The Best Hotels to Book in Mahabaleshwar, India

In the forested hills east of the centre, Le Méridien has the best rooms of all the hotels in Mahabaleshwar – sleek designer spaces with elegant contemporary furniture, painted tree motifs and balconies with views over a sea of living foliage. The lavish suites have Hollywood-glam bathrooms with free-standing tubs or outdoor showers and massage tables shaded by trees. Dining is extravagant, too, with indoor and outdoor fine dining and romantic meals by an open fire.

Above tiny Glen Ogle Lake, Regenta MPG Club is an ornate hill-station bungalow on a grand scale. Carved fretwork drips from the elegant, part-timbered frontage – a Mahabaleshwar heirloom from the 1920s. Inside, tidy corridors lead to smart rooms with fancy bedsteads and valley-view balconies in the upper classes. It’s one of the most atmospheric heritage properties in town, and the terrace is a fine place to catch a Mahabaleshwar sunset.

An imposing resort in the green part of central Mahabaleshwar, Evershine Resort is very stylish and refined. The buildings are reminiscent of a grand Portuguese-era mansion on the Goan coast; inside, beyond the handsome pool area and gardens, are bright, welcoming rooms in pale, summery tones. There’s a swish spa and several restaurants, including an outdoor smokehouse serving that prince of hill-station dinners, the sizzler (meat and vegetables served on a sizzling hot iron platter).

In the bustling, busy part of Mahabaleshwar, close to Venna Lake, Hotel Dreamland is a circle of cottage-like villas and hotel buildings arranged around an above-average pool. It’s an attractive stay, with large, airy living spaces and tasteful, understated decor, but the standout features are the poolside terrace and the pavilion restaurant, overlooking a sweep of greenery.

Within walking distance of forest waterfalls in Metgutad village near Panchgani, Saj Resort elevates the family experience in Mahabaleshwar, complete with outdoor dining around a bonfire, VR gaming and a play area for the kids. Rooms are cosy and contemporary, with a touch more style than is usual for hotels in Mahabaleshwar. Lively wall art and bedspreads provide a welcome splash of colour, and the microwave and fridge in each room make for easy family stays.

In a villagey setting in Bhilar, east of the central kerfuffle, Hotel Paradise Inn is a modern proposition compared to the average Mahabaleshwar hotel. Behind the confidently symmetrical frontage are roomy, contemporary sleeping spaces with wooden floors, big picture windows and lime-green cushions and throws. Some rooms have a balcony overlooking the lawns, and all have space to spread out.

West of the beeping horns of the main bazaar in Mahabaleshwar, on the edge of the forests in Panchgani, La Serene Resort and Spa lives up to its name. Cute bungalows with green tin roofs are bigger than they look, with high ceilings and exposed beams. Service is good, too, and the friendly welcome appeals to families. It’s a very Mahabaleshwar experience, and there’s a pool to keep the kids happy.

West of the main bazaar in Mahabaleshwar, reclining in a bower of green woodland, this Indian-style country resort offers tranquillity as standard. Bungalow-style cottages are dotted around a pool, and rooms range from comfortable hotel-style rooms to family-friendly duplexes full of shiny fabrics. It’s within walking distance of the action in Mahabaleshwar but far enough away to retain a little of the country air that first put the hill station on the map.

Imagine an English country house reimagined by a Mumbai tech entrepreneur, and you’ll have a good impression of the White House. Columns, colonnades and cornices erupt in every direction, and the rooms within are full of ruffles and frills. It’s a comfy stay, though, and in a good location east of Mahabaleshwar in the calmer village of Panchgani, away from the noise and fuss.