Pinewall was built in 2017 on a stretch of land just above Old Manali — twenty-two rooms folded into the deodar forest, with a great room large enough for a single, long-burning hearth. The brief was simple: a mountain house quiet enough to write in, and warm enough to wait out the snow.
Mornings begin slowly here. Coffee in the library, breakfast at your own pace, and the option of doing nothing more strenuous than walking to the river. Afternoons are for the spa or the apple orchard. Evenings, the fire is what the lodge gathers around.
"The mountain decides the day, not us. We've built the lodge around that idea."
A lodge built around a fire, and four small reasons to come back to it.
One long-burning hearth at the centre of a 60-foot great room — lit from October through March.
Old Manali's quietest stretch of the Beas, reached from the lodge gate without crossing a road.
Late breakfast, slow afternoon, an early dinner before the snow comes in. The lodge insists on it.
Built almost entirely in deodar from a single old plantation — the smell of the lodge is unmissable.
A corner room on the upper floor with a wood-burning stove, a south window, and the cedar tree the room is named after, three feet from the glass.
A duplex loft with a writing desk above the great room — the warmest room in the lodge, by virtue of the fire two floors below.
A standalone glass-walled studio at the southern edge — built around a single piece of polished slate and a panoramic glasshouse window.
The Director's own cottage, offered to guests when she travels — a two-bedroom cottage at the orchard's edge with a private firepit.
A small mountain restaurant — eight tables, one menu, a fire that runs through both. Built around what arrives weekly from the valley.
The bar around the fire — a quiet whisky, a slow conversation, and the only room in the lodge that's never empty.
Mid-afternoon, looking out over the deodars — a slow tea before the cold of the evening sets in.
A small set of rituals built around the season, the time of day, and what the body has just travelled through. Booking is simple: ask the front desk, the day before.
A short menu of curated experiences — designed in collaboration with local guides, historians, and craftspeople.
Old Manali Road, Manali
Direct flights from Delhi & Chandigarh
Cafes, shops, markets
15th-century temple in deodars
Snow sports, ropeway
9 km tunnel to Lahaul
15th-century wooden castle
A few of the most-recent reviews left by guests on Google.
Winter at Pinewall is the best decision we made this year. The great-room fire, the spa, and the small library kept us happily indoors for four days. The deodar walks too — but those required actually leaving.
A small mountain lodge done thoughtfully. The kitchen does Himachali cuisine without the usual chest-thumping about it — just honestly cooked, seasonal food.
Beautiful property, excellent service. Only note: a bit further from Manali town than the website implies — but honestly that was a feature, not a bug, for us.
Short films guests have made about their stays here. Click any to play.
12:08
A week at Pinewall in early December — the fire, the spa, the deodar walks.
5:11
Five minutes on the most important room in the lodge.
Reservations is a small team — three people, all of whom have stayed at Pinewall Lodge at least once. We'll match the right room to the right reason for travel, walk you through dining and experiences, and quietly handle the rest.
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