Delighful stay at hotel Snow Peak Retreat Manali

Thus, on our trip to Shimla and Manali , after much research and sweating (take my words, its a hard task to decide on the right place to stay), we had zeroed down on Snow Peak Retreat Manali for our stay in Manali. This hotel is located very near to Hidimba devi temple in old Manali. But we liked the pictures of the hotel. And we also liked the location. Since it is so close to Hidimba Temple and many other attractions of old Manali town. Also, the reviews looked promising. Our parent were accompanying us on this trip. So, we wanted to stay in a hotel where a few rooms were available on the ground floor so that our parents didn’t have to climb up the stairs.

So, we enquired with the hotel. And to our delight, of the total 5 rooms that we required, two were actually available on the ground floor. Thus, we went ahead and booked the hotel.

After spending 2 days in Shimla, we started on our Shimla to Manali drive early in the morning after checking out from our homestay — Little Chilli Shimla. And we reached Manali by evening. It was almost getting dark when we arrived at the hotel. The road to the hotel is little steep and gets a bit narrow at the end, just 50 meters before reaching the hotel. It felt a little adventurous reaching here since we had with us old parents and a toddler. However, it was pretty manageable.

There is a small flight of stairs that lead from the road the lawn of the hotel. As we arrived here and entered the lawn, the view that greeted us reaffirmed our decision to stay here. There were beautiful snow covered peaks right in front of us, greeting us across the lawn.

As soon as you step into the property, there is a small but nicely maintained lawn, with chairs set amidst velvety grass. Beds of flowers are neatly set on all the walk way paths around patches of the lawn. The building itself is constructed in L-Shape. The rooms are artistically constructed, with each room having full size windows that face towards the lawn. One side of the building on the ground floor has the reception area. And besides the reception lies the restaurant. The whole place is done in wood. And that makes it extra beautiful. As it makes it look like a wooden lodge in the middle of the snow.

Just in front of the lawn, there is unobstructed view of the majestic mountain ranges beyond. And most of them are clad with snow covered peaks all round the year. Although, we were lucky that when we arrived there was a fresh snowfall in the higher mountains which enhanced the beauty of the peaks even further. It was a delight to snuggle into warm blanket in our room, draw the curtain and watch from right there, through the glass window, the snow covering the high peaks of the mountains and gradually descending lower and lower. I couldn’t resist wondering how impressive the views will be in the winter months when it starts snowing right in Manali.

We headed to the reception to complete the check-in formalities. And soon we got the keys to our individual rooms. Then we proceeded to our rooms to freshen up and head for dinner next.

Although, the rooms are not very large but very well appointed. They have attached bath and all the other little things required for a comfortable stay. Electric kettle, toiletries, complementary bottles of mineral water, coffee and tea maker – almost every thing required was in the rooms. The staff was also very courteous. We had directly dealt with the hotel and booked a package deal that included both breakfast and dinner.

After getting fresh, we proceeded for the dinner. Snow Peak Retreat have a nice buffet spread for both breakfast and dinner, which was often a mix of north Indian and south Indian cuisines. The restaurant is situated on the ground floor, with full view of the lawn. Its decor is artistically done in all wood. We totally loved the three course meal that started with a warm soup. Holding the warm soup bowl and staring at the snow clad mountain peaks from the restaurant was such a delightful experience.

There are two pet dogs also on the premise who became center of attraction for our kid. Every time she saw them, she would get super excited.