Our stay at Spice Village was like a dream. Everyone made us feel so welcome. From the check-in with friendly Jebin, early morning yoga session, the delicious breakfast buffet with Alan, Emmanuel, Akhil, Nayana and Kavya, sitting by the pool with Vishnu, the tour of the property with enthusiastic naturalist Krishna. The evenings at the wonderful bar accompanied by excellent cocktails by Rahul and snooker lessons from Francis topped off by an excellent dinner prepared by Aiswarya and the other chefs. The true commitment to sustainability and the authenticity with which the staff put it to practice made all the difference. We are so glad we took the time to stay a few days to appreciate the environment. We will definitely come back next time we are in Kerala.

The fact that we had to leave! We really can't think of anything.

We loved the whole hotel and its eco practices, we enjoy making paper, yoga early in the morning and spotting birds, the buffet was great and the room was very comfortable. The team was very kind from the pool, to the restaurant ro the reception to the Tiger club. This last one was very helpful to read and learn more about the fauna and flora from Periyar Reserve. We also had incredible Ayurveda massages and we even bought the flower shampoo they make self-made. We want to come back again when our daughter is older to be able to make a trekking in the forest and luckily spot free elephants. Thank you for the great time and memories!

Before our visit we stayed in homestays and the experience was way more authentic and we liked the idea of investing in the real people of the community and place. For example, on the other places, our driver could stay and even eat from what they cooked. Here we found that this "service" style was too much formal for us.

The whole property is located in the forest next to the Periyar tiger reserve, which was a walk away. The concept is about ecology and sustainability. We were greeted warmly with an eco necklace with the hotel logo as a gift. The rooms were separate little bungalows fashioned on workers cottages with thatched roofs. The property was clean and homely as well as spacious. The location in the forest enabled us to be immersed in nature. There was a bar/games room a cafe and a pool. In the private cottage with garden, the spacious cottage with bedroom and sitting room. The bed was high with a step to get in and quite a novelty. The bed was comfortable. Sitting out in the garden quietly, the animals and birds appeared very quickly. The restaurant had home cooked food and used all ingredients from the local area. The food was of an excellent quality. We went on a night jungle excursion organised by the hotel land a jeep safari the next day. WE were very lucky to see many animals on both the trips with good guides and explanation of the area and the conservation programs. We felt that we could have stayed longer.

Nothing

A superb place to unwind for urban dwellers. Situated right next to the Periyar Tiger Reserve, the propert is rich in flora and fauna. My favourite was the Malabar whistling thrush singing melodies outside the room. They have a lot of activities throughout the day to keep us engaged, children included. The staff are courteous, helpful and highly knowledgeable. The rooms including the bathrooms were clean and aptly decored. The food variety on offer would satisfy the taste of most people.

Although the cleanliness was good overall, more attention could be given to keep all surfaces super clean, especially the restaurant tables.

This is probably my favorite hotel I’ve stayed in. I don’t usually splurge on hotels, so when I do I can be nitpicky about it but this place was absolutely worth every cent. Beautiful place. The food (including the breakfast buffet, the buffet dinner and the à la carte café) was wonderful. I had a spicy eggplant dish that I still daydream about. If you’re in Thekkady, it’s very likely that you’re planning on checking out Periyar park, which can be frustrating to book in advance as they don’t accept foreign credit cards. The staff at Spice Village helped me book border trekking (highly recommend) for the following day, which was a big help. Everyone who worked there was a great professional. Coming back to this hotel after a day of trekking was fantastic. The naturalistic vibe is very relaxing and the room was superbly comfortable. Very cute monkeys.

There is a beautiful bar on the property but no alcohol is served. This feels like a shame and a waste of a really nice space (but if you’re desperate for a post-hike beer you can just pop over to Grandma’s Cafe nearby). The Ayurvedic spa was not my cup of tea.

Our family, including young kids and elderly parents, had a wonderful three-day stay at CGH Spice Village in Thekkady. The resort's warm hospitality, spacious cottages, and beautiful natural surroundings immediately impressed us. The dining experience was fantastic, with a variety of delicious, locally-sourced dishes. The kids loved the special menu, and our parents appreciated the accommodating staff who catered to their dietary needs. Activities were abundant and suitable for all ages. Our parents enjoyed nature walks and bird watching, while the kids had a blast in the swimming pool and play area. The eco-friendly practices of the resort were both educational and engaging for everyone. The Ayurvedic treatments provided a much-needed relaxation, and the storytelling sessions, cooking lessons and cultural programs entertained the kids. The staff's attentiveness and genuine care made our stay even more enjoyable. Overall, CGH Spice Village offered the perfect blend of relaxation, adventure, and learning, making it an ideal family-friendly retreat. We left with cherished memories and a promise to return.

The buffet options were limited to breakfast. It would have been nicer if they extended the buffet service to include lunch and dinner as well.

Beautiful property, they take their eco responsibilities very seriously. Staff are very professional, friendly and knowledgeable. In particular the lady who checked us in and introduced us to the property (I believe her name was Shireen) was very good. It’s clear that the staff enjoy working there. They also have a great team of naturalists (Abhijith and Manish in particular were really great) who helped organise and accompany us on some excursions (a 3 hour hike in the Periyar reserve, as well as an off road expedition in a jeep) The spa is absolutely amazing - all the therapists were great, the quality of the massages / facials were very good and they used excellent products. We used it extensively and one person in our group was quite demanding / capricious (and doesn’t speak any English) and they still went out of the way to accommodate all her requests.

The food was good, but not the best I’ve had in Kerala. We went for the buffet dinner on all 3 nights as the food in the other restaurant (50 mile) seemed to be spicy and more focused on meat than fish (given the understandable limitation of being able to procure fish from the 50 mile radius). The quality of the buffet was a bit inconsistent - it was great the first night, much less so the second, and a bit improved the third. Breakfast was also quite good, but nothing exceptional. The mattress in the room could have been a bit better - as with the food, I wouldn’t say this was a major issue, but it feels like an easy thing to fix.

Spice Village's location not far from Periyar Tiger Reserve is perfect for a CHG property experience. The entire property embraced the nature and culture of its environment. The cottage was beautiful especially the bright and spacious bathroom.There were many interesting activites to occupy one within the resort itself. I enjoyed the lowland cycling trip with one of their naturalist Ashley which allowed me to see the crops and birds in the Tamil Nadu lowlands aptly timed near sunset so there were more birds sightings. The naturalist's talk in the charming Tiger Club gave further knowledge about the environment of Thekkady. The 1.5 hr walk around the resort is a must as interesting plants, animals and environmental effort of the resort are pointed out. I happened to get Ashley for all the activites and he was friendly and knowledgable. Buffet breakfast was good but dinner at the 50 miles restaurant was the highlight. The lamb shank was perfectly cooked but the millet was even better as it surprised me that such simple grains can be done so well. I asked for a 2nd helping. The ayurvedic experience was excellent as well. Although it rained the evening I arrived and my night walk at Periyar Tiger Reserve was cancelled but the entire trip was not a disappointment at all due to the wonderful expereinces at Spice Village. The best part was I spotted the Malabar giant squirrel just outside my hut and the Nilgiri Langur while having breakfast without even having to step out of the resort.

Nothing really. Services were prompt and warm.

I loved the location, surrounded by lots of different trees and wildlife. The entire team, from the reception staff to restaurant and housekeeping were very friendly and they were all working so well together and effectively. I felt very well looked after the entire time.

The bathroom can be upgraded but that’s only if I’m being picky.

The service and staff from start to finish was beyond excellent. Everyone from the front of house reception team, to the waiting staff at the restaurant and Mr Francis! The food was exceptional and the afternoon tea/snacks were a nice treat.

The mosquitoes- bring good spray because they get you from the late afternoon onwards. It didn't detract from the stay at all, just a flag to fellow travellers!!