It’s been ages since I wrote a dedicated travel post! The last time I travelled in 2020, was to Rajasthan to celebrate my father’s 60th birthday, and though I’d planned to write posts about my trip, the pandemic took over our lives and I never got around to it. Hence, I jumped at the chance for a quick weekend staycation at Westin Sohna Resort in December 2020, when we got some great packages full of fun activities. It was exactly what we needed to end the long and arduous year.
We’ve visited the Westin Resort & Spa in Sohna on many occasions, because of its close proximity to New Delhi, the lovely green space it offers, as well as the family-friendly nature of the resort. In particular, my family appreciates being able to book the villas which are ideal for everyone to stay together and spend quality time.
The occasion for this trip was a belated celebration of my husband’s 40th birthday as well as the winter vacations my son had from school. With the Covid pandemic still at large, we felt Westin Sohna Resort was our safest bet for a quick staycation. For a family of 4 adults and a child below the age of 5, we booked the Luxury Villa consisting of 1 king bedroom with a double bed, 1 queen bedroom with twin queen beds, 2 bathrooms, a sitting area, a veranda and a gorgeous garden view.
You can watch my staycation vlog to see the amenities for yourself, or read on to know all the information you may need. If you would like to skip straight to the review portion of this post, you can stroll down to the end:
THE WESTIN RESORT & SPA, SOHNA:
The Westin Sohna is conveniently located close to Gurgaon and New Delhi, in the lap of the Sohna hills. The lush greenery it offers along with its elegant and state-of-the-art design, makes the hotel a perfect weekend getaway for couples, families and large groups. The numerous facilities for relaxation and rejuvenation make this resort stand out from its competitors nearby.
BOOKINGS AND HOW TO GET THERE:
Book rooms on Booking.Com here.
The driving distance from New Delhi to Westin Sohna Resort is around 2 hours, and about an hour from Gurgaon and from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi. You can rent cars till the resort too. IFFCO Chowk Metro Station is the one nearest the resort.
TYPES OF ROOMS:
The rooms begin from the reasonably priced Premier Room category, followed by the Family Studios, the one bedroom Premier Villas and Premier Pool Villas, the 2-bedroom Luxury Villas and the 2-bedroom Royal Pool Villas.
PACKAGE DEALS FOR BOOKINGS AT THE RESORT:
One can avail of different package deals with the Marriott Hotel Membership, as the Westin is owned by them. If you have the AAA or CAA memberships, you are eligible for larger discounts on room rates and services. Corporate entities are offered promotional discounts as well as senior citizens and people who work in the government or military services.
THINGS TO DO IN THE HOTEL:
Dining:
The hotel’s main coffee shop and restaurant is The Living Room, where buffet breakfast is served every morning. They have a strong focus on offering healthy options for all their meals. The open-kitchen Chinese restaurant Xiao Chi is a popular choice with guests, as are the Mix Bar & Lounge and Splash Pool Side Bar
Recreation:
Health & Fitness:
The Heavenly Spa by Westin is popular for its various relaxing and rejuvenating services, and the Westin WORKOUT Fitness Studio allows guests to stick with their fitness routines. If you prefer getting your exercise in nature, the vast grounds will not disappoint either.
Westin Family Area:
A recreation area specially for children and teens offering art and craft activities, videos and board games. There is also a children’s pool and a range of activities supervised by trained professionals.
Outdoor Activities & Adventure Sports:
The Petting Zoo with emus, ducks, geese, turkeys, goats, chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits and ponies, is a prime attraction for children. It’s a wonderful way for them to interact with creatures they’re familiar with and meet new ones they aren’t so familiar with!
Apart from the petting zoo and walks in nature, guests can indulge in stargazing, horse-riding, cycling, a game of cricket, aqua-zorbing and fishing. The Westin Lake offers great views of the setting sun and you can even go paragliding there.
Shopping:
The in-house gift shop is a treat to visit unlike most hotel gift shops! One entire section is handled by the Kool Skool Book Store and offers a lovely selection of books for all age groups. The home section of the Gift Shop sells household and decorative items from Auroville and you can also browse through designer silver jewellery.
REVIEW OF THE HOTEL:
I first visited the Westin Sohna Resort 10 years ago, shortly after it opened. Since then I have stayed there many times, with my last visit 5 years ago in December 2015. Hence, I have had the opportunity of observing this property over the course of many years.
While some things have stayed entirely consistent over the years, such as the delicious food, elegant and modern aesthetic, decent staff and services and plenty of outdoorsy offerings; some things haven’t stood the test of time as well. A general dilapidation in the look and feel of the property has set in. For example, the garden outside the entrance to our villa had articles of plastic ruthlessly discarded; there were some electrical issues in the room, as we could not run more than 2 heaters at a time in the entire villa. Perhaps some of these problems can be blamed on cost-cutting and the after effects of the global pandemic, but some seem to be general wear and tear that hasn’t been addressed.
Personally, however, these weren’t deal-breakers in any way. They are mere observations for discerning customers to keep in mind if planning a staycation at the Westin Sohna Resort. The real charm of this resort is its location, green setting and the luxurious comfort it offers, meant to appeal to everyone, no matter their age. Hence, despite the slightly ‘run-down’ appearance of the resort, it remains high on my list of favoured places for a staycation around Delhi. I will definitely visit it again and recommend others visit it too.
Hotel Rating: 4/5
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy and me, and sponsored by RRE Studios and SHOWCASE Events.
*This post is not sponsored but it contains affiliate links. If you book a stay at the hotel through my link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please support my blog by using my links to book!
**Copyright in pictures and content belongs to nooranandchawla.com and cannot be republished or repurposed without express permission of the author. As I am a copyright lawyer by profession, infringement of any kind will invite strict legal action.