Zostel Mukteshwar

Zostel Mukteshwar is one of the worst places I have stayed at. I can benchmark it with some very low budget and Oyo rooms I have stayed in the past (not counting luxury and BnBs) and say that it beats the worst. I had booked a private room for me and my friend. Even before entering the room, the chairs kept outside looked like 10-15 year old rotten wood furniture. The doorstopper did not work, the walls were damp, 4 out of 6 power sockets were non functional, linen was dirty, the ultra small almirah had bugs and to top it all, there was construction going on in the premise which made a drilling noise all day long. Hosts Chetan and an intern did not solve for it, rather mentioned that this is normal and keeps happening. Most importantly, there was no hot water in 10 degree temperature. The host Chetan seems to believe that he is doing great since the half drunk and not-in-senses hippie Zostel target group hangs out with him like buddies, probably pay heed to the food quality over all the alcohol they have, and not needing hot water since most may not be taking shower at all. However, minimal service doesn't mean that you don't give the basics. He acts all cool by calling everyone 'bro' and not even showing up to provide alternative to hot water supply to someone who has booked the property. The least a host can do when geyser isn't working is to help with hot water from some other room. I and my friend had to skip shower on my birthday, and leave as we didn't want to waste time. Food preparation took at least 40 min for anything as basic as tea or maggi, even higher for regular food items. On the second day when we asked Agoda to refund our remaining 2 day amount so we can book another property, they contacted Zostel to check after we provided proofs for all these issues. Zostel declined, saying they won't refund. All issues still unresolved, obviously because the room is beyond repair in a day. They literally declined that anything was wrong and we checked-out with one day remaining, booked another property. Had to let go the tarrif for one day. Zostel declined ANY refund to Agoda. The property is congested, you have to walk down 3 flights of stairs to even call anyone or have food and it is extremely noisy in the top 2 floors as there is a lot of traffic in daytime. Hosts do not pick up calls, keep hanging out with their regular buddies sitting in the lounge area. I wish the upper management of Zostel realises that their hosts need a degree in hospitality before being allowed to talk to guests, and also that marketing a property as 'backpackers' choice doesn't mean you hire hippies to run the place. Have some class, people do not take shower or live like animals. Bad experience, absolutely terrible hosts and unprofessional service, to say the least. NOT recommended!

Well....positioned as a cheap stay option, it does the needful, however, there are many deceptions when it comes to the setup & food, as against what is described online. First up, forget about any kind of service, as they promote the statement of being a hostel & not hotel. Photos are deceptive, & though the property setup isn't bad particularly, yet, it is not as beautiful also as shown online. Food served via the in house kitchen, is at best below average. The only items you might like a little would be cold coffee & tea. Please don't even think about trying the poha, biryani or sandwich if you care for your taste buds. One amazing thing about the food available here is that even when you would find it useless, still you'll end up paying a fortune for the same, especially considering the setup USP (low budget). Hence, if possible, do try to manage your food from outside. Please be prepared to deal with an extensive house fly issue here (which as per the manager is incurable). Some games (like dart board) are just for show as the required accessories (darts) are not available. Overall maintenance of the property (rooms etc.) also comes across as a bit of a concern area. The list goes on.....hence, if you wish for a cheap stay at Mukteshwar and are ok with quite a few forced compromises, then this is the place for you. Enjoy!