New Buckingham Palace

My friend and I got the chance to stay at this gorgeous piece of colonial history out of sheer luck. When I landed in Srinagar in the early weeks of July 2024, I had no idea the weather would be boiling at 35 degrees! The hostel accommodation I had booked didn't have air conditioning and after 4 days of suffering, I reached out to a friend who recommended Captain Hamid's New Buckingham Palace Houseboat. When I called the Captain, I was immediately met with a warm welcome and amazingly accommodating attitude. To my delight, he even offered to send his own car to pick up from our hostel for absolutely no extra cost. When we arrived at the Houseboat, we were welcomed by the *** himself, who served us Kahwa and snacks and regaled us with the story of how houseboats came into existence in colonial era Kashmir. All rooms were spacious, clean, air-conditioned and grand examples of Kashmir's heritage craftsmanship. The intricate woodwork, antique centrepieces and traditionally embroidered carpeting were so breathtaking that they rivalled for attention with the captivating beauty of the Nigeen lake. We stayed in the largest suite with it's own personal balcony, which was simply gorgeous. The live-in host, cook and caretaker, Mumtaz, is a true blue *** Friday, always on his best behaviour and at your service whenever you need him, knowing exactly when to make himself scarce. The Captain kindly arranged boat rides to Dal Lake and gave us a lot of great tips to explore lesser known gems of Srinagar. He even send us lunch from his family function one day, treating us as his own, which greatly moved my friend and me. Rest assured, we will be visiting again.

Hameed and his family are incredible, I would highly recommend coming and staying with them. Really feels like the royal treatment. I will definitely come back and stay here next time I’m in Srinagar! They looked after us so we’ll, the food was delicious the rooms are beautiful.

Just returned from an awesome 4 nights stay at the houseboat. No words can aptly explain my gratitude , admiration and warmth of the host Capt Hameed and his nephew Khalid. Right from pickup from airport, excursion tours of Pahalgam and Gulmarg and local sightseeing in Srinagar till dropping us at the airport … everything was taken care by the hosts with perfection. Planning to visit again in winters and stay for a longer period with Capt Khalid. Positives: 1) location : located in peaceful Nigeen lake away from the crowd and noise. Easily accessed by car and no need to take shikara to move to and fro. 2) The food served was home cooked , sumptuous, delicious and as per our requests. Next days menu was decided a day earlier. Being doctors we very well appreciate the hygiene and the bottled water we were served throughout 3) The excursions were immaculately planned and so was the shopping which they ensured we got the best prices. 4) hospitality was first class and can beat any star hotel.Even after staying for 4 days they did not ask for any payments, infact I had to call the hosts to settle the accounts a few hours before our departure. Such warmth and attitude is seldom seen nowadays. Negatives: Only thing I felt wrong was the mild odour that comes from some rooms which remain sealed from outside. Brought it to notice of the hosts which they promised to get corrected. All in all … I strongly recommend the New Buckingham Palace houseboat if one wishes to have a Home away from home 👍👍 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Highly recommend staying in New Buckingham Palace Houseboat if you are planning a trip to Kashmir. The property has excellent interiors, great lake view from each bedroom and is one of the very few boats located at Nigen Lake with access by road (you don’t need a Shikara for transit). But the main feature here is the great hospitality of the host, Captain Hameed and the enthusiasm and local knowledge/network of Khalid who took us to Pahalgam and Gulmarg and helped us navigate through the crowds and the traffic with ease. If you are a vegetarian or have small children and are apprehensive of staying in a houseboat, I will suggest to go ahead and book with Captain Hameed. They served the local delicacies and changed the menu almost every day as per our preferences on the day. Usually I do not include food while booking my stays, but this is a rare exception where the food is both tasty and convenient, especially for late dinners. Lastly, this is not a hotel and I suggest to make the most of it by requesting Captain Hameed and Khalid for whatever you need. Their hospitality and resourcefulness will surprise you.

I was refused room on arrival at hotel saying they didn’t received booking from Yatra.com and owner was very rude asked me to wait for uncertain time saying room is allocated to guest who wish to check out late and they can’t ask any guest to leave. On expressing my discontent he asked me to go and complain to anyone we want and he doesn’t care.

Our family had a lovely stay with Hameed and staff at the New Buckingham Palace houseboat on Nigeen Lake. Food and refreshments were plentiful and good quality. We were comfortable in high Summer with fans and air conditioning. We are considering returning in the Winter as each room has gas heating. Internet service was fast and reliable. The location is good, with the parks, markets and restaurants of Hazaratbal close by. Hameed was able to advise us on trips and attractions in and around Srinigar.