Zostel Homes Kotkhai (Shimla)

If you need the relaxing and peace then it’s the best place for you. Very beautiful surrounding apple. Orchards rooms are very comfortable. Propty is very clean and very big rooms. Family suit with a two rooms 5 to 6 people can adjust easily Mr Surinder post is very friendly person and they have home-cooked tasty. Food vegetarian or non-vegetarian both optional available but if you don’t have personal vehicle, then little bit difficult to reach because it’s offbeat location. After kotkhai road or very small drive. Very carefully. Public transport is few options only two and three buses coming from Shimla in the day. If you are coming for fun and adventure then maybe you not enjoy because it’s a purely home stay in the mountains. Unfortunately I stay only one day and I enjoy a lot. Maybe very soon. I come here for two or three days resting

I stayed there in November 2021 so this review is a little late and the condition might not be the same there anymore.
Our experience: HORRIBLE

The place is very far from everywhere, tourist spots, trekking, markets. For every place we wanted to visit within a distance of 10-20 km, the owner asked for INR 2,500 one way fare, which was INR 5,000 total, totally ridiculous.
He did not inform about a lot of things and there was a huge communication gap constantly.
He was rude on many occasions and argued endlessly over prices (tea was not part of breakfast, he charged extra for it, ridiculous).
We also sensed from his tone that he judged us continuously for being three independent female travelers who had managed to come so far without help.
Did not provide WiFi. I was totally cut off from my family for three days.
He lied about local bus timings. Said only one was available that too at 7 AM in the morning. We saw the bus going to and fro Shimla at regular intervals when we went for a small hike near the property and also stopped one to confirm the same. So basically he just wanted us to avail his ridiculously expensive personal cab service by lying to us.
The room we stayed in was his personal bedroom and the closets were full of clothes belonging to his family of three. We had to keep all our stuff on the floor. We did not even get space to put our luggage in that “spacious” room.
His wife constantly came in without knocking regardless of whether we were changing or lying in bed to get stuff from her closets, sometimes with her adult son. We literally had to ask her to stop the 11th time she busted in without knocking. We did not know they had rented out their personal bedroom and it was really weird. There was no sense of privacy.
The location was good but the inaccessibility and bad hospitality made our stay terrible.
We were charged extra for heater too. 250 bucks for each day. Are you kidding me?
The food was served cold on the first day.
The next day at breakfast, he kept counting every paratha he served on our platters as if we were sinning by eating as per our appetite. Who does that? Who stands on your head and counts every morsel you eat? It was pathetic. My friends literally had to ask him to stop and request that he tell us about the charges for extra parathas later (since according to him only 2 parathas per person is considered “a reasonable meal”).
I have never had such a terrible experience in Zostel, especially Zostel Homes. I have stayed at so many Zostel properties but this was by far the worst.

However, I am stating again that this was my experience TWO YEARS AGO and things MIGHT have changed. Go at your own risk.

Was one of the best home stays - such an amazing bike ride from Shimla to Kothkai - Beautiful roads that almost make u feel like you’re riding in Ladakh. Absolutely we’ll maintained and scenic home run by a very decent family. The food they serve is proper home stuff and the view n the stay is a true 5/5. Found food they served to be expensive considering it was an extension of their meals but well - All in all a great day if u r at Shimla and want an off beat location to explore

Mr. Surendra is a amazing host. Amazing beautiful and we'll maintained property. He has taken care of us like their family. The food was sooo delicious.

Nice place for inner peace i also trek kuppad peak (giriganga) with himanshu bhai (host)
And very healthy food given by sureshji

An offbeat destination to spend time with yourself and your family. Well maintained property with delicious food. Neat and clean washrooms. Suresh uncle take care of all your requirements. He also guides for small hikes around, if you want to explore locally. I was lucky to witness two different views on alternate days One with snow another with sunrise. Perfect destination for nature lovers.

It’s an offbeat location and very good if you’re looking for peace and tranquility. Home owners are very helpful, we visited their apple farms which are in the property itself and love the home cooked food by them.

Hosts are so welcoming and generous people. Strong to the roots of their cuture and traditions. Amazing place to stay and spend peaceful time away from city. Food is served by the hosts with love and care. Very nice and genuine people. I loved the stay and time I spent there.

Calm and one of the beautiful places to vist for a offbeat Destination. Hosting was on point and the best view to have from your window.
Must try siddu a local dish prepared by our very own aunty and with love served by Suresh ji.

By far the worst zostel experience only due to one reason the HOST, we were there at new year and the host were no less than Amitabh Bachchan of Mohobbatein with his parampara pratistha and anushashan. It was like a strict dad teaching how to behave on a vacation.

The location is also very very far from shimla and Kotkhai as well.

Friendly property staff and good food.
Lovely morning views too.
Decent rooms with common toilets
Offbeat property, slightly difficult to reach.

This is an amazing place to stay. The calm n beautiful stay. The owner is very polite. The property is well maintained, neat n clean. Suitable for families too

Awesome peaceful place away from city rush and crowd, loved the hospitality done by the owner.

I have stayed here for 2 nights and I went there just to explore some good offbeat locations, but a little disappointed that the purpose could not served properly! There is nothing soo good to explore kinda. You can surepy get peace of mind. If you are going for work purpose, again its not a suitable place for the same as there is lot of network issue.
3 stars I have given for the cleanliness of the place and also the food was good. Host Mr. Suresh Chauhan is kinda money minded person, on the name of sight seeing he charged me for 2500 and we only went to one temple datz it! And that too he took his family along. So I felt like it was a picnic with my dada dadi where I just visited one temple and came back home. Totally wasted money under the name of sight seeing. One could go Kotkhai surely to witness the mesmerizing beauty but the way these guys charged is not worth at all. These people even charging for camp fire. Generally it should be free only. And taking their family along with our sight seeing seems like their family also enjoys outing on our money. They treated me very nice and also they helped me for my one time travel from shimla to zostel. So in a way its good vacation I had bit still not worth for the amount they charged.

Perfect location, homely environment with home made delicious food served. Very soft spoken, courteous and helpful owners.
Well maintained property away from chaotic city life. Beautiful and peaceful surrounding to be at. Would love to visit again.

Absolutely stunning. The place is so beautifully curated and the owners are super caring. They ll make you feel at home with their welcoming nature and home cooked food. Whatever you need you can just ask Suresh sir, his wife or his son. They are genuinely helping. The can even take you site seeing, arrange bon fire for you and there was absolutely no interference. Visit anytime Of the year. Best zostel ever.

The host family was very cordial and friendly, they took good care of us. The bedrooms and washrooms were very clean and proper hygiene was maintained. Aunty treated us with authentic himachali dish called Siddu, she was an amazing cook.

The host gives the feeling that you are in your own house just the location is changed. Rooms are perfect, hygiene is well maintained and the food is delicious. Had a perfect getaway with these warm hearted people. Must visit!

It was an awesome experience staying here. Everyone in zostel was so welcoming and the owner of this place himself accompanied and guided us to visit beautiful view points 10km ahead of this place. They are so friendly that you will feel just like home. Food was awesome. Property was so clean and well maintained.

We had a cosy and comfortable stay. Home cooked food was a surprise for us which turned out pleasant. Mr Chauhan, the person behind the property is a humble and kind person. It was an amazing experience. Evening was silent and you could feel peace. Got an opportunity to spend some quality time with family playing indoor games like carrom and Jenga.

I have been here for the first time and this place has been a dream place for a vacay. You can come here with your friends or family. They have a big dinning hall 4 big bedrooms and a kitchen. And it feels like home being here. Loved this place totally. Its a must visit if you are in shimla and looking for a great place for more than 8 people together.

I went to this place for weekend. The view is beautiful and the services are very nice.must visit for all.

You will not miss your home and family once you come here. Suresh uncle and his family will take care of everything

#Awesome stay #hospitality #Good local food, peaceful rooms.

Serene offbeat location, beautiful house, great views and wonderful hosts. Glad that I chose this.
Traditional himachali food is what makes this place special.

We came here to try an off beat destination where we can chill, party and roam a bit around to see nearby peaks on a new year vacation. The rooms and bathrooms are very clean and kitchenette is well organized. The experience was magnificent as hosts were very kind and generous. They even helped us getting our car repaired when there was a breakdown.

I found this place ideal to chill and relax in the mountains. The ambience, amenties, rooms etc is just superb which makes you feel at home. Host esp deserve a mention for their sweet gesture and overwhelming hospitality. I came here for new year and had a great time really.