Ananda in the Himalayas: A 14-and-over palace wellness estate above Rishikesh — lock the programme, the valley view, and the spa age rules before you fly.

Ananda sits on the former Palace Estate of the Maharaja of Tehri-Garhwal at Narendra Nagar, in the Himalayan foothills above Rishikesh. The press kit prints 75 rooms, suites and villas, and also 64 elegant rooms, 8 suites and 3 villas. The brochure prints 70 rooms at 45 square metres plus named suites and villas. Opening year 2000 and Chhada, Siembieda & Associates sit on the press kit. The living index names Deluxe rooms, Deluxe Interconnected rooms, Garden Suites, the Ananda Suite, the Viceregal Suite, and one- and two-bedroom villas with private pools. Deluxe Palace, Garden, Valley, and Valley View premium rooms are 45 square metres. The three villas print 1,200 and 1,800 square feet with 40-square-metre private pools. Deluxe Suite, Garden Suite, Viceregal Suite, and Ananda Suite cards do not print square metres.

Lock the rules that would ruin arrival. The living FAQ is 14 years or older only, two guests per room on a double or twin, no extra beds, and no triple occupancy. Only the two-bedroom villa sleeps four across two bedrooms. The spa page sets massage and body treatments at 18 or older, and fitness, yoga, and meditation at 14 or older. The policy page still lets guests 14 to 18 take some treatments except cleansing, detox, and intensive work, and book Foundation programmes only — not comprehensive or intensive programmes. Phones stay out of the spa and out of yoga, meditation, and Vedanta. Wellness programmes must be pre-booked. Most programmes print a seven-night minimum; introductory starts at five nights; Weight Management and Panchakarma FAQ print a 14-night floor, and the Panchakarma card lists 21 nights.

The dining cards do not print restaurant, pool, or Palace Lounge hours. Pavilion high tea is the one clock on the restaurant card: every evening from 4–6 PM. Alcohol is on request and may be restricted by programme. Wine and liqueur at The Pavilion are for guests not on wellness programmes. Lean protein may be restricted by programme. In-room dining is available. Outdoor private dining is weather-dependent. The spa page does not print facility open and close times. Getting there, as the house prints it: about 35 kilometres from Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun. The getting-there body says a 40-minute drive; the FAQ says about 45 minutes. Delhi to Dehradun about 45 minutes by air. Delhi by road is approximately 4–5 hours in the body and about six hours in the FAQ. Delhi–Haridwar trains about 4.5 hours on getting-there, four hours in the press kit, plus a 90-minute drive. Helicopter to Ananda’s private helipad is organised through reservations.

Nothing here is a city hotel with a spa menu. A programme, a treatment, and most restaurant plates sit on top of the room. Book Ananda if you will hold a 14-and-over week, accept two to a Deluxe, and want Ayurveda on a palace ridge. Skip it if you are travelling with anyone under 14, if you need a third bed in a Deluxe, if you want children in the spa rooms, or if you expected printed dinner hours and a free-form palace restaurant. Google is 4.6 from 298 reviews. Tripadvisor is 4.5 from 567.