Ananda in the Himalayas

Meandering through the swarming, sweaty streets of Old Delhi, it's hard to believe India is the home of such life-affirming practices as yoga, meditation and ayurveda. As you weave your way between the ramshackle buildings, narrowly avoiding being run over by cows and countless rickshaws, the last thing on your mind is relaxation and a holistic way of life. Yet just an hour north of Delhi by plane, in the foothills of the Himalayas, there's the perfect place to do just that.

Ananda Spa is in the grounds of Maharaja Tehri-Garhwal's picturesque palace, perched high above the spiritual city and ‘world capital of yoga’ of Rishikesh. In the late 1960s The Beatles came here to seek enlightenment, lean yoga, and meditate - much of the White Album was written at an Ashram in Rishikesh.

The award-winning Ananda opened its doors in 2000 with a mission to restore balance and harmonise energy. And its location, surrounded by forest in the high-altitude pristine air of the Himalayas makes it the perfect place to start. In Sanskrit, the word Ananda means bliss and contentment, and, like most spa resorts, it's certainly easy to feel that way here. What makes Ananda different, however, is that it draws on India's various philosophies and practices to help you chill out, slim down and clean up your body.

The palatial former maharajan residence blends the traditional Indian wellness regimes of Ayurveda, yoga and Vedanta (seeking a higher truth or knowledge through meditation) to holistically treat the mind, body and soul, while the peace and tranquility of Ananda is a real antidote to modern life.

I visited in December to experience Ananda’s Stress Management package, which is especially geared towards frazzled individuals. The vicissitudes of life as a corporate lawyer rendered this the obvious choice, but there are over thirteen different packages to choose from, including yogic detox, anti-ageing, Himalayan romance and a ladies spa getaway – each one tailored to a guest’s personal preferences.

Each package contains a unique combination of treatments and activities, but a full body scrub is the inaugural treatment for all the packages. Luis Molina, newly instated as the Spa Manager, explains that the scrub is at once psychologically, as well as physically significant as the initial therapeutic procedure – not only is it the most invigorating remedy after a long journey, but the feeling of sheer spotlessness after having been scoured with essential oil-infused sea salt results additionally in a feeling of mental clarity.

My package included a Wellness Consultation with an Ayurvedic Doctor, which involved a diagnosis of my bodily constitution, highlighting how diet and changes in lifestyle could improve my overall quality of life. Ayurveda is a holistic philosophy that matches foods to three different body types, or dosha. I was declared to be ‘vata’ (my boyfriend by contrast was pronounced ‘pitta’). Helpfully, the restaurant offers a menu with optimum suggestions for each of the three body types, in addition to the regular a la carte options. The food, by the way, is absolutely out of this world. Cast aside any preconceptions you might hold about ‘spa food’ – at Ananda deprivation is not on the agenda. Having said that, for those who are conscious of their weight, the good news is that every item on the menu has a calorie count. As well as recommending the foods you should be eating, the doctor will suggest a routine to help improve your health and wellbeing.

Ayurvedic principles are also a salient feature of the spa; the oils and lotions used in the treatments will be specific to your particular dosha. A particular highlight of my host of treatments, which included massages, private yoga classes and an insanely sublime Indian head massage was Sirodhara, or "third eye" - an ayurvedic treatment that involves a steady stream of oil being poured on to the centre of your forehead. It is said to calm the mind, improve the memory, help insomnia and ward off senile dementia. Well, if that's what it did, I wanted it.

To begin with, I was given an abhyanga treatment, which involves two therapists in a synchronised massage using herbal oils. Then I was rolled onto my back and the pouring began. First, the smell - sour and acrid: I wasn't convinced my nostrils could cope with this for 45 minutes. The next thing I knew, I was being woken up - I had slept through the entire shebang. Exactly the same thing happened the following day - first the smell, then near-coma, much to the amusement of the therapists.

To enhance the sense of calm there were breathing and relaxation classes, not to mention early-morning yoga in the palace's music pavilion taken by Rishi (otherwise known as Dishy Rishi), the best-looking yoga instructor on any side of the Himalayas.

Picking a package is the most cost-effective way to visit Ananda, but it is also possible to create your own agenda from the full range of ayurvedic treatments on offer, as well as the usual spa fare from over 40 available treatments such as Thai or Swedish massage, reflexology, body wraps and polishes, facials and pedicures. And should you choose aromatherapy make sure you ask for Pummy, who gave me the best aromatherapy massage that I have ever had.

There are a number of group activities available to all guests – two consecutive early morning yoga sessions for beginners and intermediates, a bi-weekly trek to a nearby temple, twice-daily lectures on spiritual topics, a weekly cookery class and a delightful dance show by children from a local orphanage. In fact, pretty much my only grumble is that there were simply not enough hours in the day for me to experience everything that I wanted to during my stay.

It could have been the altitude - 3,000 feet above sea-level in the foothills of the Himalayas; it might have been the closeness of Hradwar and Rishikesh - sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites - while the Ganges rushed down in the valley; but I have a niggling feeling that my exaggerated sense of wellbeing was actually due to the glorious fusion of massage, good food and daily yoga. I cannot recommend the Ananda experience highly enough.

 

Ananda Executive Stress Management Package from $3270 for 5 nights (plus 12% government tax)

The Palace Estate
Narendra Nagar
Tehri - Garhwal
Uttaranchal - 249175
INDIA
Telephone: 91-1378-227500
Facsimile: 91-1378-227550
Email: reservation@anandaspa.com

 

 

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Hotel Corvinus Budapest

With its grand Austro-Hungarian boulevards, Art Nouveau architecture and fin-de-siècle air, Budapest is one of the great showcases of central European culture. It is beautifully defined by the Danube, which runs through its heart, neatly bisecting urban Pest from the more rarefied hills of Buda. Its old-world coffee houses serve rich cakes and pastries. And its residents have been enjoying the natural hot-water springs and culture of bathing and spas since Roman times. A bonus in these lean times is that it is cheap: a recent survey conducted by the Post Office found that of all the central and eastern European cities outside the Eurozone, Budapest represented the best value of all.

If high culture and low cost are not temptation enough, further persuasion to visit – were any needed – is provided by the Hotel Corvinus – a postmodern five-star hotel, located close to both the tourist quarter and the financial district, with 335 beautifully outfitted rooms, 31 suites, three restaurants, an Asian spa and a luxury shopping arcade. The Hotel also owns a unique collection of contemporary Hungarian art, while the Kempinski Gallery exhibits temporary modern art shows. The hotel (the first Hungarian member of The Leading Hotels of the World and recipient of the prestigious “Seven Stars and Stripes” Award) boasts a serene atmosphere, luxurious rooms, elegant restaurants and state-of-the-art technology. In its blend of tradition and modernity the Corvinus is, in many ways, emblematic of modern day Budapest.

My room was decorated in hues of duck-egg blue, warm beige and silver. The pale wood bedhead was pale wood inset with lacquer; behind them, a feature wall was padded in turquoise, matching the drapes. The room also featured striped velvet sofas with roll arms, pale wood desks, complimentary wireless internet access and two desk chairs. The marble bathrooms was inset with mother of pearl mosaic chips in the floor and walls, and came replete with all the mod cons, a large walk in shower and an adjacent bath.

The Hotel showcases a smorgasbord of seasonal specials in the Bistro Jardin, Ristorante Giardino and Lobby Lounge & Bar, and the seasonal Kempinski Terrace and Fashion Lounge on the pedestrianised Fashion Street. Furthermore, the Hotel is now also home to Nobu, which was opened with much fanfare in autumn 2010. The sake barrel was cracked open by Robert De Niro, managing partner Meir Teiper, Andy Vajna, the owner of the restaurant and Nobu Matsuhisa himself while a star studded international A-list crowd watched.

In keeping with the long-standing Hungarian tradition of spas and well-being, the hotel features the Asian-accented Kempinski Spa, designed by Hungarian architect Agnes Balint, uses natural materials, including indigenous Indonesian and Chinese handcrafted furniture. The 500 square metre Spa, with its impressive vista over St Stephen’s Cathedral, features a fitness centre, indoor pool, a traditional Finnish sauna, steam bath, solarium and a therapeutic bath and massage suite, which is also suitable for treatments for couples. An ice well, heated Kneipp benches, foot soaking basins and several treatment rooms offering aromatherapy, combine with integrated audio and lighting systems to provide a holistic sensory experience that is unrivalled in Budapest. I asked the receptionist to recommend her favourite treatment, and she unhesitatingly answered ‘Pantai Luar’. I followed her tip, and was delighted; the 60 minute treatment involved a heady combination of heat, aromatic botanicals and massage using heated stamps of coconut, lime and herbs, and I left feeling utterly uplifted.

Locationwise, the hotel is second to none in downtown Budapest; a stone’s throw from Váci Street, Erzsébet Square and Vörösmarty tér, home to the famous Gerbeaud Cafe. The transportation hub Deák tér is also nearby for a quick escape by metro to all the other sights of the city.

Standard rooms from EUR 143 per night

Erzsébet tér 7-8 • Budapest -1051 • Hungary

www.kempinski.com/budapest 

Cinnamon Club

Since The Cinnamon Club opened in 2001, a steady procession of politicians, lobbyists, deal-makers and celebrities has made it one of the most fashionable of Westminster’s eateries. The restaurant occupies the site of what was previously the old Westminster library, a grand lump of red-brick Gothic Victoriana not far from the House of Commons. When it opened, some commentators held up the development as a marker for all that was wrong about 21st-century London. Supplanting a cathedral of learning with one where fat wallets spend their largesse on increasing their largeness. This is not entirely fair. It makes it sound like a gang of crack restauranteurs abseiled down the walls and flung themselves in through the leaded windows before burning the books and proclaiming kitchen rule. It didn't happen like that. Westminster council closed the library and offered up the building to a commercial interest. Iqbal Wahhab won the lease. At least it's not another office block. Plus there are attempts to replicate the air of a library; the gallery is packed with row after row of old books (although on closer inspection, the floor-to-ceiling bookcase in the smart bar reveals shelf contents presented more for decoration than erudition, and far too many Bibles for any real book lover).

The cavernous husk of the library bestows a cool, calm space with a lovely airy vault, fine parquet floors and great stretches of brown-leather panelling. It is a space that lends equally well to lunches as to dinners. In spite of its size, the clever lighting brings night-time intimacy to the place, reminiscent of evening sojourns spent enveloped in the library at university. More surprising still was the sociable buzz about the place, which for 7pm on a Monday night was nothing short of startling.

All curry clichés are banned from the menu, so don’t even bother if you want chicken tikka masala, onion bhaji or poppadoms. There is tandoori on the menu, but it is pigeon or Portobello mushroom. We settled for the tasting menu (my companion opting for the vegetarian version). The amuse-gueule was a magnificent mouthful of sweet potato fritter served with sweet tamarind sauce, which came perched on beautiful porcelain with a dainty fork.

Then came the starters. My friend declared his potato cake with date, spinach and apricot a revelation and enthused over his curried vegetable ravioli with a pomegranate extract and. The spice kick came subtly and the sweetness of the sauce played beautifully against it. My fish succession of salmon, scallop and king prawn (the latter simmered in saffron and almond sauce) was superb. All the fish was expertly cooked - crisp on the outside, and yet still tender within, and there was a gentleness to the tandoori spicing of the salmon that left an impression without overwhelming the flavour of the seafood itself.

My veggie chum, whose anticipation had been piqued by the potato cake, declared his main course of Portobello mushroom, vegetable curry and tomato naan ‘good but unexceptional’. By contrast my red deer with fenugreek onion sauce was a sensitively-spiced, achingly tender textural triumph. It was also beautifully presented, to the extent that we joked whether we should eat it or photograph it. I ended up doing both.

Pudding lifted the game yet again; saffron poached pears with lemon and pistachio mousse were delicate and soothing. But a cautionary note. The food is rich, very rich, and very abundant: a pre-pudding amuse-bouche, along with the pre-starter and the petits fours, took the tasting menu course tally from eight to eleven. Pre-prandial planning would therefore be prudent.

Although prices are high, the spectacular tasting menu, at £75, represents real value, and whilst the concept of upmarket Indian food may no longer be considered cutting-edge stuff, rarely is it realised at this level of innovation and excellence.

The Old Westminster Library,

30-32 Great Smith Street,London SW1P 3BUT: 020 7222 2555info@cinnamonclub.com

Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel, Portugal

The charm of the wild stretch of sand on the south-west tip of the Algarve that constitutes Martinhal Beach lies in its simplicity. There's lots of space for lounging around or running about on the wild stretch of sand, where the Atlantic is in a constant strop. When you tire of your holiday reading, you can stretch your legs with a walk across the headland to see the ruins of Henry the Navigator's fort, the Cape Canaveral of the 15th century. Or you could always just while away the time watching surfers ride the waves, or gulls and waders seek out the waters of the tidal pool. True relaxation. What more could you want?

Turn your back to the sea and consider a new vision of what visitors to Martinhal might desire. At the top of the beach, where there was once just the pines and maritime scrub of the Costa Vincentina Natural Park, stands a flash new hotel with a legion of holiday houses, the Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel.

Sounds like eco-vandalism. But it isn't, at least to my mind. This plot of land had been scythed by a road and earmarked for development back in the 1980s – before people gave much of a thought to letting diggers mow down Mother Nature and get so close to the seashore. All sorts of monstrosities could have scarred this fragile landscape. Fortunately, the final plan was put in the hands of Roman and Chitra Stern, Nigel Chapman and Nicholas Dickinson.

Fans of hotel breaks might recognise those last two names as the original team behind Woolley Grange, the stylish, unstuffy, family-friendly retreat in Wiltshire that won a generation of affluent British parents over to the idea that hotels could genuinely welcome rather than tolerate kids. Chapman and Dickinson rolled out their now much-copied formula to three more properties before the collection, Luxury Family Hotels, was snapped up by Von Essen in 2006. That family-centred boutique approach also impressed the Sterns, who asked the hoteliers to create and run the hotel at Martinhal, to fulfil an essential part of the planning permission for the whole project.

But Chapman and Dickinson's influence hasn't been confined to the hotel. They also prompted a radical rethink of the resort's architecture, which led to the traditional Portuguese style of the 50 villas completed in the initial build being ditched in favour of an audacious modern interpretation of the landscape by London-based architects Conran & Partners.

Conran conceived a long, two-storey structure for the hotel and set it on the brow of the beach, placing 10 bedrooms with sea-facing terraces at ground level and a glass-fronted lounge and restaurant on the floor above. Twenty-eight more bedrooms and suites were set at one side, in a sequence of huge wood-clad boxes. And, directly below the hotel, the architects laid out a beach club, with a large pool, bar and restaurant.

The box concept was repeated for the design of the 132 resort houses, where the concrete was left bare. Conran made the most of the confines of the original plot by positioning some units to overlook the beach and others facing the bay and the pine woods of the surrounding nature reserve. At the centre of the site, a landlocked space was turned to the resort's advantage with the creation of a walled and gated complex focusing on a vast garden with a pool, designed to appeal to families with youngsters.

A large open-air "Village Square" serves as the the heart of the off-beach action, with an indoor/outdoor pool, shop, bistro, ice-cream parlour, gym, crèche and a club for older children, replete with Wii and foosball tables. Tennis courts and a spa with six treatment rooms, sauna and steam room are positioned in further-flung corners of the resort.

The resort has taken a holistic approach to its impact upon the local environment; both environmental and social considerations have been taken into account. All the buildings have excellent insulation and had been orientated to the sun, and use the rainfall from the roofs on the soil, thereby alleviating pressure on the local sewage works.  Moreover, indigenous plants that required minimal watering were selected – in the Algarve, one of the biggest environmental issues is the over-extraction of water. The resort has also renewed the electricity supply to the nearby town Sagres, and hired many of the 250 staff from the local area; 250 further indirect jobs have been created, practical acknowledgements of its role in the community.

The resort boasts a trio of restaurants. Lunch on the terrace at the chic As Dunas can slip languorously into cocktail hour. Line-caught fish, fleshy hoops of grilled squid, just-landed oysters and clams, and a peculiar delicacy called perceves, a goose-necked barnacle resembling dinosaur toes are served by the beach. O Terraco serves breakfast and gourmet fare, including the chef's sublime starter of sea urchin with scrambled egg served in a half-urchin shell (at €49/£40 the six-course tasting menu is excellent value for money), whilst Os Gambozinos in the Village Square is a more laid back pizzeria-cum-diner.

The resort boasts an excellent spa -The Finisterra, which provides a comprehensive range of treatments, and multifarious diversions including surfing, scuba diving, windsurfing, riding, jeep safaris, nature walks, gourmet picnics and (at preferential rates) golf.

The interiors of all the lodgings are as striking as the buildings, with furniture commissioned from Michael Sodeau, whose work features in London's Victoria & Albert Museum. His covetable designs rekindle artisan skills, using such materials as Portuguese wood and cork fashioned into deceptively simple softly angled shapes. The in-house interiors team, led by Chapman, has embellished the practical look with soft fabrics and fun touches such as sheepskin beanbags and giant basket-weave lamps, sourced with help from London design dealer Twentytwentyone. My timber-clad "beach room" had a decked, bay-facing balcony and the bathroom came with separate shower and oversized tub and cute cane-woven lamps made from Algarvian reeds.

The quality of finish could be no less for a hotel pronouncing itself "Europe's finest luxury family resort". More surprising are the prices, which start at £129 a night in the hotel and £1,100 a week for a house sleeping four – very competitive for the five-star market. But the biggest pull for me is still that wonderful beach.

Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel, Apartado 54, Sagres, 8650-908, Portugal. (00351 282 620 026; www.martinhal.com)

We flew with award winning low fares airline Monarch, which offers flights to Faro from Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton (summer season only) and Manchester airports with fares, including taxes, starting from £46.50 one way (£83.99 return)

In addition to year-round low fares, Monarch also offers a unique range of tasty hot and cold meals onboard with prices from £3.00. Seats can be pre-booked at £7.50 per one-way flight to avoid the last minute free-for-all experienced on some other airlines, or for only £20, extra-legroom seats are available, which offer up to six inches of extra space.

Passengers travelling on scheduled flights can also avoid the queues at the airport and take advantage of online check-in which is available between 18 days and 4.5 hours prior to departure.For further information or to book, please visit www.monarch.co.uk.

Moscow's top hotels

It's a while since capitalism came to Russia, but the free market has been slow to work its wonders on Moscow's hotels. In the last few years, however, the choice of accommodation has expanded, with most of the major international chains building, or planning, properties. In the best hotels, standards, style and overall panache are world class, and unrecognisable compared with 10 years ago.

Baltschug Kempinski

Dating partly from 1898, the Hotel Baltschug belies its age, with an airy, light character, yet without any sense of having been brutalised by modernity. Located on the other side of the Moskva from Red Square, the hotel has the twin benefits of centrality and vantage; there is arguably no better view of St Basil’s and the Kremlin from anywhere in the city than that afforded by one of the hotel’s 40 luxury suites (some equipped with telescopes; ideal for those trying to keep an eye on state affairs).  There are 230 rooms, in three categories, but specify the view – choices are the Kremlin and Red Square, side streets or the hotel atrium, and a premium is paid accordingly. In addition to the view, guests may also select their preferred internal decor. A number of rooms have been decorated by Sir David Linley, the Swedish Company Living Design, and even HRH Princess Michael of Kent. The latter managed, with a few reams of excessively florid wallpaper and corresponding curtains, to feminise the Presidential suite to such an extent that the room is now known as the Princess Suite. Not for nothing is she dubbed ‘Princess Pushy’.

The panoramic views and fusion of European sensibility and Russian extravagance in the main Baltschug restaurant make meals memorable, but the Shogun restaurant, showcasing Asian cuisine (the latest fad among moneyed Muscovites), offers some spectacular sushi and sashimi, with thrice-weekly deliveries from Tsukiji Market. There is also Cafe Kranzler – a traditional Berlin-style coffee house with a wide and tempting selection of home-made confections. The hotel also boasts a bar with the world’s longest vodka menu, as well as a number of meeting rooms and often hosts exhibitions and fashion shows in the capacious Atrium.

The Health Club comprises a well-stocked gym, a satisfyingly long pool, sauna, solarium and a yoga class. The Baltschug Beauty Centre is small, but the therapists are exceptional. I had a Lomi-Lomi massage, an immensely profound Hawaiian treatment that involves the therapist employing forearms as well as hands, and massaging different parts of the body simultaneously.

Besides the Baltschug’s diverse domestic distractions, there is the cultural crucible of Moscow to explore, and the hotel has a number of guides who will, in consultation with guests, tailor-make a city tour.

 007 495 287 2000; www.kempinski.com/moscow.

Golden Apple Hotel

Despite the daft name, the 92-room Golden Apple is a welcome novelty in Moscow, and an alternative to the traditional grandeur of the central hotels and the Stalinist hangovers on the outskirts. The city's self-proclaimed "first boutique hotel" (2004), it's the sort of thing that could have gone horribly wrong, but if sleek contemporary is your thing, this is the place. There is an overwhelming sense of the Sanderson London here; the eponymous golden apple – a giant gilt cutaway sofa imbibes something of the Starckian Cocteau-like dream world into the hotel’s lobby. The hotel is well-located for the city's key shopping streets and half a mile north of Red Square. The spa was under reconstruction when I visited (it reopened at the beginning of September 2010), and if they’ve done as good a job as they have on the recently-refurbished restaurant, it will be outstanding.

The restaurant focuses on ‘molecular cuisine’ elements, but this does not, as I incorrectly assumed, mean puny portions – far from it. Rather, the focus is on aesthetics and flavour, and any single dish could contain over ten individual ingredients. I was stuffed after the starter (warm seafood salad with langoustines and pineapple dressing), but somehow made room for the steak (with countless accoutrements).

Arguably the hotel’s top feature (besides the achingly hip bar’s inbuilt chess board – perfect for sparking barman banter) is the in-room Nespresso machines, which really raises the tea and coffee making facilities bar to another level.

007 495 980 7000; www.goldenapple.ru

Ararat Park Hyatt

The oligarchs’ (and Paris Hilton’s) choice, the Ararat opened in 2002 on Neglinnaya Ulitsa, just a few minutes' walk from the Bolshoi Theatre, and within comfortable walking distance of Red Square and the Kremlin. The hotel owes not only its forename, but also its outward appearance to Armenia. The shape of the building represents ancient Armenian edifice: massive polyhedrons of fortresses and temples built into the surrounding landscape with forensic accuracy. Moreover, Cafe Ararat, the first floor restaurant, is a replica of the landmark establishment of the same name that existed from the 1940s until the 1970s inside the former Hotel Armenia.

The Park Restaurant on the hotel’s second floor is particularly renowned for its Sunday brunches – a mêlée of world cuisines washed down with unlimited champagne, but the ultimate dining experience here is to be found in the Conservatory Bar and Lounge on the 10^th floor of the hotel. The trendy zebrano wood-meets-chromium bar, with both internal and external seating, offers sweeping views over the Duma and the Bolshoi theatre. Indeed, the sensational view earned the Conservatory a place in the ‘Best Bars in the World’ list compiled by the Architectural Digest. It is somewhat ironic that Ararat, the city in Armenia from which the hotel’s name derives, is notorious for the impurity of its atmosphere, as on the day we visit, the toxic smog that has engulfed Moscow for a fortnight makes an unsolicited reappearance, scuppering our al fresco dining intentions. The views from inside are just as spectacular, but fortunately the food bucks the conventional negative view-quality correlation. All the dishes we tried – a gazpacho, tuna tartare and pelmeni (Russian ravioli) – demanded focus on the plate as opposed to the window.

The hotel contains 216 rooms, including 21 suites, which are in no sense generic, all featuring designs individual designs that project a cosmopolitan yet residential feel.  

Flights: We flew from London Heathrow to Moscow Domodedovo with British Midland International (bmi). bmi offers twice daily return economy flights from London Heathrow to Moscow from £218 (www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-gb/special-offers/flight-offers/worldwide-hotspots.aspx), or why not treat yourself to Business Class tickets: from £1394 including taxes, and enjoy the Great British Lounge at Terminal 1, Gate 5 featuring an Aga serving piping hot soup and porridge, The Local (a bar offering a sophisticated British pub environment), Lounge Dining, showers and work stations.