Location
Hotel Shingar Regency is located in the well-known tourist town of Manali in Himachal Pradesh. The hotel is less than a kilometre from the famous Mall Road and is very close to Hadimba Temple, making it a convenient location for tourists. Guests can walk to nearby popular spots or take autorickshaws which are available right outside the hotel.
Why did I choose this hotel
I had the opportunity to visit Manali with my family in April 2023. When travelling with family, it is always a good practice to book accommodations in advance. The town of Manali is extremely popular with tourists, and there is hardly any season that can be deemed as lean (except for monsoon). In the last decade or so, many hotels have emerged in this small town, which has led to overcrowding and noise. The most popular area around Mall Road is where most of the hotels are concentrated. However, recently, some people have preferred to stay away from that hustle and bustle, and I am a part of those few who appreciate being close to nature.
I filtered my hotel search to exclude Mall Road. I had two options, Aleo (on the right bank of Manali) or the Hadimba temple area. After considering my options, I chose Hadimba Temple Road. I felt it struck the perfect balance between being closer to nature and at the same time not being too far from the city centre.
In this area, there are several good hotels located near Hadimba Temple. After numerous comparisons, I booked a room at Shingar Regency. Though it is above the budget category, the hotel seemed to offer great value for the money. There are six different types of rooms available to choose from.
Read on to know my experience.
Check-in experience
We decided to take a Volvo bus from Delhi to travel to Manali, which was supposed to take 12 hours. However, the actual time taken was close to 15 hours. Travelling for such a long duration with a small child who has motion sickness was quite challenging. Eventually, we reached Manali around noon. Even though the official check-in time was 1 PM, we were hoping for an early check-in. We boarded an auto (who happily fleeced us) from near Mall Road to our hotel which was a kilometre away.
Upon arrival at the hotel, we were immediately struck by its charming old-world appearance, reminiscent of a heritage property. The reception area was spacious and had a wonderful ambience, leaving us with a very positive first impression. The front desk staff were friendly and accommodating, granting our request for an early check-in without any issue. After filling out our information in the hotel register, we were all set to start our stay.
A porter escorted us to our room, carrying our bags. The hotel has a lift that services all five floors.
So, a very good experience checking in to the hotel.
Room Ambience
As you enter the room, the first thing that catches your attention is the subtle lighting. It is just the right balance between not too bright and not too dim, making it soothing to the eyes. The room has a fence-like treatment running through the periphery, which looks quite nice. Additionally, everything is neatly arranged and extremely clean. If you are into indulging a bit, the bathroom even has a bathtub. The best part is the room also comes with a private balcony that offers a great view of the nearby valley and snow-clad peaks at a distance. You can spend hours just sitting on the balcony, doing nothing but enjoying the view.
Each room is equipped with a complimentary room heater, which is a wonderful addition. The evenings and nights can get uncomfortably cold, even in April. Other hotels may provide heaters as well, but at an added cost, making this inclusion even more appreciable.
All in all, I could not find a single thing out of place in the room so a big thumbs up from my side.
Facilities and Amenities
The long list of facilities at the hotel can be found on any hotel booking site so I will not repeat them here, but I will highlight my experience with some of them here.
There is a decent enough parking area in the forecourt of the hotel, so if you are travelling by your vehicle then parking will not be an issue. Given the fact that Manali is now so crowded, and parking can be a challenge, it is welcome to have that luxury.
As mentioned earlier the hotel consists of five floors and there is a lift within the property. It is of good dimension and very helpful.
There is a recreation room that includes a table tennis and a carrom table. If you have some free time, it is a great option for some fun. Additionally, there is a children’s play area with age-appropriate swings and slides, which kept my child entertained for a while during our stay at the hotel.
The hotel front desk can provide you with contact information for local taxi services if you wish to go sightseeing. However, it would have been more convenient if the hotel had an in-house taxi service that could arrange transportation for guests directly.
There is also a luggage holding area (I would not call it a locker) if you want to check out and keep your luggage temporarily.
I could go on and on as the list and the experiences are too many to share in this small space. So, to keep things in check, there is no shortage of facilities at this hotel, and you will find something for everyone.
Staff and Service
I had a great experience with the staff at the hotel. Whether it was the front desk or the housekeeping staff, they provided prompt service. We had to request water/hot water multiple times from room service, and we received prompt service each time with a friendly smile.
One thing to note is that there was a birthday celebration in our family during our stay at the hotel. We inquired with the hotel staff if they could arrange for a cake, but they immediately refused, stating that it was not available. Although we did not make a fuss about it, it would have been nice if they had made an effort to fulfill our request. Such experiences tend to leave a lasting impression on people’s minds.
Dining Options
There is a spacious and well-maintained dining area within the hotel. It is so appealing that we chose to come to this place every time and have our food. If you choose a package that includes food then you will have to choose from a well laid out buffet otherwise, you can choose a la carte from their diverse menu.
Now coming to the more important matter of taste, what can I say more other than the fact that it was the best-tasting food we had during our stay in Manali. While on our sightseeing, we had food at multiple restaurants, but the best meal was always the one we had at the hotel so hats off to the chefs for preparing such delicious food.
One small thing is that I found the cost to be slightly on the higher side, although it was comparable to what we experienced at the restaurants outside as well. Guess food inflation is surely on its way up.
Value for money
The question of value for money is a subjective one, what exactly constitutes a value-for-money deal is a never-ending debate. Cost-wise remember that it is not exactly a budget hotel but then it will not break your bank either.
Let me try to be as objective as possible. Great location, excellent room experience, great food and pleasant experience with staff make this a memorable experience and for the amount you pay, I would say that it is very good value.
Highly recommended from our side.
