We stopped for a night here, and found the location to be beautiful, surrounded by trees, built around a lovely courtyard. Overall, a great experience, but the facility needs some TLC to be really great. We as a couple have stayed all over india in a variety of settings. Here are our honest findings of Arunai Anantha Resort. Room 110, ground level. Pros. Staff is accommodating, thoughtful, kind, warm and friendly. They could answer our many questions about Ramana ashram. The night was quiet and peaceful, the air clean, being at the foot of arunachala mountain. Trees surround the hotel. Filled with chirping birds in the morning. Perfect for yoga. Pool is pristine clean and sparkling Rooms are adequate, if a bit small (we had a standard room with a private sit out onto the kitchen side). Hot water was plentiful in the morning Staff set up a lovely breakfast outside (complimentary) with white covered chairs and tables. Nice touch. Indian tali lunch was good, home style, sattvic food. Not lots of masala and garlic and such. Masala chai was good. Appears this place was built with top end materials originally and an eye to detail and the “resort “ feel. Granite and marble and wood in most places. Amenities, although not high end, were plentiful and necessary. Bed comfortable and supportive for tender backs. Cons: Most of the facility needs a thorough cleaning. The stairways to the roof (views...We stopped for a night here, and found the location to be beautiful, surrounded by trees, built around a lovely courtyard. Overall, a great experience, but the facility needs some TLC to be really great. We as a couple have stayed all over india in a variety of settings. Here are our honest findings of Arunai Anantha Resort. Room 110, ground level.

Pros.
Staff is accommodating, thoughtful, kind, warm and friendly. They could answer our many questions about Ramana ashram.
The night was quiet and peaceful, the air clean, being at the foot of arunachala mountain.
Trees surround the hotel. Filled with chirping birds in the morning. Perfect for yoga.
Pool is pristine clean and sparkling
Rooms are adequate, if a bit small (we had a standard room with a private sit out onto the kitchen side).
Hot water was plentiful in the morning
Staff set up a lovely breakfast outside (complimentary) with white covered chairs and tables. Nice touch.
Indian tali lunch was good, home style, sattvic food. Not lots of masala and garlic and such. Masala chai was good.
Appears this place was built with top end materials originally and an eye to detail and the “resort “ feel. Granite and marble and wood in most places.
Amenities, although not high end, were plentiful and necessary.
Bed comfortable and supportive for tender backs.

Cons:

Most of the facility needs a thorough cleaning. The stairways to the roof (views of the mountain) were littered with small trash and water bottles here and there.

Bathroom was very dirty — tile needs to be cleaned and scrubbed. Toilet made some loud rhythmic sound for 10 minutes after flushing. Sink was badly cracked and needed the faucet to be replaced as well. Bucket and mug was filthy and dangerously so (can give fungal infection) and so useable.

Windows were filthy upon opening — haven’t been cleaned in years.

Sheets looked crisp, but had grease spots or something on them — maybe laundry service is inadequate?

Air conditioner, although working fine, was broken, missing the bottom half of the direction “vanes”.

Staff is, although willing and extremely kind and decent, untrained in some cases. (In other cases, the staff was highly trained)

Public bathrooms near restaurant were dirty.

Prices are too high for this level of hygiene and Upkeep.

This review, for all the criticisms, doesn’t mean we wouldn’t go back! The hospitality and setting would draw us back. But the mentioning of obvious deficits which would be easily remedied, is in hopes that this family run enterprise will rethink their business model and replace broken fixtures and hire proper cleaning people.

Thank you all for the wonderful welcome, good food, and hospitality. Please forgive the harsh sounding tone of the “cons” section. It’s meant to be constructive. :))

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