We visited Lansdowne last week (June 2007) and stayed in Fairydale Resort for two nights and three days. To give you a perspective, I had gone with my wife, a 4 year old child, my mother (who is 68) and her sister. So we had as varied a requirement form a hotel that one can expect. We had selected Fairydale on the basis of cursory recommendations on the Internet by guests who had been there earlier.
The hotel was setup in 1912 and is owned by one Dr Shah. Dr Shah himself was not always located in Lansdowne carrying on his practice overseas and from other places in India. He has since passed away although his family lives in Dehradun. He has leased the hotel to Mr Ashok Khandelwal who is a Marwari from Rajasthan but one whose family has been in Lansdowne since 1890. Mr Khandelwal personally manages the hotel. Fairydale is an old british style dak bungalow building converted into a 10 room hotel.
The building is located on top of a hill which is connected to the main road by a semi-pucca road around half a km in legth. All but 2-3 rooms are at the same level while the rest are in the firm of a cottage located a level below. The main building is the better place to stay. The rooms are comfortable though not luxurious. Facilities available nside the rooms include carpeted floor, television with cable, EPABX telephone, cupboards and chairs.
The hotel has an excellent cook not just for veg (which we tried) but also for non-veg (heard some Sikh guests appreciating the grub.) This is important because Lansdowne has few other eating options. What sets Lansdowne apart is the great service and personal attention that you receive. Response of both Ashok ji and the staff is super quick and always polite. Not only I but all family members appreciate this. Overall, fairydale is by far the best place to stay in Lansdowne.