Istana Resort & Spa, Darjeeling

My recent stay at the Istana Hotel was a mixed bag. The location was superb, , with easy access to public transport and major attractions. The lobby was impressive, with a grand design and helpful concierge service. Check-in was swift and efficient.||However, the room itself was a bit of a letdown. While clean, it felt dated, and the promised city view was largely obstructed. The bed was firm, which I prefer, but the pillows were too soft. Wi-Fi was free but frustratingly slow at peak||The hotel's amenities were a highlight. The rooftop pool offered stunning panoramic views, and the gym was well-equipped. Breakfast was a generous buffet with a wide variety of choices. Staff throughout the hotel were consistently friendly and accommodating.| ISTANA RESOER offers excellent value for its location and amenities. With some room updates, it could easily earn a higher rating. I'd recommend it for travelers who prioritize location and facilities but are less concerned about room aesthetics. AND LASTLY WOULD MENTION TO MR. SUBBA FOR HIS HLEP TO STAY COMFORTABLE

Decent Stay, Great Location, But a Few Letdowns Istana Resort is in a great spot--very close to Mall Road, which makes getting around Darjeeling super convenient. The resort feels welcoming, and the staff at the restaurant stood out for being genuinely kind, polite, and attentive. That said, the food was pretty average, especially dinner. Our room was on the third floor and had a nice view of the valley, although part of it was blocked. Still, no major complaints on that front. The biggest issue was the Wi-Fi--it barely worked the entire time we were there. It wasn't just our room; the problem seemed to be across the whole place. We brought it up multiple times, but nothing changed. So if you're planning to work from here, keep that in mind. Also, I'd avoid using their travel services. The drivers we got were late, drove recklessly, and were extremely rude. Their travel desk held no responsibility and we had to walk around for hours on a stretch, even had to wait at airport for an hour without our prebooked cab. Overall, the resort is nice enough in terms of location and vibe. They do serve high tea in the evenings, which was a pleasant surprise. Just be aware of the internet and travel issues before booking.

The location of the hotel is awesome and view is very pleasant. The room size is very large and have balcony to enjoy the serenity. The hotel staff is very very helpfull and taking care of even small things, staff members especially Anima, Bhavna, Pavitra and sanjeeta are really helpful. Restaurant is having very good variety and staff members Pratham, Suraj and Mohan take care of everything to make your stay like home. Overall must stay in this facility if anyone plans to visit beautiful Darjeeling.

Location: Good location. If you can walk, mall road is nearby.||Rooms: I stayed in Delux room. They are very specious and a great view.||Atmosphere: The weather was awsome. With a good view from my room as well as from the lobby area.||Service: Staff was very Cooperative.||Cleanliness: Very neat and clean. Well maintained.||My overall experience at Istana was good.||The food was awsome. It was part of MAP.

We stayed at Istana for 2 nights in May and it was the best part of our Darjeeling trip. It has one of the best interiors and best views. We also got a view of Kanchenjunga from the 5th floor when the weather was clear. The food and the service was great. Suraj, Mohan, Prashant and Pranesh were quite welcoming at all the times of our stay.|I would definitely recommend staying here.||Food- 4.5/5|Service- 5/5|Location - 5/5|Rooms 4.5/5

Very rarely you stay at a place which gets connected to you for life. As frequent visitor of Darjeeling, I found Istana Resort and Spa as welcoming as it gets. The comfort and hospitality is the best in class. The location is strategically perfect, and I'll let the view of the Sleeping Buddha stay as a surprise, if you know what I mean!! Mall road is 800 mtrs downhill, so it's a lovely walk through the alleys if you're interested. Yummi veg options in the menu and outside food allowed in the rooms... In short, I would want to make sure my travel dates are aligned with their availability in the foreseeable future visits. And ultimately, thank you so much Awanisha and Preeyanka for your tireless efforts to make us feel at home during our stay!!

We booked this hotel after seeing very good reviews but today I want to share my experience with everyone.We were here on April 13th and 14th ( 2025 ). A disgusting hotel that is only beautiful on the outside . We booked a family room which was on the fourth floor.The room was shabby and moist and bathroom was very small and smelled very bad and water leakage also. We couldn't sleep well because of the bad smell. House keeping was poor. The hotel is vegetarian but that's not a problem but the problem is that the food is not for Bengalis .They could not provide luxurious amenities according to room fare . Mall Road is very difficult to get to from this hotel..If you ask them to call a taxi, they can't make it.They have no power backup in case of load shedding.Elevators are closed during load shedding.You can imagine how difficult it would be to get from the fourth floor to the ground floor if the elevator unavailable .We were in a situation like this when the elevator was closed and we had to go down the stairs from the fourth floor to the street below.Hotel staff were not trained.This hotel is far from the mall road.I had a very bad experience at this hotel, so I would not recommend anyone to go to this hotel.The only good thing about this hotel was the balcony and the front garden.

Everything was of top standard, nothing too much trouble, the decor throughout was lovely, clean and well maintained. All on reception, Ms. Awanisha, Preeyanka and Alice were all exceptional hosts and made our stay modr memorable. The hotels prime location made exploring the city a breeze, and I can't wait to return to Istana again on my next visit. Highly recommended