Most tourist reviews are negative about Roseland Cottage Gulmarg but still, I had to book as all other hotels were booked. People in Gulmarg (and Kashmir) are tourist friendly and very honest, but this single hotel and its manager are ruining the reputation of Gulmarg tourism.
This is what then happened with me: 1. Booked for 2 nights paying full payment in advance a month ago, but after we reached the hotel with all luggage and a tired young kid, the manager informed us they had given our room to someone else and they cant do anything, so we must check-in to a different hotel of their choice.
2. The hotel is far away from the market and you have to talk 5 KM to buy even a bottle of water.
3. The owner of Roseland Cottage, repeatedly promised me that we will be in the second hotel for 2 nights and won't be asked to change hotel again
4. Surprise, next morning, Roseland Cottage asked us to move again back to their hotel. When I protested for they are doing to me, the Roseland Cottage manager very politely said he if we agree to change hotel again, he will refund full payment for the second day as compensation to the ordeal they caused.
5. Obviously this again was a lie. Neither did I expect a refund. then started acting super-clever, telling me that refund cannot be given in cash, so will be wire transferred, and then pretended to actually initiate the refund and took my account details. Of course, nothing was received later.
6. Meanwhile I, with my wife and kid, stood in the middle of two hotels, trying to desperately reach out to Roseland's owner, but he, knowing he was doing bad, didn't pick up my call for even once.
7. The car that we booked for sightseeing waited for us for hours helplessly watching us go through this ordeal, had to go away. We had to cancel our sightseeing program for the second day as well as it was already afternoon.
8. Roseland's manager then told, us they will provide us complimentary dinner as compensation. by then and was sure it was a lie again. But I had no choice but to listen.
9. In the evening, I kept following up for dinner as I couldn't have gone out to eat as the hotel is located very far away from any shop, leaving the alone a restaurant. Finally, the dinner arrived and on the first bite I knew the chicken was rotten! A waiter privately told me the uncooked chicken was not fresh. I kept following up for sabzi and said he was bringing it soon, but it never came!
10. We were left with rice and dal, which we had, and also fed our kid with that and requested for a bottle of water for my medicines. Another waiter came and informed that the hotel had no packaged drinking water left.
11. This is when I heard another group of guests, facing similar things from the hotel, arguing with the manager on top of her voice. Local people in Kashmir are soo good, honest, and polite. Always eager to help. Roseland Cottage is an exception in Gulmarg and a big NO if you are planning to stay there and know Kashmir's hospitality.
@Roseland Management, don't even think of challenging a single fact I stated above. I have all proof as I use my smartphone smartly.