If you are on a long trip and have Dharamshala in your schedule, I recommend you stay at the CEV to recharge your batteries. For CEV provides a home like experience. We are a family of four and had booked Cottage with 2 double rooms / dining area.
The cottage had 2 bed rooms with attached bathrooms in each room. The cottage also had a living room and a small dining area. The living room overlooked the scenic locales of the hilly town.
The service was exceptional with a butler (Raju) taking care of our needs all the time. Raju was so sincere that I wondered if we still had people like him left in the world. There was no need to tell Raju our needs as he would automatically bring us tea, snacks and food with some kind of a sixth sense. The cook too needs mention, as the food was very home like, made with fresh ingredients and pure spices. There is however the need for some variety in cuisine as one could get bored with the north Indian fare on a long stay. It deserves to be mentioned that there was no limit on how big a portion would be and Raju would help size it as per our needs. As I said before do not expect a hotel like treatment, rather be prepared to be treated as if you were staying in a friends house.
Its possible to walk to McLeodganj via the back of the villa in approximately 30 minutes and the distance is around 2 kms. This is only for the younger lot as the end of this path is a wall which needs some effort to climb, although there are some bricks laid as makeshift steps. If not you could hire the hotel taxi which is also reasonably priced, as it is run by the hotels neighbour - Rajesh. Rajesh is very trust worthy and you can ask for any advice on the locality.
Things that need to be improved are the bathroom fittings and variety in breakfast. The flush in one of the bathrooms was not functioning and this proved to be inconvenient. It would be good if the hotel had a reception and a dining area with a buffet breakfast served every morning.
