Ananda in the Himalayas

Amazing wellness clinic for absolute relaxation & high quality body massage. You need to go there for at least 3 nights. We were there for 7 nights & it has given me excellent results from health point of view. With Peacocks, Parrots & various other birds, you are close to nature. You can see Hrishikesh from your balcony.

We have been traveling to Rishikesh for the last 20 years and have seen it grow from a laid back, spiritual town of about 60,000 inhabitants to a throbbing tourist destination with a population of 300,000+. There are new roads & bridges, hotels and buildings popping up everywhere. The evening aarti on the Ganges could be in a Bollywood film and is streamed online. It’s busy, it's chaotic.It's vibrant, evolving India in all its guises. Amidst all this change it was wonderful to see that the amazing Ananda perched high on the hilltops overlooking Rishikesh has got the balance between maintaining the traditional and evolving with the times just right. With each visit this peaceful haven just seems to get better and better. From the impeccable reservation process with Aveg and colleagues responding to all requests instantly and showing remarkable flexibility when our plans changed; to the healthful but incredibly delicious and varied cuisine - a dizzying array of fruit and vegetables juices, Indian/Asian/Continental choices and the very freshest of produce - the Ananda kitchen continues to reinvent itself. I celebrated my birthday during our visit and chef and the catering team surprised us with a wonderful candlelit dinner by the poolside (the temperature controlled pool btw just a dream to do laps in). Complete with live music, a thali feast and healthy (yes healthy) chocolate cake! The service in the restaurant is some of the best we have experienced anywhere in the world. The spa also continues to evolve with an incredible choice of treatments across different disciplines - Ayurvedic, Asian, Western, physiotherapy to name just a few and the therapists are frankly the best in India - many hailing from Rishikesh and trained by Ananda. The grounds are impeccable with Ananda's team of gardeners ensuring that the property is a verdant paradise, teeming with birdsong. Yoga and visiting experts abound - and if yoga is not your thing there is a well equipped gym with fantastic daily classes run by the resident instructor, as well as treks, temple tours and white water rafting. Ananda works with some of the best guides (thank you Manish) and drivers who look after you with great care. There’s even a 6 hole (very difficult!) pitch n putt that has been sensitively incorporated into the environment. The rooms are extremely comfortable and kept spotlessly clean under the watchful eye of Manjeet Kaur and her excellent team. Over the 20 years we have been visiting, the rooms have been regularly upgraded - simple and stylish. Wonderful beds to sink into (pillow choices :-)); gorgeous views of the valley or gardens. Cotton kurtas provided on a daily basis, natural beauty products and brilliant baths and showers. Amazing wifi connectivity for those unable to switch off. Not to mention the constant evolution of wellness programmes as well as the use of apps and technology to combine old and new seamlessly. GM Aniket Sarkar and his team have continued to build on Ananda’s original philosophy and foundations. It’s a unique and amazing place and we can’t wait to return. Thank you Ananda.

Everything about Ananda is excellent We went for a four nights impromptu trip with my wife and the experience was fantastic. Food ingredients at the restaurant are organic and local. Tastes great. Puran at the restaurant gave us excellent recommendations.

21 nights stay review Disappointing experience Review: •Compromised service quality: Frequent issues with in-room dining, and laundry services. •Spa hygiene concerns: Therapists with unkempt nails, sneezing without masks, and lack of professionalism. •Privacy breaches: Treatment room doors were opened twice by third person during sessions, causing embarrassment. •Poor medical consultation: Ayurvedic consultants dismissed concerns without proper diagnosis or understanding medical history. •Lack of support: Injured my thumb on-site, received delayed assistance, no immediate first aid, no follow up and further assistance. •Breach of privacy: Restaurant manager shared inaccurate information about me with my consultant. Delayed my order for in room dining for 2 hours. •Unresponsive management: Senior management unavailable and unhelpful in addressing concerns. After many attempts to reach out to them, no one was unavailable to address or empathise with the issues. Positives: The breathtaking view from my balcony was the only highlight of an otherwise disappointing stay.

I were on relaxing and leisure trip. I must appreciate the aptitude of the staff from reception to spa, restaurant, housekeeping. This aptitude is as in built and not compulsive, for which Head HRD and CEO vision are appreciable. Kindly Maintain. The physiotherapist Dr Sujata explained my problem with reasons and solutions. Food is simple and plain. Garwali thali is local cuisine and good. However, Green apple Jalebi was not upto mark and on pointing this they did not offer replacement. Except this restaurent experience, stay was pleasant and a must try in luxury.