A beautiful experience built in the nature without disrupting the ecosystem. The level of hospitality received was mind blowing! Every initiate was personalised to the core from the moment you step inside the hotel. The manager of the hotel Ratna Malhotra takes this experience to another level with her kindness and well trained team members who were super helpful, eager to make your stay a memorable one.

My recent three-day stay at Vanyavillas Oberoi Resort in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, was an unforgettable experience, enjoyed by the wonderful company of my 8 year old granddaughter . This resort, under the management of GM Ratna Malhotra, for last 12-13 years is an example of service excellence. 1. Safari:The resort offers an incredible safari experience, where we were fortunate enough to witness majestic tigers on two of our five safaris. The thrill of these sightings made our adventures in the wild truly memorable. We did five safaris, and on two of them, we were fortunate enough to witness two tiger sightings one of Riddhi and her two cubs with almost two hour encounter and one brief of sultana and her large cubs off the main road . Many varieties of birds were seen especially at waterholes . I would recommend to take as many safari drives as possible as chance of proper tiger sightings is 50% or slightly less unless you are very lucky . Keep great pair on binoculars and learn about birdings too . 2. Cuisine: The culinary offerings at Vanyavillas are nothing short of spectacular, akin to Michelin-star dining. Chef Adarsh, Tejas, and their team presented an exquisite dishes that were both delightful and beautifully plated. Do try his watermelon cold gazpacho , apple cucumber cold soup and mushroom truffle hot cappuccino soup as well mango curry with watermelon rice. Tandoori broccoli as well as tandoori ananas( pineapple) both should be tasted for sure. 3. Rooms: The luxurious tents are very complete and very modern with nice sitting areas . Our both tents 210 and 209 were well located at the end . Bathroom is super spacious and modern . 4. Property/ Observatory Tower : The property is breathtakingly beautiful, with pretty gardens and common areas. There is an “observatory tower” worth visiting especially for start gazing , provided you can climb 80 steps to reach the top. Superb view of the resort and nearby Sawai Madhopur from there. Do go there once . The resort's property is simply beautiful . Lush greenery with sparkling water bodies, Vanyavillas Ranthambore offers a sense of nature. The beautifully landscaped gardens, the courtyards, and the swimming pool area create an ambiance of luxury. 5. Spa:The spa at Vanyavillas is excellent, featuring skilled therapists who offer great treatments that are perfect after a day of adventures. Eunice from mizoram was excellent, 6. Star Gazing:An enchanting experience led by Akash , local naturalist and Bhanu Rathore, visiting astronomer, allowed us to view the night sky , Ursula major , other constellations and moon . Do invite Bhanu for 1-2 hours session ( Rs 3500 per person ) We were educated to an evening learning about the constellations, stars , cosmos and planets . Rajasthan is now designated as Star Gazing State of India so be sure to enjoy the same here as well as in Jaiselmer , Jaipur , Udaipur etc due to cloudless skies . 7. Children's Activities: A standout feature for younger guests is the elephant bathing. My eight-year-old granddaughter loved the interaction with Laxmi, the resort’s resident elephant, making it a highlight of her stay. It was worth every moment. This is first time we saw children sized bathrobes, children size slippers , and various children craft activities daily . 8. Surprise Dinners: We were treated to two surprise dinners that were incredibly elegant and romantic. These well-planned evenings added a special touch to our stay and personalized service. Both were candle light , one outdoors and one indoors. 9. Naturalist Services: Akash, the resort's naturalist, was exceptionally attentive, ensuring all our experiences were informative and tailored to our interests. 10. Housekeeping: The housekeeping services ensured our tent was always clean and spotless . 11. General Management: GM Ratna Malhotra, recognized in a Harvard Business School case study, “Oberoi Hotels - Train whistle in the Tiger reserve” , is an outstanding manager whose passion for hospitality is evident throughout the resort. Her presence has developed an atmosphere where luxury meets personalized care. I was fortunate to study her case at Harvard Business school in 2015 and always wanted to visit this resort and after 10 years this is still an exceptionally well managed resort, pride of the Oberoi group of hotels and Vikram Oberoi , with Vanyavillas Oberoi is one of the best resort in the India, and worth repeat visits.

We stayed here for the tiger safari with Natural Habitat. The hotel is so beautifully designed and comfortable to stay. The most outstanding is the staff who works here. I was greeted with cool towels and and cool drink every time I walked in from my safari drive. The senior ladies staff are specially commendable. They are obviously very well trained and spook impeccable English. They also show excellent personalities and were very attentive to your needs and also has a nice sense of humour. They give good suggestions on what to choose for your dinner and would go out of the way to let the kitchen know your preferences. On my last day, I was lamenting that I would miss the excellent masala tea when I get home and that evening, one staff presented me with a gift bag of masala tea. How thoughtful is that!

This hotel has been a favourite for nearly twenty years and seems to find a new way of excelling each time we visit. This is simply the best hotel experience in India and ticks every box.

Property par excellence, super staff courteous, smiling and always helpful, could not find a reason to complain, from security to housekeeping to reception to restaurant all super, above all