About this property

The Naini Retreat is a heritage hotel on the Ayarpatta Slopes above Nainital, with a view of Naini Lake from 1,995 metres. Its own site says it was historically the residence of the Maharaja of Pilibhit, and the building still carries that past: a palatial shape, colonial interiors and royally furnished bedrooms, with modern comforts added in.

The hotel sits close to the lake and the Mall, but above the town's noise. Naini Lake is 270 metres away and Naina Devi Temple is 160 metres away, according to the hotel's own site. That closeness is the point of staying here — you walk down to the lake in minutes and come back up to quiet rooms.

Food is a big part of this hotel. Gurney House serves Indian, Mughlai, Chinese and Continental dishes, and the hotel says it takes pride in its Kumaon food. Walnut Cafe and Stella Bar are the other two venues. For a small town hotel, three places to eat is generous, and it means you do not have to go out for every meal.

The Naini Retreat suits couples and families who want a heritage stay with lake views and do not mind a hill-slope building. Its own site is honest about one thing: the hotel is built across a slope, so moving around inside means staircases. If stairs are a problem for anyone in your group, check with the hotel before booking.

At a glance

What you get here

Everything above is taken from the hotel's own website. If something is not listed here, it means we could not confirm it from the official site, so we have not written it.

Rooms

Rooms with a royal touch

The hotel's own site lists seven room types: Superior Rooms, Garden Rooms, Garden Facing Rooms, Duplex Rooms, Lake Facing Rooms, Naini Royal Rooms and Suites. They suit couples, families and leisure travellers, and the gallery shows rooms with large beds, wooden details and big windows looking out to the green slopes.

If the lake view matters to you, pick a Lake Facing Room or a Naini Royal Room. The hotel's whole appeal is the view from 1,995 metres, and a garden-facing room will not give you the same mornings. The Duplex Rooms suit families who want two levels, and the Suites are the roomiest pick.

Rooms are royally furnished, in line with the hotel's heritage character — no plain white-box rooms here. The gallery shows decorated rooms with mirrors, lamps and wooden furniture, and bathrooms that look modern rather than old-fashioned.

Room types and prices change with the season, so the hotel's own website will have the latest list. We do not show prices here because they change often, and we do not want to show you an old price.

Food & drink

Where to eat

Gurney House is the main restaurant, and it overlooks green landscapes and winding valleys. It serves Indian, Mughlai, Chinese and Continental food, and the hotel says its Kumaon dishes are a point of pride. If you eat one meal here, make it a Kumaon one.

Walnut Cafe and Stella Bar are the other two venues. Between the three, you can eat through the day without leaving the hotel — useful on a cold or rainy Nainital day, and useful after a long walk up from the lake.

Outside the hotel, Mall Road has bakeries and cafes — the Nainital ritual is cake and pastries with a lake view. For the latest menus and meal timings at the hotel's own venues, the hotel's website is the right place to check.

Things to do

A day by the lake, at an easy pace

A good day at The Naini Retreat starts at the lake, 270 metres away. Take a boat in the morning, when the water is calm and the town is still waking up. Then walk to Naina Devi Temple on the north shore, 160 metres from the hotel, before the crowds build.

After the lake, walk the Mall Road. It is the town's promenade of shops and eateries, and the bakery stop for cake and coffee is part of the ritual here. Snow View Point is 3.7 km away and Eco Cave Garden is 1.7 km away, and both are easy half-day trips from the hotel.

In the afternoon, the hotel can help with treks, boating, horse riding, golf at the hundred-year-old Raj Bhawan Golf Course, or nature walks. The hotel's own site also mentions cultural evenings with traditional Kumaoni artists and yacht rides at what it calls the highest sailing club in the world — ask at the hotel, since these depend on the season.

In the evening, come back to the hotel for dinner at Gurney House. The lake and Mall stay busy late, but the hotel sits above it all, and that quiet is what you are paying for. If you have a second day, Bhimtal is 22 km away and Sattal is 25 km away, and both are calmer lakes than Naini.

Amenities

Most popular amenities

These are the amenities confirmed on the hotel's own website. Anything not listed here means we could not confirm it from the official site, so we have not written it.

Location

Where it is, and what is near

Nainital is a lake town in the Kumaon hills. Naini Lake sits at its centre, with Mall Road running along the water and the town rising up the slopes on both sides. Most of what visitors come for — boating, the Mall, the temples and the viewpoints — is within a short walk or drive of the lake.

Naina Devi Temple stands on the lake's north shore, and the Mall Road promenade of shops and eateries runs along the water. Above the town, Snow View Point and Tiffin Top (Dorothy's Seat) give wide views over the lake and the hills. Bhimtal and Sattal, quieter lakes a short drive away, are the usual second-day trip.

Getting here

How to reach the hotel

From Delhi, the road runs flat to Haldwani on NH-9, then climbs into the hills to Nainital. The Delhi to Nainital drive is about 258 km. Start early in summer, and expect slow traffic on the climb at weekends.

The nearest railway station is Kathgodam, about 35 km from Nainital, and the nearest airport is Pantnagar, about 70 km away. Tallital bus stand is about 3 km from the lake area. From Kathgodam or Pantnagar, the rest of the journey is by taxi up the hill road.

Your Cheapcab driver knows the Nainital road well. Tell him your hotel name — the Ayarpatta and Mallital hotels sit on different sides of the lake, and the approach roads differ.

Best time

Best time to visit Nainital

March to June is the most popular time in Nainital, with pleasant days and cool evenings. October and November are clear and quiet, and good for views. Winter brings cold nights, and the higher ridges can see snowfall.

July to September is the monsoon. The hills turn green, but rain can slow the roads and hide the views. If you travel in the monsoon, keep your plans flexible.

Good to know

Before you book

Nainital sits at about 2,000 metres, so evenings are cool even in summer. Carry a light jacket through the year, and warm clothes in winter.

Mall Road is a walking promenade in the evenings. Cars do not go everywhere in the town centre, so expect a short walk from the taxi drop to some hotels.

Weekend traffic on the climb from Haldwani is real. An early start from Delhi makes the drive much easier.

The hotel is built across a hill slope, so moving around inside means staircases. This is the hotel's own disclaimer, and it matters if anyone in your group has trouble with stairs.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

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Hotels are not included in the taxi fare — book them directly. Hotel photos unki official websites se li gayi hain.