Reviews

Amazing place, amazing staff and a wonderful experience!

Reviewed Dec 2019 *Reviewed on Tripadvisor
We decided to go to Ananda for celebrating my Birthday in April this year. I was going to stay there for 14 days and my wife was with me for 7 days. I was on a Weight Management program and my wife was on Detox. Our first impression of the property was WOW. The entrance is Grand and extremely well maintained despite it being a Heritage place. The highlight though of our trip were two ...
1) The awesome treatments Ananada has to offer with some of the best trained staff in the business and
2) AMAZING HOSPITALITY... I have to specially mention Chandan Purohit who was in Restaurant and how helpful he was throughout our trip..It was indeed one of the best holidays we had since long and we would certainly go back next year.

A 100 % stunning

Reviewed May 2019 *Reviewed on Tripadvisor
I can not imagine any better place for total recovery. When I arrived, I was completely overworked, after my stay of 8 nights, I feel not only much better, but I also have lost a few pounds through a perfectly and individually tailored Ayurveda diet - without any starving. I also learned how to practice my Hatha Yoga exercises at home alone. The special breathing exercises and targeted meditation help me to cope well with stress on the job. And the healthy Ayurveda diet, of course, I will keep it. The hotel itself is located at over 1000 m with a stunning view of the valley. There are different types of rooms, I personally prefer the private villas or the valley view rooms. The kitchen is excellent as well as the spa (I prefer the Ayurveda treatments as all of them are done by „4 hands“), the staff very friendly and always helpful. Tip: one needs almost no own clothes, each guest gets daily a fresh and lovely "kurta" (kind of payamas) which one can wear not only at the breakfast, yoga etc but also at dinner. only for the fitness center or mountain hiking it is recommended to pack suitable extra clothing. Thanks to the whole team for this unforgettable stay!

Heaven

Reviewed April 2019 *Reviewed on Tripadvisor
My husband and I decided to splurge so we stayed 6 days at Ananda. If I had to describe the hotel and experience in one word it would be ‘exceptional’.
From the moment we were collected at Jolly Grant Airport everything was wellcoming, the service was superlative. The property is stunning.

The room, spa, restaurant and other facilities were excellent, well-maintained and spotless. Many resorts attempt to make guest visits as seamless a possible, Ananda is the only resort that I have visited that truly achieves being able to not only provide service at a high standard, as well as frequently anticipating our needs. For example, the first night was a bit chilly outside so I asked housekeeping to bring hot water bottles. Within a few minutes the hot water bottles arrived and were tucked into our bed. The next night, without asking, the bottles appeared in our bed and this was established as our new routine.

The aryvedic spa treatments and medical consultations, especially physiotherapy with Dr Neha were very beneficial. Although the perspective of Aryvedic medicine is quite different from western medicine, the medical staff identified the same health concerns as my GP. I found the alternative approach to treatment was more patient centric.

The food is worth a mentioning - the delicious meals and willingness of the staff and Chef to accommodate personal tastes made our experience special. I went from being rather weary of the heavily vegetarian options to openly enjoying the dishes served. Everything is fresh, beautifully executed and plated. The diet, more than everything, left me feeling like I was walking on air by the end of my stay.

My only warning is consider at what point in your trip you want to go to Ananda. We found leaving ‘heaven’ to enjoy the rest of our India holiday quite challenging as nothing else could compare.

The best hotel in India

Reviewed April 2019 *Reviewed on Tripadvisor
Beautiful property, every bit as pretty as the ads make it out to be. Incredibly friendly staff, great rooms: simple but sufficiently stocked and of-course, great, great food.
I can't remember what its called but I went for an 8 day package ..tips:.the spa is willing to customize the spa itinerary , so if you feel you're having too much of one kind of spa service, they'll change it.
Restaurant: Their daily menus are great, but the cooks are incredible and willing to cook anything you ask them to.
Rooms: Ask for the valley facing rooms, the views are beautiful.
Yoga: Great instructors for beginners. I don't think a seasoned student of yoga would learn anything new.

Great Place

Reviewed 9 March 2013 *Reviewed on Tripadvisor
Beautiful property, every bit as pretty as the ads make it out to be. Incredibly friendly staff, great rooms: simple but sufficiently stocked and of-course, great, great food.
I can’t remember what its called but I went for an 8 day package ..tips:.the spa is willing to customize the spa itinerary , so if you feel you’re having too much of one kind of spa service, they’ll change it.
Restaurant: Their daily menus are great, but the cooks are incredible and willing to cook anything you ask them to.
Rooms: Ask for the valley facing rooms, the views are beautiful.
Yoga: Great instructors for beginners. I don’t think a seasoned student of yoga would learn anything new.

Wonderful Peace

4th February 2013 *Reviewed on Tripadvisor
The Spa needs no more saying. The best by far. The expanse of the property just takes you in, and the idyllic scenic beauty just mesmerizes you. I was there on a corporate off site, and would love to get back on a personal trip soon. Worth every bit.

Great Relaxation

10th January 2013 *Reviewed on Tripadvisor
Wonderful sprawling property on the slope of a hill, thoughfully done up. Great food that keeps one spritely and cheerful all day, maybe because I stuck to the “wellness” menu at all meals. The yoga classes in the morning (7.15 am) too helped – excellent instructor and great venue (big wooden floored hall at the palace annexe). Made it a point to ignore the electric carts and instead walked up to the palace at least once a day – the steep climb left me breathless at first.

Rooms are spacious 5-star quality with a balcony. Mine was on the lower level and faced the garden – I feel that the green view can be a lot more soothling in winter compared to the valley view rooms, particularly if the valley remains shrouded in mist.

Staff was wonderfully and uniformly caring throughout my visit – a big thank you to all for the service and warmth.

Tips: the airport runway can be sighted from the sunset point if you know which way to look. Also, expect to see peacocks roaming about the grounds, but please don’t feed them.

Stayed January 2013, travelled on business

Exotic

20th January 2013 *Reviewed on Tripadvisor
An ideal place for a vacation with in the greens of exotic Himalayas. Very nice hospitality with a personal touch. Accommodation, food, spa, surroundings, ambience, yoga sessions, mini golf course, gym and the friendly dancing peacocks in the lawns are all superb. A ‘must visit’ place.

Oh.My.God!

27th December 2012 *Reviewed on Tripadvisor
There is almost nothing left to say, the title says it all. Everything about our stay was amazing, from the fabulously comfortable room (candlelit bath anyone?) to the incredible food (best cold breakfast selection in India) and genuinely warm and attentive staff.

There is a lot you could do at the Spa, but equally, you can spend your whole stay doing nothing but relaxing from spa area to poolside to your bedroom balcony.

The turn down service is a cute touch and the spa sessions are well worth it.

If you stay isn’t perfect, the staff will do all they can to rectify this: our trip to witness the ganga aarti in Rishikesh was ill-timed and as such this was struck off our final bill.

We wholeheartedly recommend Ananda to anyone who wishes to enjoy a little piece of heaven on Earth!

Huda & Mohammed Al Khalifa

25. 05. 2011
Thank you for creating such a wonderful paradise on earth. We have been to so many spas in the world but nothing compares to Ananda. Ananda, the people, the staff, the treatments, are luxury to the end and their care and warmth is great.

Rare to find a place that puts all together the mind, body and soul. We started coming to Ananda in 2003 and throughout the years, it was wonderful and it kept its level of a seven star property of Wellness destination.

Thank you one more time and God bless you all.

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 Ananda 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…’