A Guide to the Best Winter Spas in India by Devanshi Mody
Featured Hotel in Shimla
Wildflower Hall
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There’s no getting away from it, India has become the ultimate luxury travel destination. Gone are the days when India conjured up images of back-packers hurled over by belled cows with painted horns. Pick up any top international glossy and you’ll see that India gets more luxury hotel and spa entries in annual compilations of ‘The World’s Best’ lists which year after year are an ode to India’s luxury hotels.
The well-healed international traveller looks to India for pampering at its premium best. But alas, it seems the uninitiated Indian may still whizz off to Europe and the Americas, which the hardened globetrotter will now call passé, perhaps. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
For some of the hilly landscapes of North India have now transmogrified into quite a classy courtyard of luxury hotels, fit for the finest, be it in the grandeur of the property, the sheer splendour of the setting, the serenity of a spa, the slickness of the service or simply the apogee of culinary creativity. It is eminently worthy of lavishing one’s money on sampling the sublime.
Wildflower Hall, Shimla
If ever there were India’s answer to a fairytale European castle, Wildflower Hall is it. At 8,250 feet high up in the deathless Himalayas, you are, quite literally, at the top of the world. Set amidst 22 acres of untouched verdure, Lord Kitchener’s erstwhile residence, tranquilly teetering atop pine and cedar slopes, has been restored in grand colonial style. Wood panelling and original artworks impart olde-world aura, and guest bedrooms model teak floors, quaint furnishings and staggering views. Go for the 4th floor Lord Kitchener Suite with Himalaya views under dormer roofs, a four-poster bed and living room with fireplace.
This escapist mountain sanctuary comes with outdoor Jacuzzi and heated infinity swimming pool flowing into the Himalayas beyond. As for the private spa suites or pavilions, they nestle in dense cedar forests overlooking hoary summits. No surprises why this spa has figured in lists amongst some of the most romantic places in the world.
If things get too hot in the room, The Restaurant has a large open-air terrace to cool off on over Pan-Asian and Continental dishes. Unless or course, you want to get hotter still over tongue-thwacking authentic Indian cuisine at Lutyens, with its old world interiors and garden views.
Winding walks through fragrant pine forests will work up your appetite for gourmet picnics that accompany your explorations. For the adventurous the resort offers white river rafting, trekking, mountain biking, horse riding, archery, billiards, ice skating (in winter) and golf.
Wildflower Hall’s spa catapulted the resort to the pinnacle of luxury destinations. Inspired by ancient Indian traditions of health and healing that have evolved for over 5000 years, and incorporating international influences, The Oberoi Spa is one of the defining spas in the Himalayas.
Try the signature Indigenous Rituals Spirit of Ayurveda 2½ hour treatment. A prior Ayurvedic consultation allows for an experience customised to your body type. This treatment includes Indian head massage, inhalation therapy, full body dry exfoliation using herbal powders, rhythmic friction massage with a specific oil blend based on your dosha and steam therapy. This treatment continues with a warm herbal poultice massage and culminates in a neem purifying bath as you sip on your dosha specific tea. There is no shortage of treatments for gentlemen too, including facials and sports pedicures.
Adjoining the spa is the magnificent heated indoor swimming pool with beautifully detailed mosaic floors and chandeliers. The pool offers marvellous mountain views. Attached to the indoor heated swimming pool, is an outdoor deck with infinity whirlpool. Soak up the sun on the deck outside with a refreshing drink while the Himalayas roll on.
The Oberoi Cecil
The property, over 100 years old, is a Grand Heritage Hotel situated at Chaura Maidan, Shimla. At 7000 feet up in the Himalayas, it falls just a little short of its sister property the Oberoi Wildflower Hall. A celebration of the elegance and grace of the Queen of Hill Stations, The Oberoi Cecil partakes in Shimla’s colonial history.
The hotel has been restored to its original grandeur with wood floors, period furniture, crackling fires et al. Conceived in 1884 as a Himalayan hill station, the hotel has been extensively renovated. With fabulous views across the valley, The Oberoi Cecil is a perfect base from which to explore the spectacular mountain scenery, cedar forests and ancient monasteries of this world famous destination.
This heavenly abode is within walking distance of the famous Viceregal Lodge, the former summer residence of the Viceroy of India. The Oberoi Cecil's classically elegant interiors with panelling, pillars and chandeliers recall the days of the Raj. Built around a beautiful atrium, the rooms enchant with its views.
The Cedar Garden outdoor restaurant offers a light menu. The must-do is afternoon tea at The Lounge, located in the five storey Atrium Lobby where a fire roars.The Spa offers an extensive ‘menu' of relaxing and reviving massages and beauty treatments. Aromatherapy, Ayurvedic, Balinese, Hawaiian and Thai massage all feature, along with Chakra Head and Shoulder Massage and facials. As well as the spa therapy suites, the spa offers steam rooms and saunas. The heated indoor swimming pool – among the highest in the world – frames endless mountains.
The Ananda Spa
This property slumbers in the Himalayan foothills close to the mythological cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh. All around are the elevating Sal forests paying homage to a gracefully meandering Ganges.
Guest rooms, suites and villas at Ananda echo nature’s colours. Named after the great mountain ranges Himalay and Shivalik and the river Ganga that sustain the people of the valley, the beautiful villas come with butler, private sauna and unhampered views of the pool.
The Viceregal suite comprises a plush bedroom with period four-poster bed, antique fittings and furniture. With its own private terrace and a roof top Jacuzzi overlooking the sloping landscaped gardens and the distant Ganges Valley, staying at the Viceregal suite transports to the days of the Raj.
The 24,000 square foot spa offers an extensive menu of body and beauty treatments, integrating Ayurveda with more contemporary Western spa approach. Expect 24 treatment rooms with specialized areas for Ayurveda, Oriental and European systems of holistic health, a team of qualified nutritionists, Western & Ayurvedic physicians, spa therapists with knowledge of ancient Indian sciences and modern western treatments.
You also have customized Ayurveda diets. Ananda intends not just to blow you away with its surroundings, but redefine lifestyles with its spa treatments, an amalgamation of Ayurveda, Yoga and Vedanta laced with International Wellness Experiences to bring about the union of mind, body and soul
Want to book your own spa retreat? See our entire listings of spa hotels in India.