The Best Luxury Hotels in Munnar, India

Stay at the Windermere Estate and enjoy strolling through the surrounding tea gardens
Stay at the Windermere Estate and enjoy strolling through the surrounding tea gardens | Courtesy of Windermere Estate / Booking.com
Isabella Noble

In the misty folds of this tea-stitched, trail-laced hill station in India, you’ll find converted cardamom estates, spoiling ayurvedic spas and infinity-edge retreats that take in views of the Western Ghats. Take a look at our pick of Munnar hotels – all bookable on Culture Trip.

The hotels in Munnar have seriously amped up their luxury game in recent years. Today, around this atmospheric Indian hill station, you can soak up mist-wrapped views of the Unesco-protected Western Ghats of Kerala from a silky-smooth infinity pool, savour the go-slow pace of life at a scenically sited homestay, hit up a swish spa for Ayurvedic treatments, or settle into a tea- and spice-stitched plantation stay. Here are the best luxury hotels in Munnar, from romantic couples’ escapes to wholesome hideaways for gangs of friends.

Windermere Estate

Hotel

Overlooking treetops a hotel room at the Windermere Estate has large windows that fill the room with light.
Courtesy of Windermere Estate / Expedia.com

While other Munnar luxury resorts turn things sleekly contemporary, this reimagined colonial-era cardamom estate charms with elegant plantation-inspired architecture, natural-feel grounds packed with peach and guava, and a dazzling pool looking across tea-growing fields. It’s the most magical address in Munnar, with spectacular views sweeping down the valley. The 18 soothingly stylish rooms spotlight local crafts (hand-embroidered sheets, Munnar-made furniture) and feature gabled roofs, terracotta flooring and fresh-cut flowers. Dining here is a delight: the kitchen whips up glorious Keralan meals based on market-fresh and homegrown ingredients.

Rose Gardens

Boutique Hotel

Twin beds and cherry wood furniture decorate this simple room at Rose Gardens, Munnar.
Courtesy of Rose Gardens

The luxury at award-winning Rose Gardens arrives in the form of an enchanting, eco-conscious guesthouse in Munnar (12km/7.5mi southwest of Munnar town), surrounded by organic spice and fruit crops, whispering shola forest and rainbow-painted botanical gardens. The five warm rooms (with solar-heated water) open onto terraces where you can feast on breakfasts of fresh pineapple, coconut-laced pancakes and locally grown coffee. After spending the day wandering the tea estates of Munnar or spotting Western Ghats wildlife – including macaques, Bengal tigers, leopards, Indian elephants and wild dogs – relax over glorious Keralan family dinners rooted in homegrown produce.

Amber Dale Munnar

Boutique Hotel

A window-side jacuzzi bathtub looks out over the regions ghats from a large hotel suite at Amber Dale Munnar.
Courtesy of Amber Dale Munnar / Hotels.com

Out in the wild yet still only a 10-minute drive into Munnar town, this is a smart, contemporary design escape with views cascading across tea estates. Go for a valley-facing room with a terrace, or better yet, enjoy it all from the private hot tub in the honeymoon suite. Cycling, hiking, campfires and cooking demos are among the activities on offer, while the spa puts the focus on traditional Ayurveda with classic treatments including shirodhara head massage.

The Leaf Munnar Resort

Resort

An infinity pool looks out over green mountains and ghats at The Leaf Munnar Resort.
Courtesy of The Leaf Munnar Resort / Expedia.com

Around 15km (9mi) south of Munnar, this sparkling luxury resort sits among bright hillside gardens and rustling coconut palms, overlooking Chengulam Dam. Rooms channel a low-key, cottage-inspired look (gabled roofs, tangled greenery) – that is, until you stumble across the private-pool villas, which up the ante a notch. But the real star is the gleaming infinity pool, with mountain views sprawling all around. Start the day with open-air yoga or meditation, hike to waterfalls and viewpoints, and dive into the area’s tea-growing history, especially around nearby Chithirapuram.

Cuckmere Resort

Hotel

A large bed faces its balcony seating area overlooking the treetops at the Cuckmere Resort.
Courtesy of Cuckmere Resort / Expedia.com

The Muthirapuzha River meanders past this original, forest-fringed resort –one of the best hotels in Munnar – which takes inspiration from both traditional Keralan architecture and mountain lodges around the world. Rooms are smartly styled with coconut-wood furniture, banana-fibre lights and splashes of gold, with the club category making the most of sprawling views through sweeping windows and private balconies. Laze in the floodlit infinity pool, or dive into the art of Keralan cooking with a resident chef. It’s all surrounded by spice gardens, 14km (9mi) south of Munnar in Pallivasal village.

The Panoramic Getaway

Hotel

A plunge pool and private seating area looks out over the ghats of Munnar from the The Panoramic Getaway.
Courtesy of The Panoramic Getaway / Expedia.com

Feeling more like a slick city bolthole, this top-end retreat lives up to the name with wraparound views across shola forest and tea fields, near Anachal village (10km/6mi outside Munnar). Solar power, a biogas plant and organic vegetable gardens figure among the ecofriendly initiatives at this luxury hotel in Munnar. The Panoramic Suite comes with an open-air shower and a swing bench; or you can splash around in your own plunge pool in the mirror-walled Pavilion Suite, which also has a sauna. Elsewhere, all guests have access to two heated infinity pools – one of them adults-only.

Spice Tree Munnar

Hotel

Twin beds sit in front of a window seat overlooking the treetops in a wood-panelled suite at the Spice Tree Munnar.
Courtesy of Spice Tree Munnar / Expedia.com

It’s more than worth the hour’s drive to reach this stylish, environmentally aware, get-away-from-it all spot, 20km (12mi) west of Munnar in the forested, spice-growing Bison Valley area. Antique furniture fills the soothing rooms (which have tiled baths and colourful throws), solar power heats the view-soaked pool, regional herbs fuel the Ayurvedic spa, and yoga classes add to the fresh and fragrant Keralan menu. There’s also a strong focus on interacting with and supporting the local community via expert-led tours about the spice-trade history of the region.

Kites Resort

Hotel

A private guest suite with balcony and roof terrace looks out over the regions ghats from Kites Resort, Munnar.
Courtesy of Kites Resort / Booking.com

Knockout Western Ghats views steal the show at low-key Kites Resort in Munnar, around 20km (12mi) south town, so it’s only fitting that each room gets a balcony. The tiered cottage-like rooms are built into a sloping, garden-dotted hillside and kept both fuss-free and contemporary, while an elevated walkway leads to the open-air dining area, where market-fresh ingredients arrive in dishes of coconutty Keralan-style fish and more. Get out into the wild with a hike up Chokramudi Peak, mountain bike to nearby villages, or go bird and butterfly watching around rushing waterfalls.

Ragamaya Resort & Spa Munnar

Hotel

A king-size bed next to a seating area opens out to a balcony overlooking the treetops and mountains at Ragamaya Resort & Spa Munnar.

You’ll drink in calming panoramas across Ponmudi Lake from the climatised saltwater infinity pool at Ragamaya, a classic-meets-contemporary retreat, 30km (19mi) south of Munnar town. There’s a choice of 20 traditional or more contemporary rooms, all with balconies, and the best have private plunge pools. In the Ayurvedic Spandini Spa, centuries-old therapies such as oil-based abhyanga massages and herb-infused kizhi await, and all kinds of outdoor fun can be arranged, from canoeing and hiking to visits to a spice and coffee farm.

Fancy discovering even more stunning hotels in Munnar? Check out our guide to the best places to stay in Munnar, or these top hotels, bookable with Culture Trip.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article