We stayed at Golden Oak by the Lake Hill Hotel in Khurpatal for 3 days, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best parts of our trip.
Khurpatal is around 10 km from Nainital, and if you are coming from the Delhi/Moradabad side, it actually comes before Nainital. On the highway towards Nainital, there is a left-side turn for Khurpatal. I would genuinely recommend staying in Khurpatal instead of Nainital if you are looking for peace and a more relaxed experience.
Nainital can get very crowded, noisy, and busy, especially during peak season. Khurpatal is completely different. It is a quiet, peaceful village surrounded by nature. You get to see and interact with local village people, which gives the stay a very different and authentic feel. We really enjoyed this aspect of the place. My daughter even went on a little village tour and made some friends there, which became one of the sweetest memories of our trip.
There are no boating options in Khurpatal, so if boating is a priority, you will have to go to Nainital. But honestly, we didn't feel that we were missing much because the lake view from the hotel is beautiful. Sitting on the balcony and watching the lake, hills, clouds and changing weather was incredibly relaxing. Sometimes there would be sunshine, sometimes clouds would roll in, and at times the clouds would pass so close that it almost felt like they were coming right through the balcony. The views were simply mesmerizing.
Coming to the hotel itself, the property is really beautiful and well maintained. The staff were very polite, helpful, and welcoming. We had booked two non-AC rooms, but they upgraded us to AC rooms with balconies and lake views without charging anything extra. That was a really nice gesture.
The rooms were spacious, but one of the upgraded rooms was HUGE! Seriously, there was so much space that the kids could probably play cricket inside the room 😂. The washroom was also surprisingly large and clean, and all the necessary amenities were provided.
The food was another highlight of our stay. Breakfast had plenty of options, including poha, aloo puri, parathas, pasta, vermicelli, eggs, etc. Everything we tried was tasty. For dinner, we had dal makhani and paneer butter masala, and both were really good. We also had ginger tea in the evening, which was excellent. Sitting with a cup of hot ginger tea while enjoying the lake and mountain views was one of those simple moments that you remember after coming back home.
Parking was also not an issue for us. I would say around 8–10 cars can comfortably be parked at the property, and I believe they have arrangements to accommodate more vehicles as well.
Overall, we had a wonderful experience at Golden Oak by the Lake Hill Hotel. The combination of a beautiful property, peaceful village surroundings, excellent views, spacious rooms, good food, and genuinely helpful staff made our stay very memorable.
If you are planning a Nainital trip but don't want to stay right in the middle of all the traffic, crowds, and noise, I would definitely suggest considering Khurpatal. You can always visit Nainital for the sightseeing and boating, and then come back to Khurpatal for a peaceful evening.
For us, staying in Khurpatal instead of Nainital was definitely the right decision. We would happily stay here again. Highly recommended!