The hotel is impeccable and the spa facilities are a delight. It is sad to see a bunch of Tibetan refugees doing the perfunctory and soul-less "puja" before each treatment, however. I had the worst and most expensive pedicure EVER during my four-day retreat, and I can highly recommend skipping that entirely unless you're desperate or too rich to care. The ayurvedic-inspired menu in the dining room often directly contradicts the advice of the ayurvedic practitioner (ex. serving raw veggies for Vata types), but the delicious food, stunning dining hall and terrace quickly make you forget about that. If you are a serious yoga practitioner, you can also safely skip the private yoga classes, which are of an unacceptably poor quality for such a place (in India!) - the same could be said of the chai. If you are staying on a weekend, make every effort follow the guided birdwatching on the property - it was wonderful to learn so much about the fascinating birds in Garhwal.

If there is one place where you want to wake up early in the morning, it is Ananda. On a trip of two days with my spouse, we drove up from Delhi to this spa located in the midst of the mountains. Not used to early mornings, we made an exception here and laid our eyes on some of the most misty and romantic sights ever. Treated like royalty with the most amazing couple massage on earth, ananda is surely the place to relax and spend time with your spouse. Made a couple of friends on the mini golf course and had a relaxing birthday celebration, thanks to the restaurant staff. Would definitely go back soon.

I am a "spa aficionado" and have always wanted to visit this property! The expense was a big splurge for me during my 5-months in India. I tried to book a 3-night package on-line but it showed "sold-out". When I got there, I was able to extend my one night to 3-nights with no problem. I suggest a package verses buying everything a la carte.

Some disappointments: The size of the woman's locker room is small and it is hard to change clothes. In contrast to where the cool plunge, walking meditation over the stones, and wet/dry saunas is located is too open and not intimate enough. You feel really naked and exposed in this vast, open area! There were no hand towels in the locker room and massage rest rooms.

The staff is kind, but like so many other spas they are lacking in their overall delivery of the spa treatments and are just going through the motions. You can feel they are just going from one person and one treatment after another without any real sense of your individual needs. Besides an Ayurveda treatment, I had the Tibetan Bundle Massage and Kundalini Back Massage as I wanted to try something I had never had before. They were good at marketing these treatments, but overall I feel the entire spa is overrated.

The room was simply elegant with great views of the Ganga Valley below. The bath tub nozzle fell off and created a flood, but was fixed quickly. I had room #416 and the lights over the valley below were special.

I enjoyed the outdoor yoga and the Vedanta discussions. The food was good but nothing spectacular. The buffets are a better value and a good variety is offered.

The white PJ's were fun and comfortable to wear! You could tell who had just arrived as they were not yet in their PJ's! No pretension here which is the case with most resorts.

The highlight of Ananda is no doubt the location and the friendliness of the staff! I am glad to have had the experience at Ananda but in retrospect; with my champagne tastes and beer budget, I would prefer to spend my money at 2-other spas instead of one big chunk here.

Stayed here this winter.The experience was multifold ;
spa,hotel,food,ambience,weather & above all friendly and out going staff.
The bath area and the view from there were also amazing.
The flora and fauna on the property was diverse.
Not to be missed were the peacock walking around in the morning.