Amritara Shalimar Spice Garden Resort & Spa

The moment I stepped in, this place reminded me of a tropical rainforest. The atmosphere is very peaceful and the staff are extremely courteous. The rooms are spotless, their natural mosquito repellent is effective, and the food tastes great. They offer a nature tour on the grounds where they talk about various trees, spices, and their uses and medicinal benefits, which is very informative. We spent a whole day just at this location. It looks stunning in the daytime and enchanting at night too.

Spent 2 nights here with family. While the lush jungle setting and bird-chirping mornings were absolutely beautiful, the property does not justify the ’10k/night price tag.Cons:Rooms: Spacious but basic, with dated budget-hotel furnishings and an uncomfortable mattress. Missing essentials like an iron (had to request it).Food: Very limited menu. Being a remote location, you have to eat here, yet there were only 3 veg options and a repetitive breakfast layout.Pests: Lots of mosquitoes due to the greenery; management should proactively provide repellents on the balconies.Pros: Incredibly peaceful, immersive nature experience.Great potential, but desperately needs better dining options and upgraded room comfort.Another thing to point out is the rude receptionist. She called me at 4.30PM on the day of check-in and asked me for the IDs of all the guest insisting that we were late for check-in. I don't think 5PM check-in is late.

Stayed here for 2 nights with family. The jungle surroundings and bird songs in the morning were stunning, but the cost of ₹10k per night feels unjustified. Cons: Rooms: Large but simple, with old budget-style furniture and an uncomfortable bed. Lacked basics like an iron, which I had to ask for. Food: Menu was very limited. Since it's remote, you have to eat onsite, but there were only 3 vegetarian dishes and breakfast was repetitive. Pests: Many mosquitoes because of the greenery; the hotel should provide repellents on balconies proactively. Pros: Extremely tranquil and a deeply natural setting. The place has great potential but really needs improved dining choices and better room comfort. Also, the receptionist was rude. She called me at 4:30 PM on check-in day demanding IDs for all guests and said we were late, even though check-in is at 5 PM, which I don't consider late.

Overall it was a very bad experience for us. We had called the hotel who confirmed that all rooms have air conditioning. But when we reached the place, the rooms did not have air conditioning or even ceiling fan. Even when it was raining, it was hot inside the rooms. The duplicity and lies was very frustrating. The hotel should market better that the resort is aimed at only very athletic people ( who can climb up and down to the restaurant) and who has a very tolerance for heat. And who appreciates staying in true wilderness. The plants were overgrown. The hall area for conducting halls was very dusty. I understand the aesthetic beauty of plantation. The food was also very disappointing in its variety especially the lunch, as it had little to no Kerala speciality dishes.I would never ever recommend this place to any family with kids or elders. The only saving grace is its staff who are courteous, but you could get the vibe that the management has them on a very tight leash with hardly any real power.As a Malayali, I felt very bad that this was the experience being meted out to tourists and travellers.

Our experience was quite negative overall. We called ahead and were told all rooms had air conditioning, but upon arrival, the rooms lacked both air conditioning and ceiling fans. Even during rain, the rooms remained hot. The dishonesty was very frustrating. The hotel should clearly state that the resort is suited only for very athletic guests who can manage climbing to the restaurant and tolerate heat, and who enjoy staying in true wilderness. The plants were overgrown, and the hall used for events was very dusty. While I appreciate the plantation's natural beauty, the food was disappointing, especially lunch, which lacked Kerala specialty dishes. I would never recommend this place to families with children or elderly members. The only positive was the polite staff, though it seemed management kept them tightly controlled with little real authority. As a Malayali, I felt saddened that tourists and travelers had to face such an experience.