Hotel Surya

India , Shimla
SHIMLA, Circular Road Near Victory Tunnel
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75 reviews shown

6/10

Pleasant

19 Oct 2024

Muppalla

Okay

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2024

Kristina

Food choices were better than in 5 star hotel we stayed. Welcoming staff. Would stay again

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2024

Sridevi

Good

Overall good friends and family good hotel

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

21 Mar 2024

Ranjit

Pick up and drop off services and the location was good.our room was filled with mosquitoes. When we complained they spray something so much that smell stay in room for all night.it was so strong it made me and my sister sick .it was hard to breath in that room.it ruined our next trip for 4 days.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Nov 2023

Mark

Impressive property

Grand old building. Very reasonably priced. I got unlucky with a corner room and no view, but otherwise, will come again.

Business

4/10

Poor

21 Mar 2023

Kaushikaben

Not clean and rooms are run down.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2023

Rakesh

A Hidden Gem

Hotel Surya is a very comfortable Hotel to stay in . It’s nicely maintained on regular basis. The staff is good and to Top it all , the FOOD is amazing .

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jan 2021

Verified traveler

It was really a memorable stay at Surya Kaiser Palace, hassles free check in and courteous service. Had few issues with my luggage lock which they gleefully resolved. Even the property is well maintained and worth staying there. I have already thought of booking this hotel whe

8/10

Excellent

11 Feb 2020

Prakashpatel

Best food in town
Clean and nice hotel
Friendly staff
Great location

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jan 2020

Thomas

Great value, excellent breakfast buffet! Very nice staff (Thank you Santos). Great spa. Location is off the river front but still nice. You’ll have to cab or tuk tuk to the riverfront and old town but at 60 to 75 a night, it’s a deal. The bar and lounge on grounds is also a gem. Thank you for a nice stay 👍

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Property is good but the staff is even better. Very warm , reliable people who helped make our trip excellent. When I am in Varanasi next I am surely going to stay here again and recommend my family and friends as well.

Business_and_leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

01 Nov 2019

Amy

The hotel property was lovely. My room was clean and comfortable. The disconnect was with the service. Of all the hotels and guest houses I've stayed at in India ( dozens) I never experienced some of the baffling customer service moments. I went to the restaurant alone for dinner and was told I could not eat as they were too busy. Then I was told to go to my room and order room service. I went to the separate bar and was stopped at the door and told we are full. When I negotiated with someone to just let me order a drink to take to my room I found four empty bar stools. I have no idea why I was turned away twice. I was dressed nicely in Indian clothing, I was polite as I always am and it didn't matter. I went to the front desk and told a manager. He walked me to the restaurant and was told the same, too busy to let her sit down. He apologized and make a point that I would get a seat a dinner the following evening. But in a country where \"Guest is God\" and almost every single person I've encountered in the service industry goes above and beyond to help, that did not happen at Suyra .

Self

6/10

Pleasant

16 Jun 2019

Verified traveler

Door latches and locks dont work,
Room service is very much late and the breakfast was not at all upto mark.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Jun 2019

Nitin

Good Hotel, Good Rooms

I will surely stay in the same hotel in my next visit.

8/10

Excellent

28 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

The service and the staff are really nice!! The restaurant they have it’s really good and the rooms are perfect.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

07 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

A unique property, kind of like a heritage building, location is decent, most of the staff is excellent, shout out to Gopal the hotel lifeguard and boatman, very kind and approachable person and gives excellent boat tours of the Ganges, he did everything he could to make our stay comfortable.
Food and drinks where decent as well, prices where average. Nothing special I guess.
However the room cleaning staff where quite rude, wouldn’t provide clean towels for the room unless I have them a tip, had to call down to the front desk three times, each time they brought me the wrong item and then asked for a tip for cleaning the room, pretty sure they where doing it on purpose just to try and get money from me. Also did a poor job cleaning the room, floor was merkey and bed sheet where quit old and used. Staff did not replace dirty towels, just pick them up off the floor and hang them back up.

For this reason I give the hotel a mediocre rating, definitely room for improvement

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Feb 2019

Ghanshyam

BuffetNeeds more staff Breakfast and dinner not good also staff level very l

Friends

8/10

Excellent

06 Feb 2019

Lisa

Basic hotel nothing outstanding. Not very close to Ganges when you consider traffic.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Everything was great.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Great find in Varanasi

Beautiful former palace, with great restaurant, great food, great food staff. Away from the crazy hustle of the city. The room was beautiful and this makes for an overall excellent pick for the area.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Dec 2018

I could've stayed at the Clarks Varanasi (the venue for the meeting). I found Surya (about 300m/3-5 min walking dist. to the Clarks) having pretty good reviews & reasonable costs. My stay at Surya was excellent and fully satisfied (one thing: the shower drain was slow, a minor thing for me). The breakfast was very good (chose it with the lodging cost). The hotel has a restaurant, having Indian/Chinese dishes, and they were excellent. I ate at other hotels and a non-hotel restaurant. But the restaurant at Surya is the one I would recommend to anyone. The hotel staff were very friendly and would do their best to resolve any issue. The hotel setting is nice with a garden in the middle of the hotel surrounded by the hotel complex. It does have a bar next to the garden. I would recommend Surya without hesitation to those who visit Varanasi. OTHER INFO: From the Varanasi airport to Surya takes about 25-35 min WITHOUT traffic. I took a non-commercial taxi by Sarat Travel (a booth INSIDE the exit terminal, 780 rup. (to Surya) & 600 rup. (for return). If there is traffic, it can take more than 1, up to 2 hrs as I heard. For currency exchange, the airport has one (just exchange enough for your taxi with some extra) as you can get better rate from the one near Surya (walking from Surya to the main street, turn left, enter into the office area immediately after turning, a small office right to a travel agency, less than 3 min walking). Have a small bills, e.g., 10/20/50 rup. for tipping.

6/10

Pleasant

02 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

The property is nice and big and worth the money.Need more cleanliness and efficiency in housekeeping staff service

8/10

Excellent

16 Oct 2018

Mike

It was a quiet oasis in a very busy, chaotic city. Staff are very friendly and helpful. The restaurant was great as was the breakfast. All in all for what we paid I couldn’t have done better.

4/10

Poor

28 Mar 2018

Verified traveler

Spacious room but not the cleanest. Lots of mosquitoes in the room.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2018

Sandra

Brilliant Hotel, setting lovely, good comfortable

Brilliant

Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

A lovely hotel, safe for a solo traveler, comfortable and well situated. Kind and helpful staff helped arrange medicine when I was sick, as well as tours to Sarnath and other sites, at reasonable prices.

Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Jan 2018

Ernie

Nice stay

Nice hotel, older and well maintained. Excellent staff, quiet, nice clean rooms. The WiFi was a bit weak. Good buffet breakfast. I would stay again

8/10

Excellent

17 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

Lovely excursions to Ghat.

Enjoyed our breakfast and the nice rooms. Thoughtful touches. Had great wifi connectivity. Easy walk to shops and the local mall.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2017

Ron

Beautiful setting with a touch of the past

Definitely recommend this old world charm hotel. Staff were helpful

8/10

Excellent

05 Jul 2017

leesha

Nice hotel and staff was great.

I had a wonderful time. Breakfast was great. I enjoyed my message. Lovely hotel.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2017

Verified traveler

great property great food great staff

the dinner was one on the best cooked meals i have ever had, property is beautiful and the staff is courteous.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Mar 2017

Priyanka

Old world charm - Heritage hotel in a good area

What I really liked: the service, cleanliness, the sweet natured staff, the immaculate garden, the location, the recently done up luxury rooms and the food. So overall, a fantastic stay. What the hotel could improve on: better towels, availability of pen and notepads / post-its in the rooms, and refrigerators that are maintained. I would recommend anyone going here to choose the renovated luxury rooms.

Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Feb 2017

Rudolf

Hotel Surya

The Hotel was located in a so-so area, but I guess it was the better area of Varanasi, but I must say that the hotel helped my to get tours to the Ganges at a one and a half time the price, due to traveling solo, but the price was reasonable, and the trip to the airport was also organized by the hotel at a slightly higher price

6/10

Pleasant

14 Feb 2017

Verified traveler

Good hotel that can be even better.

Reception staff is indifferent to say the least. To our surprise and embarrasment one of the reception staff rushed out to check our receipts when we were leaving. He could have checked from his own records. Apart from this ambience of the hotel was OK. Upholstery and bedding needs immediate change so do towels.

8/10

Excellent

03 Feb 2017

Nand

Good hotel away from holy ghats

Varanasi ghats area are too crowded, no easy transportation is available.

8/10

Excellent

17 Dec 2016

cherry

Staff are expected tip,

Room are not bad, WiFi was excellent, staff are not helpful. expected tip,

8/10

Excellent

20 Nov 2016

Dale

Wonderful Manager and Staff!

Breakfast selection was very good and the on demand omelettes were delicious. Tea service was spotty at times. We dined at the hotel's Canton Royale Restaurant often and the food was superb and reasonably priced. Beer was exceptionally expensive. Free Wifi was actually only for one person/device, but after discussing the absurdity of registering 2 guests and then offering only one Wifi service, the manager reconsidered. In fact, the manager was a very kind, understanding gentleman who offered an appropriate solution to a sleepless night caused by other disrespectful guests and also assisted us with money concerns caused by the Indian government's nightmarish demonetization policy. Be forewarned that visiting India at this time will force you to run from atm to atm every day in hopes of acquiring meagre sums of cash. Besides the unusually odd electrical outlets, our stay turned out to be quite pleasant.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Nov 2015

Colin

Nice friendly hotel with a good beer garden

The hotel driver was very good helpful his name was Raju Can recommend him

8/10

Excellent

29 Oct 2015

UMESH

Average hotel

Hotel is okay but during my stay renovation work was going on and because of this it was highly uncomfortable. Deluxe room is not good as the toilet leaks. Tea maker does not work you have to remind many times to get the tea bags etc in the room. Overall mind set of the staff is like a small Street hotel though the food price structure is very high and there is nothing around.these are very small things and practicality does not cost any thing but a big big favourable impression on the guest.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2015

Verified traveler

Perfect stay

The hotel and staff were wonderful. The rooms were clean and comfortable. About 8kms from the ghats, good hotel if you don't want to be in the center near the ganges for your whole stay. Good breakfast and amenities.

Partner

4/10

Poor

07 Oct 2015

Priyesh

Should definitely avoid it

I booked it for one night stay.. Had come for business purpose.. When I entered the room I found it small and in bad condition..furniture was in pathetic condition. Bathroom was also not up to the mark.. Air conditioner suddenly stopped then automatically started again..

8/10

Excellent

21 Sep 2015

Charles

The pool is an oasis from the Varanasi heat

The hotel staff were very attentive. The hotel manager met with us to discuss tours etc. We went on three of the tours ran by the hotel. They're not a tour in the traditional sense but you are given a private driver and driven to the location. Our driver was very friendly and it was very refreshing to hop into the cool ac car after visiting a site. The morning ceremony at Assi Ghat, the evening boat ride and the trip to Sarnath are a must. In terms of the accommodation, our room was very tired. It was in desperate need of a renovation. The bathroom was a single wet room with a shower curtain seperating you from the toilet. The AC worked well, so did the TV and the bed was comfy. That was all that mattered for us. The grounds are lovely. There is a beautiful lawn that they bring table and chairs onto at night to have dinner or drinks. The pool was a little oasis to escape the chaos and heat of Varanasi. The drinks from the bar were also great. We also enjoyed the spa services. Overall a great stay.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

15 May 2015

Amrit

Don't bother

Not worth the money for this hotel, old and dusty like faulty towers! Stay near the ghats at a quarter of the price!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Apr 2015

Fei

Nice hotel

The hotel is located away from river ganges, but in a relatively nice neigbhourhood, quiet and clean. There is a small mall nearby.
Room is clean, although it has a smell of curry(but I guess that's common in India).
There is a nice restaurant in the hotel, good taste of food and nice environment, although the food is a bit overpricead and maybe not very clean?. (I got luxness the second day I was in Varanasi, but I had all my meals in that restaurant, so...)

6/10

Pleasant

16 Apr 2015

Fei

Nice Hotel

8/10

Excellent

12 Apr 2015

Leo

Good option to stay in Varanasi just read complete

Good food at restaurant, we had to pay an extra fee because we were 2 people instead of one that we initially contracted but we received a room upgrade. Internet is only permitted in one device at a time, therefore you cannot have two devices signed in. Rooms and bathroom good. It was very strange to see a camera in our room. Be alert with that, we had to cover it. Buildings and central garden look very well.

8/10

Excellent

01 Apr 2015

Susmita

Good Stay in a Hotel with a Great Ambience

The stay started off on a not so good note, as I was called by the hotel two hours before my flight was to take off that they could not accommodate me on the first day. I was travelling solo and the hotel they were offering to put me up in did not have very good reviews. Once I reached the hotel, I really had to stay adamant that I would not move to a different hotel to finally get a room at Surya. After getting to the room, my initial reaction wasn't too good as there were no towels, and the room looked shabby. The towels that were brought in had stains on them which is most certainly not expected from a hotel. Though the start was a little rough, things got smoother. Most of the staff were very helpful an. The food at the hotel is quite delicious - I tried the Benaras thali and the keema dal. The hotel has a garden where they put out tables for dinner which is a nice setting. Their spa is also quite decent, a tad overpriced. The hotel being in the cantonment area, is a little away from the ghats which is an inconvenience. There are autos available outside the hotel but they charge a bomb, so you need to bargain for sure. Though the distance to the ghats is just about 5-6 km, it takes a good 30 mins to get there. The hotel also organises tours for guests - sunrise on the river, evening aarti by boat and Sarnath. A good stay overall, though I wouldn't call it an excellent experience.

8/10

Excellent

18 Mar 2015

SIDDHARTHA

Siddhartha's Trip to Varanasi

it was excellent. very good hotel. beautiful garden. the restaurant and breakfast arena is really posh. staple dish quantities can be a bit more per portion.

Family

4/10

Poor

13 Mar 2015

Rameshgar

Review

management are not welcoming at all

need to smile at customers

rip off on taxi charges

rooms are in need of a revamp

food in restaurant was very good

breakfast from 7.30 am but tea/coffee not available till much later

Family

8/10

Excellent

12 Mar 2015

Kanaiyalal

Nice Hotel From Airport and to visit place like Sa

1)Hotel Service & Food was Good.
2)Room Service and cleanliness was Good.
3)Tour Transport Service was Good.

8/10

Excellent

08 Mar 2015

noah

excellent restaurant/food, for both dinner and breakfast we had there. The common spaces and grounds generally are lovely. The room itself is very spare but functional. Quiet part of town in the Cantonment area. Bed was very firm.

8/10

Excellent

05 Mar 2015

Verified traveler

The food was fabulous.

The food was fabulous. The Hotel pool after a very hot day in filthy Varanasi was refreshing. I did not know there was that much clean water in the whole of the city. The problem was the cleaning staff. My balcony overlooking the lovely garden was bird pooped so bad it was almost unusable. But otherwise a rally good place to stay

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2015

alec

Lovely old hotel in a quiet part of the city

Spent 5 days in Varanasi and stayed at this old guest lodge of a Nepalese prince. Has much character and is clean and well appointed. The staff were amazingly helpful and kind. A pleasure to visit and would definitely return.

8/10

Excellent

18 Jan 2015

Gary

adequate

First room was cold, no heat and bathroom was inadequate. Second room was much better comfortable and warm. Food was excellent. Staff helpful

Partner

2/10

Poor

04 Dec 2014

Verified traveler

Never try this hotel for your stay.

Worst place to stay.. worst hospitality and manner-less management. I checked out of the hotel within a couple of hours of my stay due to their misbehavior. Don't waste your money and time.

Family

8/10

Excellent

23 Nov 2014

Khushal

Nice comfortable stay

I had a nice comfortable stay and I would recommend this place to anyone who would like to visit Varanasi.

8/10

Excellent

17 Nov 2014

Verified traveler

We enjoyed our stay. Very good food. Convenient.

We enjoyed our stay. Very good food. Convenient. Travel desk was good. Our driver Raju was very resourceful. He was able to explain lot of things about Varanasi. Hotel staff were very courteous.
Only cons-
Construction is going on. Does not look nice in the back.

8/10

Excellent

26 Oct 2014

Verified traveler

great place to stay for first time in varanasi

We chose this hotel based on our friend's suggestion. At first I wanted to be near the river but I thought the smoke would be too much. The hotel is great, good food, and excellent staff.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2014

Verified traveler

Great place!

The staff were great, the food was awesome and the pool was wonderful. I liked this place.

4/10

Poor

06 Oct 2014

Reto

Surya traveller

Hotel condition was ok for the price but dont expect too much. Nice restaurant with moderate price and good food.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

05 Oct 2014

Kiriti

Expensive But Affordable!

A good property. Rooms are clean, and airy. Washrooms need maintenance. They don't have Darjeeling Tea and this has been a major disappointment!

8/10

Excellent

29 Sep 2014

Verified traveler

Nice comfy hotel

The reception staff and restaurant staff were very helpful. Room was adequate the hotel needs a bit of an update but all in all value for money. Two little things the guy who cleans the rooms needs to not appear every time you go back to your room and there needs to be a break between starter and main course and not such a rush to clear plates these were very minor and as I say the reception and hotel were very accommodating with our problems in relation to late running of trains and early arrival and late check out so could not really have asked for more.

2/10

Poor

25 Aug 2014

jitendra

Pathetic service..i

It takes 45 min them to just serve tea..phone doesnt work.. Inspite of telling them, they wont listen u.. Lizards in room... N mosquitos.. Which will keep u awake .. If u hv lizard phobia.... Never book this hotel.. Genuine request and horrible experience.... Rude staff and careless... !!

8/10

Excellent

05 Aug 2014

Rajeev Bhaskar

Not So Great

Very Ordinary. A Printout could not be arranged because manager had the keys with him, as defended by front desk. Food quality pretty ordinary. House keeping very ordinary.

4/10

Poor

28 Jul 2014

Ram

Below average hotel with a swimming pool

Rooms are ordinary type with bath rooms below average . The Charges are as per three star level. Chapati is Rs 40 /- which by any stretch of imagination is very expensive.

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2014

Verified traveler

Excellent staff

Very well managed hotel with attentive staff. Its away from the bustle of downtown.

8/10

Excellent

07 Jun 2014

Alan

a great place to escape from Varanasi

Hotel Surya is a few minutes from the center of Varanasi and that makes it a great retreat for the end of the day. They have a huge swimming pool and it and the grounds are very well maintained. The staff is well-trained and quickly learn what you like and try to anticipate your needs. There is also a 4-story shopping mall with a McDonald and Pizza Hut within easy walking distance.

10/10

Exceptional

05 May 2014

Verified traveler

Beautiful hotel

Comfortable rooms with private balcony overlooking garden space. Food was always well presented (very good restaurant and wait staff), both indian and western dishes were very good. It was nice to have this hotel and pool to escape the heat and crowded areas of varanasi. Breakfasts were also very good (though more fruit would have been nice). But overall, lovely hotel to come back to eat, relax and enjoy, especially when seeking respite from the sights and streets of busy varanasi.

2/10

Poor

03 Apr 2014

Not worse your money

We booked a premium room with balcony but got an old fashioned furnished room with a small window facing into a construction site with no light coming in.
There was almost no warm water and the water pressure was so weak that showering was almost impossible. The staff was rude and unhelpful. The spa is the only light point of this hotel but it is not worth staying there. They charge for the wifi the swimming pool is small and uninviting and the breakfast buffet is horrible.
Stay away!

10/10

Exceptional

01 Apr 2014

Verified traveler

Very nice place

The place is very conveniently located, close to station. The rooms are big and well maintained. The cab services offered at the front desk is ok but expensive. Staff is good.

8/10

Excellent

30 Mar 2014

Zed

A Relaxing Stay

I spent a few days visiting Varanasi and this hotel was not only good value but set in the Cantonement of Varanasi. The hotel had an impressive display of brightly coloured Dahlias flowering everywhere and the greeness is one of its best features. The onsite bar/cafe was quite a nice place to chill out and chew the days touring activities with fellow travellers. The breakfast was okay - no variety at all, just the same variety of fruit and breads. The omelette chef was nice but unfortunately get tended to overcook everything to the point of rubberisation. The same restaurant served a wide range if dishes for dinner and I would recommend their Tikka kebabs - they were excellent. The rooms were large, clean and had balconies and AC. The only gripe was the internet access, which whilst fairy reasonable at £1.50 a day had no bandwidth and even sending emails were a challenge. But I enjoyed the laid back feel to the place and the staff whilst not overly friendly were pretty efficient.

2/10

Poor

28 Mar 2014

Don't go there!!

We booked a premium room with balcony, what we got was a run down room which was huge and pretty clean. But the only window in the room (which you can't open) is facing into another room, with no light coming in. The entire hotel is a mosquito paradise. The shower with limited warm water, has no water pressure at all which makes it unable the shower at all. When we complained at the front desk that this is not a premium room, they answered that the are no premium rooms available although the hotel didn't felt occupied at all. The breakfast was a disaster and at our second day we preferred to eat out.
The swimming pool is another bad joke, whit is not even worth to write about. The only good work I can tell is the SPA which has good service, fair prices and nice staff.
There are much better options in this area, for the same money!

6/10

Pleasant

18 Mar 2014

Ashish

Great receptionists but poor cab service offered.

Manjit (a receptionist) was great in talking. We were able to get our boarding passes printed over the phone when we stayed at the hotel. He is super friendly and handled many things properly over the phone. I could have given 5 stars because of his good service.

But, I am taking out two points (2 stars) because we scheduled a cab to Varanasi airport for Rs.800 through this hotel. And this cab experience was really bad!

He tried to push it as early as possible because it was Holi (a festival) that made us wait 4 hours at the airport (left the hotel as early as 6am finally after negotiating we delayed till 6:30am). And also the cab driver tried pulling in another customer by doubling his profit. The normal cab service outside the hotel was available for Rs.500.

The cab service offered by this hotel made me take out two stars.

8/10

Excellent

17 Mar 2014

Erin

Oasis away from the noise and heat

Best thing about this hotel was returning every day to the quiet gardens after the noise, heat and dust of the city.
Resturant was very good, staff helpful, rooms clean and beds comfortable.
Hot water was usually gone by the evenings.

8/10

Excellent

13 Mar 2014

Verified traveler

good, clean, friendly hotel

nice staff and relaxing place to enjoy Varanasi. Only complaint was unreliable hot water.

Family