Crown of India Group of Houseboats

We stayed in one of the houseboats of crown of india group for 2 nights. The houseboat is located near ghat 8 of dal lake and is nearby many restaurants and shops. Transfer to and from the houseboat whenever needed was arranged on demand by shikara free of cost. The stay was pleasant with well maintained, clean rooms. The bathroom even had a bathtub and hot water available round the clock. Overall we enjoyed our stay. Suggestions: if you are staying one day stay is sufficient for experiencing the houseboat ambience. Your access to the main road is limited due to dependency on shikaras for transfer to and from the houseboat. The rooms themselves do not offer any great view of the dal lake, though the front entrance had a sitting area facing the lake. We could not sit there peacefully for long due to vendors constantly entering the houseboat and trying to sell you stuff. I felt that the sitting area for tourists should be secluded so that they could peacefully enjoy the view of the lake. But it was a nice getting to experience staying in the houseboat with vintage kashmiri decor. Also my advice for travellers would be to always get a shikara ride from the ghat where rates are cheaper. The one arranged from the houseboat was way too expensive and since it was our first day we didn't negotiate too much and overpaid. Whenever a vendor approaches you during the shikara ride ask for price of the items first since they try to sell stuff for exorbitant prices. We were forced to pay 300 rs for a kahwa and a glass of hot chocolate since we made the mistake of not asking the price beforehand.

Serene and beautiful experience, has a lovely view of the lake and the overlooking mountains. Personalized service is provided. Is an ideal getaway for a calming experience. I enjoyed staying at this property. Very warm welcome and the staff are very endearing.

Beautiful house boat. Great hospitality by faizaan. He took care of us and provided everything we needed. Chef majeed was amazing as he made some nice fish fry and delicious breakfast.

Very beautiful location and hospitable staff. The rooms are very comfortable and cosy. Heated water was available during the entire stay.

The best house boat in kashmir. All the staff are very polite, cooperative, and humble. The rooms are very neat and clean. The food is very tasty. I strongly recommend the house boat for enjoying the view of dal lake.

Recently stayed here. Excellent hospitality from the staff especially sameer bhai. Rooms are very comfortable and well insulated from the cold. Shikara ride on dal lake is highly recommended.