FAQs, T&C, Policies

At the heart of a homestay is the idea of opening one’s home to welcome guests from all over the world. Our homestay is no exception; it’s a family home where we enjoy hosting travellers who are seeking a comfortable and authentic experience. While some of our family members have relocated to a larger city for educational and health purposes, we’ve chosen to open our doors to select guests.

Here, you’ll find the perfect balance between the comfort of a home, luxury of an exclusive property, and the charm of a memorable stay. Our aim is to make you feel at ease, providing a cosy atmosphere and personal touches that will make your visit truly special.

Do check this out – 10 Benefits of Staying in a Homestay

No, when you book one room in our cottage, the other rooms remain unoccupied and are not given to other guests. We prioritize privacy and comfort for our guests, ensuring that only one family, couple, or group stays at a time, allowing you to enjoy a peaceful and exclusive stay. Rest assured, your privacy is of utmost importance to us, and we strive to create a serene environment where you can relax and feel at home.

Our homestay offers a personalized and intimate experience. We don’t have a traditional check-in desk or front-desk staff, which means we put great care into planning every detail of your stay, from preparing the rooms to ensuring we have the necessary kitchen supplies. This process takes time and attention. As a result, we kindly ask that all guests make prior reservations. To plan your stay with us, please reach out in advance.

Our homestay is perfect for families and small groups of friends seeking a peaceful retreat in nature. However, due to the hilly terrain and uneven steps, it may not be ideal for very elderly guests or those with mobility challenges. This is an ideal getaway for those looking to unwind amidst nature, away from crowds, savor delicious food, and explore everything from famous temples to hidden, off-the-beaten-path gems. 

We don’t serve food inside the cottages. The outdoor dining experience adds a special touch to your stay, allowing you to savour delicious meals surrounded by nature’s beauty. The garden ambience enhances the sense of tranquillity and provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with your group members and our family.

Rest assured, we prioritize cleanliness and comfort. Our dedicated staff takes great care in ensuring that the rooms are meticulously cleaned, and the beds are made to our guests’ preferences. We understand the importance of a restful environment, and our team goes the extra mile to create a welcoming space for you to relax and unwind.

No, we do not provide TV, PlayStation, or Xbox in our homestay. However, we offer something even more valuable – a cozy and inviting environment that encourages quality time spent with your family and friends.

At our place, we believe in fostering meaningful connections and creating cherished memories. Our homestay provides the perfect setting for spending a peaceful evening, sharing stories, laughter, and heartfelt moments with your loved ones.

We do provide free internet over Wi-Fi but we also recommend keeping your electronic device usage to the minimum. The Internet is fast enough to have online meetings and for general use. Streaming video works fine but apart from urgent and important work, we recommend keeping away from the internet and enjoying the place. Detox digitally also! 

Most of the mobile networks are available seamlessly, though the internet speed suffers at times.

For power supply, we generate our own power from the sun. We also have a battery backup to supplement the power supply. Also see – Environment, & Social Work

Yes, this is our home, and we love sharing it with our guests! While we spend time at another nearby place as well, at least one (or more) member of our family is usually around to ensure you have everything you need. At the same time, we truly respect your privacy and personal space, so you can relax and enjoy your stay just the way you like.

All our linen is carefully cleaned and washed at home, providing the same cleanliness and hygiene one would expect at home.

At present, however, there is no laundry / dry-cleaning service available for guests.

Use common sense and abide by the rules. This is the most important thing.

We have just a few simple requests to help keep things peaceful and respectful for everyone. Smoking isn’t allowed inside the house, and we also ask guests to avoid smoking outside if there are children nearby. We value quiet evenings, so we kindly ask that you keep noise and music low at night. Most importantly, we ask everyone to be mindful of the local culture—anything that could hurt the sentiments of the local community isn’t okay here. Just treat the space the way you’d treat your own home, with warmth, care, and respect for those around you.

Thank you for helping us create a welcoming and harmonious stay for all.

The check-in and check-out time is 12 PM (noon). We allow early check-in and late check-out depending on the status of other bookings.

As per the government rules, each guest has to provide a photocopy of his/her ID card which has a photograph. Guests are requested to either carry the photocopy or email them to us (contact@cottages.live) well in advance. Only registered guests are allowed inside the cottage.

Timings for kitchen service are as follows –

• Breakfast: 9 AM to 11 AM
• Lunch: 1 PM to 3 PM
• Cocktail Snacks/Evening Snacks: 4 PM to 7 PM
• Dinner/Supper: 7:30 PM to 10 PM

We request you to stick to these times, especially for dinner/supper. Some of our kitchen workers come walking from their homes, next to the forest area, and returning back to their home at late hours is not very safe.

The kitchen that serves the food is our home kitchen, and not a commercial setup. We will get in touch with you regarding your food requirements before your arrival. Since we procure ingredients locally and food is prepared fresh in our kitchen, everything may not be available all the time. Preparation time is also long.

If you provide your own ingredients for cooking, we will be happy to use them. You can cook your own meals too, with the help of our kitchen team. Using your own stove/grill is strictly prohibited.

Meals from the kitchen are served in the designated outdoor dining area. They are not served inside the cottages.

We provide freshly prepared food with a touch of Kumaon. Unlike the popular trend in restaurants, we don’t keep things half-prepared. Our menu is prepared many days in advance.

The meals are not charged. We provide them free for our guests. In case, you skip any of the meals with us, we will not be able to provide you a refund or pay for your meal at any other place.

Our dedicated team, consisting of a skilled chef, prepare each dish with love and care. At our homestay, we deviate from the traditional hotel approach by not having ready to serve food items. Instead, we curate the choice of meals depending on the guests. Understanding that every individual has distinct tastes and dietary requirements, we take the time to personally engage with our guests. Through open discussions, we gather valuable insights into their likes and dislikes, enabling us to customize our meals to their liking.

Furthermore, we are delighted to inform you that our food is offered complimentary to our guests. We view our guests as an extension of our family, and it brings us great joy to share our homemade delicacies without any additional charges.

Smoking is strictly prohibited inside the cottage and on the Mini-Golf course (this includes electronic cigarettes, vaping and other smokeless cigarettes as well). The smell from smoke tends to linger on and gets absorbed in curtains and carpets, so we do not permit smoking inside the cottages.

The open sitting area can be used as a smoking area but not when there are other non-smokers or children in the vicinity. Passive smoking is bad for their health. Due to high wind speeds and dry leaves all around, burning matches and cigarette butts can be a potential cause for a fire. Don’t discard them around. Ask for an ash-tray!

Pets are not allowed inside the cottages. We try to maintain an allergy-free environment. Pet hairs are common allergens and so pets are not allowed.

As a part of our rewilding efforts, various local animals like hares, martens, cats, squirrels, foxes, jackals, etc. roam around in parts of our garden. Leaving pets outside the cottages is also not an option.

We don’t have any extra space on the property for house-helps/drivers/employees to stay. If you’re travelling with a separate driver, please let us know in advance. We’ll try to arrange a stay for them in a nearby home. Charges for the driver’s stay will apply, payable directly to the homeowner.

Outdoor bonfire can be arranged from late autumn to early spring months. However, due to its environmental impact, we discourage bonfires during summers, It’s also not feasible to light up an outdoor bonfire during spells of rain or snow.

Indoor fireplace is lit only during extreme winters. It is a specialized fireplace and so only some specific types of dry wood can be used. Please don’t burn anything else in it. It also requires priming before a fire can be lit. Without such preparations, lighting a fire in the fireplace can fill the cottage with smoke.

Indoor Fireplace is lit only during winters.

Warm quilts are provided. If you feel cold, ask us for extra quilts and hot water bags. Layers of clothing or quilts work better in cold weather than single layers.

The cottages can get cold in winters but to reduce the carbon footprint, we do not recommend electric heaters though we do provide them. It’s better to dress up warmly. We also request you to switch off the heaters (if you had used them in the daytime) before going to sleep for your own health and for safety concerns.

We also recommend wearing warm clothes including thermal innerwear, as a sustainable option instead of relying solely on heating, which helps us keep our carbon footprint to a minimum. We do not light up bonfire / fireplace during summers.

As a part of our green initiative, we are majorly dependent on the sun for the power supply. It is recommended to keep your electrical power consumption to the minimum after the sun sets.

Switch off all lamps and electrical equipment when you leave the cottage. Please don’t let the geysers, bathroom exhausts, kitchenette chimney, etc. running all the time.

Electricity supplied is 220 Volts at 50Hz, the usual standard in India. Sockets are meant to use the standard 3-pin/2-pin Indian plug.

Water pressure is low in most of our washrooms. This helps in conserving water.

Here are four simple initiatives that you can undertake towards this cause –

• Reuse your towels and bed linen.
• Close the taps when not in use.
• Take a bucket bath instead of a shower.
• Let us know if you notice any leakages.

All our water supply is from a natural spring. We also use ground-water sources during periods when it is hard to pipe water from the natural spring. The water we use is clean and potable. For your convenience water filters are provided in the cottage itself. Though we discourage it, bottled drinking water can be provided.

Hot water is available round the clock. We still recommend conserving water for the good of the earth. Take bath using a bucket instead of a shower if you can. The best time to take a refreshing bath is late morning or early afternoon time in the hills. That’s what we hill-folks do to endure the cold.

Due to our commitment to water conservation, the water pressure in most of the taps and showers may be low. We encourage our guests to opt for a bucket bath and conserve water and energy.

As a part of our green initiative, no plastic or polythene bags are allowed within the premises. Almost all of the organic waste generated is used for composting.

When you go for a trek or a walk and indulge in snacking (pre-packaged chips, chocolates etc.), please carry back the wrappers to the cottage with you. We will discard them in a responsible way.

We do not promote the use of bottled water, though we do provide it if you want. We do have soda water bottles and packaged drinking water bottles available with us.

No bottled soft-drinks are available. Please bring your own bottles if you want to consume them and take the empty bottles away with you.

Advance payment (full amount) is required to confirm all bookings. However, we are happy to reserve the rooms for up to 48 hours on receipt of a 20% non-refundable advance. The remaining balance is to be paid within this period to confirm the booking. In case the full payment is not received within 48 hours, the tentative reservation may be released and the advance amount forfeited. If we do not hear back from the guest within this period, it will be treated as a cancellation of the booking request.

For bookings made through Booking.com, the full payment is requested within 24 hours of making the reservation. In case the payment is not received within this period, the tentative booking may be released automatically and the rooms may be made available for other guests.

In case of any cancellations, we use the following table to calculate the refund –

Check-In and Check-Out time is 12:00 noon.

The day of intimation of cancellation is based on the actual calendar date of check-in (calendar date starting from midnight)

In case of a change in the number of guests, we will try to help out as much as possible. The new tariff will be calculated according to our existing tariff plan at the time of the intimation of change.

In case of last-minute cancellations or shortening of the stay, it is a direct revenue loss for us and so we don’t refund.

If you have booked your stay using the services of any of our online booking partners (Airbnb, booking.com, Agoda, etc.), their terms and conditions will apply for cancellations and refunds.

We don’t refund any amount for meals that are not had with us.

Our homestay offers a truly unique and personalized experience, ensuring that every guest enjoys a private and peaceful retreat with no other visitors on the property. The tariff reflects the exceptional value we provide—healthy and delicious farm-to-plate meals crafted with fresh, homegrown ingredients, a spacious and comfortable stay designed for relaxation, and exclusive access to enriching activities. Guests can enjoy mini-golf, engage in interactive farming sessions, and learn sustainable methods firsthand. With ample space to unwind and a focus on quality, comfort, and authenticity, our pricing matches an unforgettable and immersive holiday experience.

We maintain a consistent pricing policy and do not increase our rates during high-demand seasons, ensuring transparency and affordability for all our guests.

We also have a fair pricing without inflating rates just to offer discounts, so we kindly request that guests refrain from bargaining.

This page has our tariff chart – Reservations

First-Aid Box is provided in each cottage, which you can use at your own risk. The kit contains basic dressing material and medicines useful in first-aid, and some OTC medicines. By using the content/contents of this box, you are hereby agreeing to the following terms and conditions:

• Using any item from this kit implies that you are well aware of the item being used, its mode of action, complications, drug-reactions, and chances of further deterioration in condition.
• They are being used by you on your own free will and not under pressure or prescription from anyone else.
• That you will not hold responsible Maini’s Hill Cottages, its owners, its workers and any of their relatives, for any complication or adverse effect arising out of the use of any item from the kit.
• That you completely and fully understand the use and outcomes of the use of the contents and take full responsibility of the act.
• That if you are using the kit for the use of any minors, you and you only are fully responsible for your action.
• That you have checked the expiry date, condition and overall quality of the item before using and are satisfied that everything is fine.
• By using the kit on your own, you have provided implied consent to the use of the items in the kit and that you abide by this document.
• The trade-names may differ from what you are used to knowing. By using the items from the kit, you imply that you have read the fine prints and know what the actual product is apart from just the trade-name.

It is always advisable to consult a doctor before taking any medications.

Please inform us if you need a doctor. The nearby hospitals with tertiary care are located in Almora and Haldwani. Ambulance can be arranged by calling 108.

If anyone in your group develops symptoms suggestive of any disease that requires notifying the authorities, we will be informing the relevant authorities, to enable monitoring and early outbreak warning, and for prompt and proper care.

The treatment cost will not be borne by Maini’s Hill Cottages and anyone associated with the property.

If quarantine is recommended at the cottages itself, the extended stay will have to be paid for by the occupants.

Any damage done to the property, knowingly or unknowingly, will have to be paid for by the occupants. The charges will be based on the rough estimate or the assessed cost of the damage.

An excessive or unexpected level of mess in the cottage will incur an additional cleaning charge (including for staining of white linen). The amount will be determined based on a reasonable estimate of the extra cleaning required. Activities such as playing with body colours, celebrating Holi, doing body art, using foam sprays, or similar actions are strictly not permitted.

Indemnity Clause – Your stay in the property implies that you agree to all the terms and conditions listed in this document and also in other places in the cottages. It also implies that you have understood them well. By staying at Maini’s Hill Cottages, you also agree to indemnify, the owners of the property and the team members working here, against any kind of claims or actions. Anything you do or any harm that you come across here will not be attributed to the property, the owners of the property or the people working here.

Abide by law – We feel that the guests who arrive at our place are responsible and law-abiding people. Still, to complete the document, this part is being included. The Guests are required to use the property and equipment belonging to Maini’s Hill Cottages with care, to abide and comply with these policies, fire safety regulations, sanitary standards, law and order of the country and the state. In case of breach of fire safety regulations, sanitary standards and rules, the guest under whose name reservation has been made, shall bear the responsibility or as stipulated by the law. Guests are also expected to maintain decorum and not hurt the religious or sentimental feelings of the local people while they visit the various places in the region.

Permission to stay – Permission to stay in the cottages is provided by the owners of the cottage. Persons under severe influence of alcohol, drugs or other substance abuse are not allowed, even if the reservation is confirmed. Persons without proper ID cards are also not allowed to stay.