Lofty mountains, buzzing mall road, eateries you’ll fall in love in…for all these reasons and more Mussoorie has been rightly christened as the ‘Queen of Hills’. We spent a wonderful (long) weekend in Mussoorie recently, but what made our trip delightful was the stay at the Mosaic Hotel, a new entrant to the Mussoorie’s happening hospitality scene.
A wise man said there are three things that decide how good a hotel is- Location, Location and Location. Well located bang on the mall road, at Picture Palace, Mosaic Hotel has got the most important thing right!
We stepped into the charming, bright lobby of the hotel, which had an international feel. It opened to its terrace restaurant Charcoal, which going forward is sure to become one of the most happening open air restaurants of Mussoorie.
We checked into deluxe suite which had a living room, bedroom with cheerful interiors and a plush bathroom. The design was contemporary and chirpy- floral sofas, cushions with butterfly motif and paintings adorning the yellow wall.
Bright & Chirpy: Mosaic Mussoorie has rooms, suites and rooms with an attic to choose from.
The luxe bathroom had jacuzzi and stocked Kama toiletries. Our suite offered the valley view and we woke up with morning rays making it to our room.
Luxe Living: The bathrooms have jacuzzi and stock Kama toiletries
The room categories at Mosaic include- Deluxe Double Room, Attic Rooms, Suite and Attic Suite. The best rooms of Mosaic are the ones with an attic, not only it lends the fairy tale charm to the hotel but is convenient and value for money too if you are a family of four or group of friends.
Food
The all day dining restaurant Random serves lipsmacking food with panoramic view of the mountains to soak in. The staff is friendly and service as prompt as it should be at a resort hotel. We loved the breakfast buffet and started our mornings on a real healthy note with different varieties of ‘spa water- cucumber and carrot, ajwain, star anees and apple to name a few. Of course, being a holiday, we later moved to paranthas and muffins. For lunch and dinner meals I would recommend their vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebab platters, tandoori egg curry and homemade fish curry. The chef did a good job of recommending the dishes and tweaking a bit to our liking.
It was the evening high-tea we used to look forward to during our stay. Served at its terrace restaurant Charcoal, the masala idlis served with Ginger tea and the fresh air made our evenings exhilarating. These are little luxuries for which we urban dwellers escape to the hills whenever we can.
The hotel is awaiting its liquor license.
The Landour Food Trail
A young lad, Deepak is the activity manager at Mosaic Hotel. He designed a food trail and on a bright afternoon we left for Landour, which is just few kilometers from the property. Hotel’s vehicle took us to our first stop for the afternoon- Lal Tibba. Located at a height of about 7500 feet, this touristy sight seeing point is from where you can see the snow clad Himalays being kissed my clouds. We tried the homemade coffee from the kiosk at the entrance, run by a woman, and spent some time sky gazing and clicking postcard perfect pictures.
Must Do: The Landour Food Trail
Our next stop was Landour’s famous boutique hotel Rokeby’s Manor, where at the in-house restaurant Emily we had the French Onion Soup served with fresh breads. Next came another hidden gem of this hamlet- Landour Bakery. Their local delicacy Walnut Pie was outstanding and cookies one of the best I have had in a long time! Right next to Landour Bakehouse is Prakash Shop that stocks local homemade jams, cheese and chutneys. The owner also owns a small hotel Devdar, that is popular for its thin crust pizzas but is currently under renovation. We rounded off all the calories with Anil Store’s Ginger Lemon Tea at ‘Char Dukan’. As the name suggests it has four shops that sell tea, bun omelet and few other knick knacks. Our last point for the food trail was The Little Lama Cafe that serves soft momos, thin crust pizzas and burgers. The view from its upper floor is magnificent. Each eatery that was included in the food trail is a place that you must explore when visiting Mussoorie. Mosaic Hotel definitely gets an extra star for designing experiences like this that discerning travelers would truly enjoy.
Beyond Rooms
The hotel has a heated indoor pool, two spa treatment rooms an activity room for kids. The spa menu is not elaborate but if you are looking for some quick rejuvenation do try their Abhyangam, Ayurvedic Facial or Aromatherapy. Temperature controlled swimming pools are always a luxury, so glad Mosaic houses one. There is enough that the hotel offers to keep one busy. You can just walk down to the Mall Road or go for nature’s trail in Landour. Chocolate lovers mecca Chick Choc is just a stone’s throw from the hotel, so is the famous Kalsang Restaurant that serves Chinese. The must see tourist points of Mussoorie include Gun Hill and Kempty Falls.
THE Verdict
Mussoorie is a popular weekend destination but for long it was only Jaypee hotel that could boast of offering five star branded accommodation. With opening up of Claridges Nabha Palace, JW Marriott Hotel, Royal Orchid Fort Hotel and couple of other properties, the options for discerning travellers looking for upmarket hotels increased. But Mosaic Hotel is something that this hill station needed. It provides five star facilities at a price that would not hurt your pocket and of course location is an added advantage.
Fast Facts
Summary:Mosaic Mussoorie is an ideal stay option if you are looking for a hotel with five star amenities, without having to burn a hole in your pocket.
