Roman Decadence In Indian Himalayas

Fancy a Swedish massage or -- and keep that dirty mind in check -- a Thai version of the yoga massage? What about a seaweed hydrotherapy bath, or a detox papaya body polish? Try acupressure with shiatsu, or opt for the five-fold panch karma Ayurvedic therapy to correct the imbalances in your body. These, and a host of variations, are now available at a spa reminiscent of the Roman age of decadence. Only, at Ananda In The Himalayas, "wellness" and not decadence is the call of the day.

Almost discreetly, without the fanfare usually associated with launches in celebrity-angsted India, one of the world's most luxurious spas has opened in Narendra Nagar, a half-hour's journey uphill from Rishikesh in UP. Labelled a luxury destination spa, with 51 per cent equity held by international hotel company, Rafael, it had a soft opening on May 1. Its Indian promoter is Indian Hotels & Health Resorts where 39 per cent of the equity is held by chairman Gautam Khanna who's son, Ashok Khanna, is managing director of the company. Ten per cent of the equity is held by Ingo R Schweder who is managing director of Rafael Hotels South Asia, and was originally employed by the Khannas as VP-operations and marketing for their planned resort.

 

The Khannas had proposed the building of a health resort to Manvinder Shah, one of the longest serving members of parliament, and the only surviving member of the tribe of recognised maharajas before princely India was vanquished forever. The ruler of Tehri-Garhwal, his 100-acre palace-estate offered an ideal location at a height of 2,900 ft, commanding views over Rishikesh, and surrounded by the Himalayan foothills. Schweder proposed a meeting with George Rafael, owner of one the the most luxurious chain of hotels in the world, and the rest was history. Simultaneously, the price of the project grew from Rs 30 crore to Rs 50 crore. With its commissioning, Ananda has become the first international joint venture in the Indian hospitality business.

Ananda is the largest spa in Asia with 13 treatment rooms, and consultants who prescribe a course of fitness and spa treatments that range from meditation and yoga to a modern, large gym equipped with computerised gear, and therapists trained by instructors in India and those from overseas to create complete rejuvenation programmes. While the 21,000 sq ft spa, designed by Hong Kong-based architect Chandu Chadha, is at the heart of the complex, the resort includes a block of guest rooms where the soak-in baths adjacent to a glazed wall overlooking Landfills have been created to chalk out an amphi-theatre, as well as space for two-room villas. The difference of a few hundred feet between the palace annex, which marks the entrance, and the spa area, is covered by six non-polluting, silent electric golf carts. The restaurant is overseen by an American chef who, while content to serve you generous portions, agonises over calorie contents like a fussy matron.

Ananda isn't inexpensive, and even at package rates, can cut a hole in the wallet (standard rooms Rs 5,225-7,225, suites Rs 13,000-33,000 on daily ccupancy; all treatments between Rs 600-2,000 for 30-60 minute sessions). Even so, it will be five-six years before the project breaks even. By then, of course, it should have properties in Goa and Kerala, as well as day spas in Delhi and Mumbai. Excitingly, even as Ananda joins the rank of seven other Rafael hotels with 1,250 rooms in Europe and the East Coast of USA, the parent company will merge with luxury chain Mandarin Oriental which has 12 hotels and 5,177 rooms in the Far East, and on the West Coast in the States.

That, if not the wild rose oil and sea salt scrub, should be sufficient to put a glow on to your face.