Bill Glaser
Beverly Hills, CA
I wanted to make you aware of the phenomenal experiences that my wife
and I had on our recent stays at Ananda. I had previously stayed at
Ananda about 4 1/2 years ago and had a very good experience. Everything
was perfect from the room, grounds, staff, spa and service.
But our recent stays were beyond perfect! We stayed at Ananda at the
beginning of a 3 week visit to India and towards the end of our trip,
both for 4 night stays (8 total nights). Aside from the vast contrast to
other parts of India that we visited, Ananda was even an oasis when
compared to other luxury hotels that we stayed at such as the Taj, ITC,
and Oberoi, as well as to other luxury hotels we've stayed at throughout
the world.
While Ananda's grounds and facilities are top notch, what made it stand
out for us and what has us yearning to go back soon for an extended stay
is the staff and service. Whether it was the handling of our special
dietary requests at the restaurant, laundry, travel and excursions, spa
treatments, and the administration of all departments, we were very
impressed by everyone's attention to detail and friendly and exemplary
service.
Each and every member of the staff seemed to be very well trained but
also seemed to genuinely care about us and went out of their way to
accommodate us. This was true of everyone we encountered and exemplified
by the General Manager, Anupam Dasgupta. I saw Anupam in the early
morning as well as late in the evening and he engaged us and other
guests in a very welcoming manner and ensured that our stay was as great
as possible. He and his staff's dedication and attention were quite
remarkable and very much appreciated. This truly elevated our experience
and our desire to return.
I rarely take the time to write about my experience at a hotel, but our
experiences at Ananda were so incredible, I wanted to make you aware.
All my best
Uma Thurman
"To the Wonderful Ananda !
Thank you for a week of healing and bliss ! Even in the monsoon, a most
magical place in this world!
All my love and best wishes to all..."
Vir Sanghvi
This is a truly wonderful place : beautiful, elegant, relaxing and
extremely well-run. I loved the food. The treatments were great. My
villa was fabulous. The service was outstanding. My only regret is that
it took us so long to come here! Will be back soon, now.
Nandita Amin
My 22 year old niece and I have just returned from a vacation at nanda in the Himalayas and I wanted to personally thank you both for
creating a “small piece of heaven” near the abode of the Gods which took
our breath away and where one can totally forget about ones daily cares
and give in completely to R and R.
I had heard a lot about Ananda from friends who had been there but
nothing prepared us for the stupendous haven you have so loving created.
We were completely taken aback by the extraordinary service we received
at every level and the admirable, serene ambience of the lush and
beautiful property. Right from the welcome ritual to the departure
ritual and all that was in between, it was all that we could dream of
and much more. We marvel at the absolutely amazing training imparted to
all the staff, be it a security guard or the Chefs, restaurant staff or
the therapists. I do believe it is hospitality taken to a level par
excellence, where each guests' needs are addressed individually and each
one made to feel special in the subtle, subdued and elegant environment.
It is hard to express our appreciation for having visited Ananda Spa and
had the pleasure of your fantastic, caring, and friendly staff.
Everything at Ananda was delightful and near perfect – the location,
accommodation, breath taking ,expansive views, décor, amenities, the
world class cuisine with desserts that match those of the best
patisseries in France, the therapies and treatments, service, the
immaculately landscaped and maintained grounds, architecture and
attention to the smallest detail.
Being at Ananda was an out-of –this- world experience in the way of pure
ingredients and the enchanting, relaxed and sublime ambiance has created
an irresistible force which will draw us back soon, hopefully becoming
an annual retreat.
Derek Dacey (M.D. compass maps)
Well it's not been very easy adjusting to life back home, everything about heavenly Ananda and India was so restorative it created a real high - and of course we feel the vital and fundamental ingredient to this was the wonderfully delicious, nutritious and healthy diet. You have created something very unique and special - and under your leadership your team have developed wonderful skills in providing it with such consistency and great presentation.
Thank you for your kindness in sending the recipes and email. And it was especially thoughtful and kind of you to invite us into the kingdom of your kitchen to watch how quickly you create some of the dishes. And of we have realized how challenging it is for our extremely limited abilities to even begin to replicate what comes so naturally to you - it's not a simple formula! But we are not giving up - persistence is the key!
I am already thinking about returning in November!
Ms. Natalie Webb “I feel like a new person....totally relaxed and rejuvenated.
The hotel went well beyond my expectations. I did not expect to come away feeling as healthy and happy as I do now. I had been ill for several months which prompted my trip and I feel so much better.
All of the staff at Ananda were spectacular. The service was impeccable and I was made to feel that nothing was too much trouble.
Everything - the setting, the food, the treatments, the facilities and the personal care was amazing.
I cannot express how much I enjoyed myself. There was a tear in my eye when I left!
Again please pass on my thanks to everyone who helped to make my stay so enjoyable. ”
Ms. Carol McLean – Canada “It simply was the best three days I have ever spent in a spa, and is one of the top three days I have spent anywhere. I cannot tell you how much the few days of peace and quiet meant after a hectic work year. I travel a lot and seldom want to revisit places, only because the world is full of new places to explore. But I will be back to Ananda. There is a fine line between servitude and service and your staff – to a person - did everything in an impeccable, elegant and serene manner. I don’t know how you managed to find, train and motivate your staff but you have an incredible group. The food was the most pleasant surprise. It was outstanding. I expected the food to be good but the meals rivaled the best meals I have had in fine restaurants. ”
Ms. Gwen Upchurch – USA
“This is the most professional well run Spa I have ever experienced and hope to come back very soon.”
Ms. Yasmina Lahlou – Morocco ‘I wish to reiterate my gratitude to you and your team for making my stay at Ananda a lifetime experience. I hope to be able to visit you in the near future’.
Dr. Mala Sinha - India
‘It was a great experience at Ananda and the understated elegance, and
charm of the place has found a permanent place in my heart. I will
definitely be visiting Ananda again’.
Mr. Anish & Mrs. Geetika Khindri – India ‘It was really nice and a memorable stay at Ananda. It seemed like 2 nights and 3 days were really less for the enjoyment. Thanks a lot for the warm welcome and a friendly attitude of all the people in your hotel. I would really admire and give you the credit for taking personal care for all the Guests. Once again, really a memorable stay’.
Ms. Carol McLean – Bahamas ‘It simply was the best three days I have ever spent in a spa, and is one of the top three days I have spent anywhere. I cannot tell you how much the few days of peace and quiet meant after a hectic work year and a busy week touring on Palace on Wheels. I travel a lot and seldom want to revisit places, only because the world is full of new places to explore. But I will be back to Ananda. There is a fine line between servitude and service and your staff – to a person - did everything in an impeccable, elegant and serene manner. I don’t know how you managed to find, train and motivate your staff but you have an incredible group. The food was the most pleasant surprise. It was outstanding’.
Ms. Irina Yusupova – Russia ‘I regret that don't have enough words to describe all my feelings.....Feelings that you got heaven..... all people smile to each other and their eyes shine with kindness. And when you feel yourself in big happy family. Amazing cleanness everywhere, a really elegant and delicious food........ Our respect to you and your team as you care of "Ananda" as of your child and more....Frankly may tell it was so sad to be back to our world :-) and I really hope that shall see Ananda soon.....’
Mr. Jivesh Goenka – India ‘I was overwhelmed by the interior and exterior of the Villa. The rooms, lounge, verandah , the deck, swimming pool and the location of the Villa is absolutely in line with what a guest would ask for in such a place. It felt like a home - a home in Himalayas. Unbelievable food that we just couldn’t stop eating. We all loved everything that was served to us - be it tea, breakfast, breads, special preparations, barbeque food, special Rajasthani food made for us and the desserts. Undoubtedly one of the best SPA's in the world. In our two and a half days stay, we had more than 20 therapies together and loved each one of them. Ananda is a place which calls you back. We just fell in love with Ananda. We left with memories of Ananda and the beautiful pictures that we have clicked and we hope to see you and everybody in your team very soon. All the four of us congratulate every single member of Ananda for being a great host’.
Mr. Rakesh Rathod – India ‘We have a serious complaint against your set up which we did not tell you when we were there….YOU SPOILT US ! Now we will benchmark all future holidays against this one. Every minute we spent at ANANDA is truly memorable. We will come back to you for sure, this time with higher expectations’.
Mr. Neeraj Mujumdar – India 'A big Thanks to you and your team for making our holiday such a happy success. We are certainly looking forward to celebrate our first wedding anniversary in Ananda. Thanks for the great service. Well now we understand what a World's Number 1 Destination Spa means...'
