Guest User
January 31, 2023
Lonavala & Khandala have always seemed over crowded on weekends, and not being a fan of exotic sprawling typical Indian resorts like The Duke's & Fariyas, our visit to this popular Mumbai hill stn has been just in passing with stopovers for lunch at some nice eateries of hotels/resorts. This time in Feb, after a lovely glamping stay in Pawna, as we stopped by for lunch, we decided to stay back. On a Saturday it's difficult to get rooms in any descent place & luckily The Bark had one. I v always been curious about this place calling itself an art hotel, so it was an added bonus for me. Far away from the popular hotel zones, down a road, this hotel cum house is by a river/stream and immaculately maintained by its owner who is a friendly charming lady & an avid traveler and collector of art. And a dog lover too. The place is littered with arty objects & paintings. Is spacious, airy with a laid back attitude, polite staff and a library. The pool table unfortunately is no good, thanx to non-players trying to have fun with the balls all day. The pool & lawn & gazebo are the highlight here. One can just sit and watch numerous birds come and go. Being off the touristy zones, its unusually quiet and in the midst of old residential areas of Lonavala, which are quaint and peaceful. They have a nice buffet spread for breakfast, and their ala-carte menu is also quite good, although a bit pricey i thought. The owner has plans to start an Art Cafe soon, and that wud b lovely. Their basic rooms are quiet small but beautifully done and very well maintained. The rooms with balconies are very nice & given a choice i wud definitely stay in those. The suites are also spacious. And i personally felt it was great value for money, unlike the Dukes and Fariyas which have countless rooms and charge top dollar. If you are fond of Lonavala, stay here once atleast to know the difference from other hotels there.