🐾
Pets Welcome
Dogs allowed in rooms
💰
₹500
Per pet, per stay
⭐
4.6 / 5
567 Google reviews
Perched right beside the quiet waters of Bhimtal Lake in Uttarakhand, Echor Malusara Lakeview Retreat is one of the very few lakeview properties in the Kumaon hills that explicitly welcomes dogs - inside the room, not just on the lawn. With nine elegantly appointed rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, a rooftop café, and open-air dining by the lake, this is the kind of pet friendly stay in Bhimtal that works equally well for a long weekend with your dog as it does for a proper Uttarakhand mountain escape.
✓ Verified by the Pet Friendly Places team
The team confirmed directly with the property that dogs are allowed inside guest rooms. A pet charge of ₹500 per pet applies. All breeds are welcome, though the property notes that aggressive breeds are not permitted. Pets must be kept on a leash in common areas. No additional breed-specific documentation was mentioned during verification.
The Setting - Bhimtal Lake, Right Outside Your Window
Bhimtal is often overshadowed by the more popular Nainital, which is exactly what makes it worth visiting with a dog. The lake is calmer, the roads are less chaotic, and the surrounding forest gives the whole area a quieter, more unhurried character. Echor Malusara sits at Tallital on Thandi Sadak Mandir Marg - the cooler, shaded stretch of the lake road - which means mornings here genuinely feel like a hill retreat rather than a tourist hub.
The retreat has nine rooms divided into categories - Deluxe (forest view), Superior Deluxe, Luxury, and the Deluxe Family Room, all of which offer lake views. The Family Room accommodates four guests, making it a practical choice if you're travelling with a larger dog and need floor space. Rooms come with private balconies, blackout curtains, electric kettles, complimentary toiletries, and premium bedding - the kind of detail that matters when you're also managing a wet dog post-walk. Free Wi-Fi is available in all rooms. All rooms are non-smoking.
Guest reviews on TripAdvisor rate rooms a near-perfect 5.0, with sleep quality at 4.9 - which tells you something real about the insulation from noise and the quality of beds. Reviewers consistently mention waking up to lake views from the balcony as a standout moment of the stay.
Facilities That Actually Matter When You're Travelling With a Dog
The outdoor swimming pool is a welcome addition for guests after a day of trekking or exploring the lake island - though whether pets are permitted in the pool is not confirmed, so don't assume. The garden area and rooftop café offer outdoor spaces where leashed dogs can accompany you without the constraints of a formal dining room. The in-house restaurant serves meals, with open-air dining available by the lake - one of the more appealing evening setups in this part of Kumaon.
Free parking is available on-site, which is directly relevant if you're driving up from Delhi, Dehradun, or any other city with your dog in tow. Bhimtal is roughly 300 km from Delhi via the NH9 and NH109, making it a solid overnight drive or a comfortable two-day road trip. The 24-hour front desk means you're not locked into rigid check-in windows - useful if you've hit traffic or made an unplanned detour. Check-in is at 1:00 PM and check-out at 11:00 AM.
The property also lists a concierge service, daily housekeeping, food delivery to rooms, luggage storage, and a local artifact souvenir shop on-site - the latter a small but genuinely local touch that reflects the Malusara brand's stated aim of offering guests a native experience of the place.
Pet Policy in Full - What to Expect
Dogs are allowed inside guest rooms, which is the most important detail for pet parents choosing where to stay. The pet charge is ₹500 per pet - a flat fee, not a nightly charge, though we recommend confirming this at booking. All breeds are welcome; the only restriction is on dogs that the property deems aggressive. In common areas - the lobby, restaurant, garden, pool deck - your dog must be on a leash. This is standard for most pet friendly hotels in Uttarakhand and is easy to manage with a short lead.
The property is confirmed pet friendly by the Echor team itself. The brand, which operates under the Summit umbrella, focuses on providing a native experience at each location - Echor Malusara Bhimtal is their flagship property under the Malusara brand. Given that focus on slow, immersive stays, the tone here is more boutique retreat than high-turnover hotel, which generally translates to more relaxed staff interactions for pet parents.
What We Haven't Confirmed Yet
A few details worth clarifying directly with the property before you book: whether the ₹500 pet fee is per stay or per night; whether pets are permitted on the pool deck or in the pool itself; and whether there is a weight or size limit beyond the breed restriction. The property's email is info@echor.in and they can be reached at +91 95013 31119.
Address: Thandi Sadak Mandir Marg, Tallital, Bhimtal, Uttarakhand 263136 | Phone: +91 95013 31119 | Email: info@echor.in
