India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [551]
Old Rd., Sheynam, Leh 194 101. 01982/25-0786, -5866, or -5266. Fax 01982/25-5266. www.thegranddragonladakh.com. 53 units. Rs 6,500 deluxe double, Rs 9,000 Royal suite, Rs 10,000 Maharaja suite; Rs 1,000 extra person, Rs 500 child aged 5–10 without extra bed. Rates include breakfast; 10% service charge extra. MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; lounge; airport transfers (Rs 300); room service. In room: TV, central heating, hair dryer.
Hotel Dragon Owned by Ghulam and Mohiuddin Mustafa since 1974, this is Ladakh’s oldest hotel and remains one of the best places to stay in Leh—we definitely prefer it to its enormous new sibling, The Grand Dragon (reviewed above), down the road. This place is just so much cozier, more intimate, and better-managed, even if it’s a lot more basic. Each floor of the squat, Ladakhi-style building has its own terrace, and you can catch fantastic 360-degree views of Leh from the rooftop. Upstairs, room nos. 131 through 133 are more spacious than the other, typically small doubles, and the suites are well worth the extra rupees. At night, when a campfire is lit, the small garden courtyard becomes an ideal spot in which to wind down the day. Good Ladakhi and Tibetan meals are served in the traditionally-styled dining room, decorated with gorgeous paintings by Ghulam Mustafa.
Old Rd., Leh 194 101. 01982/25-2139, -2720, -1227, or -0786. Fax 01982/25-2720. www.travelladakh.com. 30 units. Rs 2,421 standard double, Rs 2,842 suite; add 40% for extra bed. Rates include breakfast; 10% service charge extra. MC, V. Amenities: Dining hall; airport transfers (Rs 150); musical performances on request; limited room service. In room: TV.
The Mogol Hotel In the popular backpacker hangout quarter of Changspa, The Mogol is (like Omasila) a delight to find, offering sweet, neat little rooms with tiled bathrooms and curtained-off showers that ensure the entire bathroom doesn’t get wet when you wash. In your room you’ll find a desk, some decent cane furniture, and narrow beds; the good-value suite has a much smarter look. There’s not much of a garden, but the rooftop sitting area is a decent place to relax. Most importantly, owners Rahul and Karen Kalon are extremely helpful and will help arrange your entire trip—they also own the lovely Silk Route Cottages in the Nubra Valley . One drawback is the constant hum of a nearby generator when the power goes out.
Changspa, Leh 194 101. 99-9009-4107, 94-1965-7333, or 99-9911-9435. www.hotelmogol.com. info@hotelmogol.com or hotelmogol@rediff.com. 18 units, all with shower only. Rs 2,550 standard double, Rs 2,800 deluxe double, Rs 3,900 suite; add 40% for extra bed. Rates include breakfast; 10% service charge extra. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; airport transfers (Rs 150). In room: TV.
Omasila This family run hotel occupies a cluster of pleasant Ladakhi-style buildings that conceal spectacular views that you don’t see when approaching from busy, overbuilt Changspa Lane. In summer the mountains surrounding Leh provide the perfect backdrop for magnificent sweeps of colorful flora perfectly visible from each room in the hotel. Fresh vegetables, apricots, and apples are grown in an adjoining garden (much of this ends up on the table for lunch or dinner), and the stream alongside is a natural aural tonic during laid-back afternoons on cane chairs on the sun-drenched terrace. The extremely good-value suites—including no. 21, where Brad Pitt stayed in 2006—offer the best comfort, with a faintly Tibetan aesthetic; six newer suites have tubs and modern fittings (book 18 or 19 for views). (Omasila, with its gas-regulated heating system, is one of the few