A fantastic hotel right on the banks of the Ganges. The rooms are large with great views, good supply of complimentary refreshments, powerful showers and comfortable beds. All spotlessly clean. The hotel is really peaceful, with plenty of outside sitting areas, to relax and take in the view. The staff are all very helpful and friendly and we received a lovely welcome into the hotel. We were able to check in very early and keep our room until 1pm on day of departure.

Unfortunately the Ganges was flooded so we couldn't arrive by boat, but the hotel porters came to meet us and guide us through the lanes. The hotel is relatively expensive compared to other similar ones across India that we stayed in, but that is Varanasi, everything costs a bit more.

Arriving to Guleria Kothi by their own boats was a magical experience to start with! As you leave the boat you are greeted with the sight of this beautiful heritage hotel next to one of the ghats with a fantastic waterside view. On arrival at the reception we were given beautiful silk scarves as a welcome gift. Our room had a view of the river and the quay side. Breakfast was on the rooftop with views of the ghat besides us, to the spired roofscape and the river below with boats going up and down the river. In front of the hotel was the cafe where we drank chai and watched the world going by.

Nothing

This was really one of the highlights of our trip to India. First a really special start of our stay, as you arrive by boat on a holy river to the hotel. The reception is exceptional and extremely welcoming, attending to all our requests from start till finish. The whole hotel is beautifully restored with a courtyard in the middle, with a temple for some spiritual time, to benches and books for a peaceful reading break. On top floor is a restaurant with exceptionally good food. The hotel overlooks the river banks and that means you are gifted with amazing throughout the day, with morning and evening being exceptional. Really extraordinary. We got so many amenities in our room, the room stuff was also above and beyond. They offer the visit of the evening prayer where all of the boats gather on the Ganges to meet. Overall an extraordinary experience

The location is a gift and course and the same time :) The hotel is located along the river Ganges on one of the Ghats, which makes it incredible. But it is at the same time really inconvenient to go for a walk to the city or to go for dinner as everything is located further from the hotel. But to be fair, nothing the hotel can do about it, just important to know.

Breakfast was excellent, lot of variety and people in breakfast area/restaurant were very nice and cooperative. One day we were late and got there for 10.30am when breakfast was over however the manager in there attended to us gladly and was very pleasant. He got us made fresh breakfast that we requested and served us. he was very kind and pleasant. next morning he called into both rooms and requested us to come for breakfast. We thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast and staff service.

The location of the hotel was inconvenient for us as we were family of four and had 8 bags luggage. It was not clear from website when i was booking the hotel that we need a boat to get to and from the hotel. The car does not go up to the hotel and so it was very tedious and expensive. we had to coordinate and call hotel 30minutes before the time we need the boat and the car can only come to a certain point at the Ganges. From that point to the boat it is atleast 12-14 minutes walk and that was hard in the heat. Boat ride took also 15 minutes to get to hotel. Each ride we had to pay!!!! this was not included in the hotel booking price. This was very expensive & inconvenient and had i known this fact, i would have chosen a hotel near Ganges that was straight away accessible by car.

Wow! This 18th century renovated riverside mansion is amazing!! Our room was amazing with views over the Ganges. The staff all went out of their way to help and were very friendly. It was very handy to have access to the hotel boat which made it much easier to get to the sunset aarti show rather than walking through the alleyways. The boat men were so lovely. Communication before arrival was excellent.

If you have trouble with stairs or a lot of luggage then this probably isn't a good option. Also getting to and from the property daily through the tiny maze of alleyways is a challenge (we loved it but some probably wouldn't). The cost of they property is quite high.

The location was breath taking. The staff was very efficient and couterous. The food was good. The only catch is the stairs. They are a killer. Anybody with knee issues should avoid. A suggestion to the hotel,get some scooties for pickup frpm the road entrance. The final set of stairs is unavoidable.

If a solution to the stairs can be found,it would make commute easier.

Overall worth it but little overpriced

Staff Babita at the breakfast has the most unpleasant facial expression and didn’t give us privacy to enjoy our breakfast . She kept hovering over us for the whole time we had breakfast.

Fantastic location right on the bank of river Ganga, easy to reach Vishwanath temple and experience the ghats. The hotel itself deserves refurbishment, but it has kind of mysterious atmosphere of old palace and together with the location it is one of the best hotels to experience holy atmosphere of Varanasi.

AC would deserve cleaning/disinfection.

Great location on the Ganges Authentic western food in the afternoon snacks Excellent service by everyone connected to the Hotel

When you are in Varanasi, and you choose to stay close to the river, you have no choice but to walk the stairs. That's a pain. Hotel arranges a boat whenever one needs, but one will miss walking in the city if one is not ready to climb stairs.

The hotel's location is absolutely spot on. The staff is helpful, kind, and always on the ball. Food at the Terrace restaurant was some of the best we had in all of India.

The bathroom could have better lighting. Apart from that, we absolutely loved everything about the hotel!