Palette - Solar Residency

My first night there I was awoken with the call to prayer. It was a soul shattering experience and woke me from deep sleep at 5am. The windows had been left open by house keeping and I was unaware, because there were double windows with the inner one being a screen. There were no blinds of any kind, only heavy curtains, so to keep the blazing sun out, they had to remain shut all day. The AC didn't work until housekeeping did some jiggery-pokery and as soon as I left the room and turned off the power, it reset. Coffee was non-existent anywhere except for Nescafe graduals. The room door had a 2" gap under it and it. I mean, the room wasn't bad bad, but it wasn't worth the money. Kashmir is reputed to have a "white tax" and I certainly witnessed it. The hotel doesn't seem to have any taxis available and Uber is not running in Srinagar, so tuck-tuks are the only mode of transport available. Always ask the price first and barter down if possible. The final insult was the claim that none of 3 credit cards worked, requiring me to use cash. More like they didn't want to pay international credit card fees. My recommendation is that if you aren't Indian, this probably isn't a good choice for Srinagar.

According to me, Solar Residency is a 3-star hotel. They don’t provide new slippers; instead, they give used ones. There are only basic amenities and nothing else. The service is also very slow. The only good thing is that the food is delicious. Even for breakfast, there aren’t many options. The rooms are also very small, and all the furniture is old, outdated, and dirty. If you want a luxury stay, then book Hotel The Dewan by Royal NaQash. It offers full amenities and is the best hotel in Srinagar so far.

Facilities were excellent and stay was very comfortable. Food was great with ample options. Hotel was clean and washrooms spacious. Housekeeping staff was the best. Very professional. The overall experience was very good. I will give 5 stars for the rooms and food.