Set amidst the Aravalli range of Faridabad, Lalit Mangar is Lalit Hotel's latest property to be launched in India. A destination for calm and relaxation, only a few couple of kilometres away from Delhi, you can't imagine a beauty like this can be so close to Delhi. 20 minutes from Chhatarpur and an hour away from the farthest points of Delhi, Lalit Mangar is set inside the Mangar village of Faridabad.
A sprawling beautiful property with 34 rooms, each with its own balcony with a clear view of the Aravallis, a restaurant and a bar to fulfill all your food and drinks needs, a spa like no other to treat you of your ailments, and a very quiet and peaceful vibe make Lalit Mangar one of the most desirable weekend getaway destinations from Delhi and the neighbouring areas. The road to the hotel is perfect, the drive is so picturesque, and the grandeur of the hotel really sets your expectations high for the rest of your stay. The hotel is built from high to low, so as you keep on walking from the entrance of the hotel towards the end of the property, it's a downhill, right into the valley. Rooms have been built in a straight line from high to low, and in parallel lines one after the other. All the rooms have their balconies on the same side- facing the Aravalli range, so all of them have an amazing view to themselves. And the rooms have been built so strategically that no room's view of the Aravallis is blocked by the room that's in front of it.
Each room has a king-sized bed, a tv, coffee and tea maker, cupboards and a locker, and an attached bathroom. The hotel keeps complimentary things for its guests to consume in its mini bar, and this get replenished everyday. Sparkling water, juices, some nibbles like matthi and the likes, tea and coffee, and a few other things that vary from time to time.
The pillows in the room have tags on them for soft and hard, to ensure you have a comfortable sleep with your choice of pillow. And I'm really not kidding, but the sleep that I had on the bed here and the soft pillow, was the most sound sleep I have ever had in a hotel. Perfect beds! There's something to it that is just exemplary. A deer called Spotty is kept in every room when a guest checks in, and that's meant for people to take back home with them, as a memory of their stay here. Cute like anything!
There are two trays in the washroom- one for men and one for women, and the contents of that tray have been put together keeping in mind the needs a man and a woman has. The trays are differentiated with small male and female puppets kept on them- another personal touch that makes you go 'awwww'! All of this when comes together, makes you feel at home in a hotel like Lalit Mangar. Makes you feel very comfortable, both in the amenities and the little touches. We have the most beautiful part of the room yet to describe- the balcony. Two chairs and a table, a spacious balcony, and a view to kill for!! Enjoyed my morning cold coffee in the balcony, enjoying the chilly Delhi weather and reading the newspaper. An experience that cannnot be described in words. So beautiful in its essence, so relaxing, and the calm of the nature around.
The hotel has a corner where there's a cart serving chai in the evening. A typical village-like experience where you sip on your chai and relish the cookies, matthi, namak paare, and other snacks under the tree. A man playing his flute keeps you as grounded to the feel of a village as possible. Under the stars, with plants around you and a tree to give its shed, it's a very beautiful experience created.
The hotel also has a spa in-house which is run by Dr. Mosaraf Ali. Dr. Ali has treated several bollywood celebrities and also the royal family of UK. A man who is renowned for his healing powers with his spa treatments and no pills or tablets, Dr. Ali was present at the hotel to give us a demo of his services and show us the beautiful spa room that was created. This Time Reversal Spa at the hotel focuses on treating people of their ailments, so it isn't like the spas that we see elsewhere, it's very different from them.
There's a place dedicated at the property for star gazing and enjoying celestial experiences. Everybody saw the moon through that turn by turn and then sat and enjoyed some hot tea thereafter under the open sky, sitting on the comfortable charpoys.
The hotel has an excellent bar where the bartender makes fantastic cocktails! You tell him your favorite ingredients and he'll whip up something for you within minutes. The kaffir lime, cucumber and basil drink he made for me was simply outstanding! So refreshing and so delicious. The restaurant at the hotel did some superb starters to go with the drinks- tandoori prawns, chocolate popcorn, galauti kebab, paneer tikka and a few others. The galauti was the only unimpressive dish- very oily and not as flavourful, but the rest of the appetizers were really good!
Dinner was a buffet spread with salads, soups, main course and dessert, covering cuisines like European, Indian, Italian and Continental. A deconstructed Caesar salad which was served chilled and tasted outstanding! A paneer mix vegetable dish to make you lick your fingers, the legendary Dal Bukhara that needs no introduction, sliced fish to floor you with its soft texture and seasoning, and Mutton Rara with its phenomenal flavours! Excellent comfort food with delicious garlic naan on the side. Dessert saw a soft velvety chocolate mousse which was my favorite out of the lot!
Breakfast at Lalit Mangar saw cereals, juices, milk shakes, eggs on order, dosa and uttapam on order, sausages, hash brown, baked beans, tomatoes, poori bhaaji, stuffed paranthas on order and bakery products like muffins, croissants, danish pastries, etc. I ordered for Eggs Benedict with ham and baon, and the benedicts were such a disaster! A completely dried up yolk, the fundamental mistake of an eggs benedict. The hash brown and sausages were phenomenal, as were the Masala Dosa and Idli with the trio of chutneys. And for the sweet tooth, the Chocolate Croissant completely took the cake away! A very nice breakfast spread I'd say. Had something for everyone.
Mangar village also has a museum that is run by a foreigners. You can shop for various accessories and artefacts here, that have been collected from all across India. A very interesting museum! For those of you who like outdoor activities, the hotel makes provisions for that too. And if you feel like taking a tour of the property all by yourself but don't want to walk, then there are beautiful cycles (pink coloured ones too) you can take a ride on.
Lalit Mangar is an excellent destination for people to go and unwind at. Away from the city life in the pure fresh air of the Aravalli, with a view to die for and luxury and comfort you wouldn't want to leave, there's another weekend getaway spot now on the map, and it's beautiful to say the very least! Go explore for yourself!
Address: Camp Wild RoadNear Mangar Police Chowki,Faridabad-Gurgaon Road,
Faridabad, Haryana – 121001Contact: +911297157777
For reservartions: mangar@theLalit.com
Disclaimer: The review was done on an invitation from the hotel. All views expressed are unbiased in nature but readers are advised to exercise their own discretion.
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