TheFreeBird
Lonavala is my favorite go to place for trekking or just for a peaceful weekend. Being a nature lover I was looking for a Lonavla resort in the middle of nature and with beautiful views. My friend suggested Dukes Retreat Khandala would be perfect for the beautiful sahyadri views it offers. I searched for The Dukes Retreat photos which convinced me to stay here & I am happy I did. This is my Dukes retreat review which might help you plan your Lonavala trip.
My Review for Dukes Retreat
Dukes fascinated me by the hospitality & beautiful views. Here are my reviews
Rooms
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Location
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Amenities
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Food
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Hospitality
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Luxury
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How to reach Dukes Retreat
Dukes lies on old Mumbai-Pune highway at Khandala. ( Dukes Retreat Address ) It takes a taxi about 10 minutes to reach here from Lonavla & 5 minutes from Khandala railway station ( the nearest railway stations ).Nearest Airports are Pune & Mumbai from where plenty of public transport are available to reach Lonavla. If you have personal vehicle there is plenty of parking area at Dukes.
Things to do near by Dukes Retreat
You might ask Niraj what should you do when you stay at Dukes Retreat ? Well I like to stay at luxury hotels only when there some worthwhile things to do around the place. Rajmachi & Kataldhar are the most sought after things to do in Lonavla. Rajmachi Fort trek & Kataldhar waterfall Trek start point lie about 60 min & 30 min form The Dukes Retreat. I would recommend Rajmachi for a short hike & Kataldhar for a tougher & equally beautiful trek. Apart from these there are few more near by spots like Korigad trek , Dukes Nose trek, Bhushi Dam & Tiger Point, KP falls trek. You can plan the stay here for a day with another day reserved for any of these spots.
Dukes Retreat Price ? Tariff is costly ?
The question I get asked most is Niraj whether Dukes Retreat is costly ? The answer for that is simple. Even I used to wonder whether a luxury stay at Rs 5000 is costly ? Over the last decade I have travelled length and breadth of India but always preferred cheap hotels & rich experiences over luxury. But some times in life you also need to pamper yourself. From the time i visited Dukes I have been to half a dozen luxury resorts in Lonavla with prices double , triple & even four times Dukes – but the service, the views I found here were unmatched. Being an older resort the staff is well trained and much more hospitable than the newer resorts. As such I feel this retreat is the most pocket-friendly as compared with the newer resorts and should indeed increase the prices 😁 Make sure to book it earlier to get better discounts.
My stay at The Dukes Retreat Khandala
I wanted to get a Executive room with Valley view however it was already booked and hence had to book the Deluxe room which was only available for a single day. The room was great with all the usual luxury amenities like Tea & Coffee sachets, Toiletries, Blow Dryer etc. The room was spacious with a balcony providing Jungle view . However I prefer the view from Executive rooms.
The room was very comfy and well maintained. Moving around the property the hotel has a beautiful view of the Sahyadri mountains. However that day it was exceptionally cloudy hence chilled around the swimming pool.
Adults would be happy : The swimming pool looked good. Additionally there is play room with carroms, Table – tennis etc. However due to covid restrictions it was closed.
Kids would be happy as well: There is a small park with swings, see-saws & the below baby pool with slides. Few kids who were playing here seemed extremely happy as their parents sat on the sea saw
The Dukes Retreat is a very famous resort and is mostly fully booked. Its better to book it long before your planned date to avoid last minute surprises
From the viewing area one can spot the Mumbai -Pune expressway below and the Rajmachi fort as well lots of mountains. But that day the entire area was covered in clouds.
The viewing area is located with such a breath taking view that i remember seating there for many hours gazing at the sky. Had to leave when the cold air took over.
Khane me kya hai ?
Panorma Cafe – swimming pool cafe is well lit at night and it reflection in swimming pool looks beautiful. By the dinner time the place felt even more pleasant with the aroma of mouth watering delicacies.
Had opted for Buffet as the individual items were pretty costly . Buffet at 800 Rs was a bit pricey but then its ok for a luxury offering. As a non vegetarian I had enough starters to win the buffet. Its my belief that the vegetarian buffet is a money making machine while hotel barely scrapes any profits in non veg area. Veg & non -veg were equally tasty .
Different cakes, ice creams , halvas etc made for a perfect desert. One stomach can only have so much from the long list of lip smacking recipes.
With so much food had to walk in the park area & to the parking area just to check up on my car . The hotel entrance looks cool
One thing I liked the most about Dukes Retreat is the breakfast. From amongst the luxury resorts i have been to this has the best breakfast. In the morning it was raining heavily & the breakfast was arranged in the indoor food court which has a beautiful view & brilliant ambience.
Did I tell you that from amongst the luxury resorts i have been to this was the best breakfast i ever had. I already told you that but yeah the breakfast was really good for its long list of varieties from Live dosas, live egg counters , chicken cutlets, juices, upma, poha , shevaiya, milk, cornflakes, etc .. just lost count. It was a wonderful morning.
Had to vacate the room that day. Tried to book it for another day , but the entire hotel was booked for Sunday. With another day in Lonavla I decided to go for Rajmachi trek
This is one of the most in demand lonavla resorts and prior bookings would prevent last minute surprises
If you plan to stay at The Dukes Retreat make sure to use my affiliate link to book your stay.
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Thats it for review for Dukes Retreat Khandala if you have any doubts add a comment at bottom or just message me on my social handles which you will find at the end of this page.
Bye !
If you are looking for some more resorts near Lonavala , here is another resort called Upper Deck Resort which has tremendous views. You may also like things to do near Lonavala.
