Review: Chandralok Villas in Lonavala

I moved to Pune in 2013 and later also lived for a few years in Mumbai, yet somehow I missed out on visiting the place arguably most loved by both Punekars and Mumbaikars - Lonavala. Located between the two big cities, Lonavala has been the beloved weekend getaway for residents of Pune and Mumbai for decades. So when the folks from Chandralok Villas invited me recently to come and experience their property in Lonavala, I immediately said yes and also invited my friends Amit and Poonam to join in - vacations are always fun with friends. We spent three days during the week there, and despite the constant rains, loved every bit of it.

Lonavala, hotel, Chandralok villa, review, hotel review, Siddhartha Joshi
Me working in my room at the Chandralok Villas

Lonavala, hotel, Chandralok villa, review, hotel review
Our villa from the pool side

Located right Lonavala itself, the location is perfect whether you want to explore Lonavala on foot or in your car. The property has four beautifully designed villas with attached bathrooms, and each villa can host 8-10 guests. Our villa had a comfortable living room which immediately became our work-from-villa room, and four large and uniquely different bedrooms. I took the room on the ground floor overlooking the swimming pool (yes, there’s a pool too) while Amit and Poonam took the huge bedroom on the first floor. 

Each villa has a private pool behind the villa though unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to use it. If it isn't raining, you can do a barbecue party next to the pool or just dip your feet into the water and enjoy some good time with friends. Oh wait, you can take some nice pictures there as well :)

The property is pet friendly so if you have a dog at home, this is a great place to take your entire family together. The property has a kitchen as well and you can order your meals there. 

Design of Chandralok Villas

What really stood out to me at the villa was the love and care taken to design each part of it. The interiors are absolutely gorgeous and give the feel of a bygone era in a very modern and comfortable setting. Kudos to Heta, the owner of the property, for creating such a beautiful space which is perfect both for vacations as well as working away from home. Beautiful spaces always inspire me to work better and also create better.

Lonavala, hotel, Chandralok villa, review, hotel review
The gorgeous master bedroom on the first floor

Lonavala, hotel, Chandralok villa, review, hotel review
Exquisite staircases 

Lonavala, hotel, Chandralok villa, review, hotel review, Siddhartha Joshi
I made this into my second bedroom :)

Lonavala, hotel, Chandralok villa, review, hotel review
That's Amit taking his work calls from the living room!

Food during your stay

As I mentioned, there's a kitchen at the villa and we ate our lunches cooked there. Just make sure you let them know a little advance as the food is prepared based on your order right when you order. I would also suggest that you explore the cafes and restaurants in Lonavala town as well. We went to a cafe called Anglo-Indian Cafe & Bistro. It has excellent ambience and decent food, but don’t yet serve alcohol. There are some good places to eat South Indian food too, and if you love thalis you must visit the place with the best thalis in town - Hotel Chandralok. 

Like me, if old houses fascinate you, do reach out to the property and they'll be able to organise a short drive to show you around some of the lovely heritage homes of Lonavala and Khandala. If you have time, you can also do it yourself on foot. Just be mindful if you take pictures of the house and make sure you don't invade anyone's privacy.

Lonavala, hotel, Chandralok villa, review, hotel review, Siddhartha Joshi
Yes, I did work quite a bit there :)

Lonavala, hotel, Chandralok villa, review, hotel review, Poonam Kulkarni
Poonam by the pool when the rains stopped for a while...

Lonavala, hotel, Chandralok villa, review, hotel review, Siddhartha Joshi
That's happy me in my room :)

Booking your stay

To book your stay, the best way will be to reach out to them on Instagram and send your enquiry. The prices for the villa vary between weekday and weekends. I would also recommend this place to work away from home, so it makes a lot of sense to come here on the weekdays and just make it your base. Weekdays are also great because the town is much less crowded and you’ll have the place pretty much to yourself.

To reach the property, follow this map below.

 

Disclaimer: I was invited to Chandralok Villas for the purpose of this review. Needless to mention, all views expressed are my own.

Comments

  1. Really good post! it's a very informative article Keep sharing more useful and informative articles. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice review of the property. I am a Mumbaikar, and would love to stay at a place like that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Amazing post! Thank you so much for publishing this kind of article.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really liked your blog. It was very informative and interesting to read.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment