There are many hill stations to explore and go to for a weekend getaway in south India if you are living in Bangalore. One among them is Wayanad which is known for its trekking trails, breathtaking waterfalls, caves and amazing weather. Wayanad has pleasant days & cold nights and winters are the best time to visit to get a chance to enjoy the best of what Wayanad has to offer weather wise. And if you want to experience this sitting in the lap of luxury then Taj Wayanad Resort is just the thing you need.
This resort is spread across 10 acres and has a picture-perfect 270 degree view of the stunning expanse of Banasura Lake and its forested hills. Rather than saying more, it would be better to show it through the pics 🙂
Seeing the resort I realized they have put overall mental & physical well being of the guests at the center by giving a living-close-to-nature experience. You get 43 Waterfront villas & cottages, 61 balcony rooms with panoramic view of the lake & vegetation covered green hills, lake-side benches, a yoga deck & spa center and so much more.
This property became operational in early 2023 so I decided to visited this property in September 2023 with my family for a 2 night stay and here is my review of the Taj Wayanad Resort.
- Location
- Booking
- Check-in Experience
- Room Experience
- Resort Experience
- Breakfast & High-tea Experience
- Bottomline
Location
If you are starting from Bangalore, then there are three routes that that you can choose from –
| Route 1 | BLR to Mysore via NH 275 > Mysore to Wayanad via NH 275 & SH 54 |
| Route 2 | BLR to Mysore via NH 275 > Mysore to Wayanad via Nagarhole Tiger Reserve through SH 33 & SH 54 |
| Route 3 | BLR to Mysore via NH 275 > Mysore to Bandipur National Park via NH 766 > Bandipur National Park to Wayanad via NH 766 & SH 54 |
The time it takes from all the routes is more or less the same (around 7 hours if you drive non-stop). I took the Route #3 while going to Wayanad and Route #2 on the way back with a stop in Mysore each time. In my option, Route #3 is better as you get to enjoy the lush green forests while crossing the Bandipur National Park. You get similar experience on Route #2 as well but there is stretch of ~25 Kms of really bad road while crossing Nagarhole Tiger Reserve.
The resort is not exactly in Wayanad but ~30 Kms away although it is closer to some tourist attractions like the Banasura Sagar dam (5 Kms – 15 min), Lakkidi view point (26 Kms – 45 min) & Pookode lake (23 Kms – 40 min)
Booking
The room tariff at Taj Wayanad Resort can be somewhere between Rs. 17000 – 25000 per night for the base room category.
I had booked the Superior room with complimentary breakfast. The entire bill was paid through Taj vouchers that I got by redeeming the reward points accumulated on my Amex Platinum Travel card & Standard Chartered Ultimate credit card.
Check-in Experience
We left from Bangalore around 9am and took a break in Mysore. By the time we reached the resort, it was already sunset as while leaving Mysore, it started raining heavily and the visibility was low. On our way to the resort we got a call from the reception desk asking for our time of arrival and whether we need any assistance in reaching the destination which was very considerate.
On reaching the resort, we were welcomed with a juice and a local heritage inspired necklace made of wooden beads. The check-in process got completed swiftly.
Room Experience
We requested for a room on a higher floor with better view and the resort staff was courteous enough to accomodate the request. We got a room on the 3rd floor with a big balcony to soak in the panoramic view of the Banasura lake.
Room had wooden floor and nice soothing colors and patio furniture in the balcony to sit back and enjoy the view. The bathroom was spacious with a nice shower area but there wasn’t a bathtub though.
Believe me, when you wake up in the morning and step out in the balcony, your eyes will get captivated by the beautiful view of the hills and the lake and the vastness of it 🙂
During our visit, it was mostly overcast weather with little sunshine for small intervals during which the scenic beauty of the place was even more prominent.
Resort Experience
Although the resort is not that huge but it has nice amenities that you can take benefit of and spend a delightful time with your family to relax, play games at entertainment hub, get a spa, etc. Since our trip was more of a leisure trip, we didn’t do much local sight seeing apart from a couple of places that were in the vicinity of the resort and spent most of our time in the resort.
Restaurants
Resort has good options for dining and when you dine with the view like we saw above, it just can’t get any better 🙂 Check out the pics for yourself.
- Southern Spice – As the name suggests, this restaurant serves South Indian cuisine with dishes from all 4 southern states.
- Bar Lounge – It is a maritime-themed bar but it wasn’t operational as they didn’t have license to serve liquor when we visited. You can check with the Taj team about it’s latest status.
- Tropics – This is the pool-side bar with a tropical theme and great lake side view where you can enjoy drinks and sit for hours. They also serve complimentary high tea here every evening.
- Shamiana – It is the multi-cuisine All-Day Dining restaurant where they serve complimentary buffet breakfast and other meals if that’s part of your booking. You can also go for à la carte. You can choose to either sit inside the restaurant or outside area in the balcony which feels amazing
Other Amenities & Activities
There are many activities to do from physical & mental perspective. There is a small play arena with indoor games, 650m promenade along the peripheral of the resort for morning strolls, an amazing infinity pool, an open yoga deck, Kid’s zone, the J Wellness Circle (Taj’s brand of Spa centers).
During evening the pool area is lively and you can sit on the lounge chairs sipping a drink. You can also play net cricket or do some adventure like rope cycling in the resort.
The View
The USP of this resort has to be the view without a doubt. With waterbody surrounding the resort from all three sides, you almost get a feeling that you are at a resort on an island. You can enjoy this privilege from anywhere on the resort whether you are dining, swimming in the infinity pool or working out in the gym.
Breakfast & High-tea Experience
The breakfast spread at Shamiana restaurant was decent. I would not say it will blow you away or anything but to rate it I would say the menu was 8/10 plus the service was very really good and on the mark.
If the weather is clear and sun is shining then you will definitely enjoy sitting in the restaurant’s balcony area having breakfast and a warm cup of coffee.
The best part for me was the evening high-tea. Sipping warm tea with delicious snacks and listening to the sound of rain with the hills getting blurred in the background was really heavenly.
Bottomline
Taj Wayanad Resort is a very good option to consider if you want to enjoy a pleasurable stay with a mesmerizing view every time you wake up in the morning. The hospitality of the staff is also top notch and most probably you won’t find any occasion to complain.
I think for family or for a couple, this resort has lot to offer and I sure had a great time with my family here.
If you also want to stay in similar luxury properties of Taj or Marriott for free, then you can do so by getting premium cards like Amex Platinum charge card with Taj e-vouchers worth 45000
[Apply through the link above to get 10000 Reward points in addition to Taj e-vouchers worth 45000]
The Platinum card is an ultra-premium card with high fee so if you want an alternative you could go for Amex Platinum Travel card that you can get for free in the first year.
[Apply through the link above to get 2000 Reward points & First Year Fee waiver of Rs. 3500]
What are your thoughts about the Taj Wayanad Resort & Spa? Have you been to this resort or planning to go sometime in future? Feel free to share your views in the comment section below.
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