Ekaant The Retreat — Hotel in Maharashtra

(1) ABOUT EKAANT - As the name suggests, it is a secluded place situated on a hillock overlooking Varasgaon Backwaters and Dasve Dam. Its inside the Lavasa Gate but away from the waterfront area down below. While Lavasa may have become ghost town now, the Ekaant Retreat is still maintained well. It was a guesthouse for Lavasa and later converted to a retreat since 2004. There are total 20 Rooms on 2 floors with no lift. On Ground floor, there are 8 Standard Rooms with a sit out while top floor has 12 executive rooms with a balcony shared between 2 rooms (no partition though). On-premise restaurant “Vyanjan” located at a vantage point with views of backwaters and serves some lip-smacking dishes. Don’t miss to watch the Sunset from the restaurant deck Or from your room balcony. Other amenities includes ample Car parking, manmade nature trail, Game Room with TT and Carom, area to play football, badminton etc. There is a Kids play area as well with swings and slides. Additional activities like Star Gazing and Bon fire should also be added.

(2) TRAVEL - The road till Lavasa is all-weather road and a bliss to drive. You need to cross 2 ghat sections, one before Mutha village and one before Lavasa. You also cross the Temghar Dam enroute and the sight of backwaters was just breathtaking. At the Lavasa Gate, Security will stop you. If you are a day tripper, you need to pay Rs. 500 per vehicle as “Entry Fee”.

(3) BEST TIME TO VISIT - Recommended to visit between Aug – Mar for backwater views. Weekdays are best to avoid weekend crowd.

(4) CHECK-IN & ROOMS - Check In starts at 2 PM (Or before subject to room availability) and it was smooth. All COVID19 related protocols were followed like Temperature checks, Sanitizers, masks etc. We were allocated Executive Room # 10. It was corner room and had beautiful views of the backwaters and Lavasa town below. For better views and privacy, I recommend executive rooms 5 – 10 Or standard Rooms 1 – 4 which are closer to reception block. Despite 20 yrs old property, Room are well maintained with clean linen, King Bed and amenities like AC, Geyser for 24 hrs hot water, Minibar, 40+ inch TV etc.

(5) FOOD - Food has been their USP however, post lockdown the staff strength at the restaurant seem to have reduced. Lunch was good and we ordered regular Punjabi dishes. Dinner was disappointing may be due to staff was all stressed up by then. We had ordered Chinese and Crispy Veg was the worst we ever had anywhere. Hakka Noodles were good though. Best part was the breakfast buffet. Chef Pradeep Bali was personally looking after all the guests that morning. The spread was decent yet delicious with dishes like Chole Bhature, Medu Vada Sambaar, Sabudana Khichadi, Live Dosa / Uthappam counter, Eggs made to order and regular continental breakfast items. The restaurant also has a bar. If you are a day tripper, you can still visit their restaurant.

(6) ACTIVITIES - The place is for to relax, unwinds and to spend quality time with your family. There are plenty of play options on-premise to keep you and your little ones engaged. TV has Tata Sky with good channel selection. Most important is Lavasa nature trail which starts from the Ekaant Retreat itself and goes uphill. Although it is not maintained but still worth to visit. Do carry some Parle-G biscuits to feed the fishes in the small manmade pond enroute the trail. Also do go till top of the hill for magnificent views of the backwaters and valley. There are couple of viewpoints though not in its best shape. Recommended to visit this trail between 7-9 am Or between 4 – 6 pm. You can also travel down to Lavasa Waterfront and enjoy water sports. There is also a X-Thrill Adventure academy with activities like ATV rides, Zip line, Paintball etc.

We checked out at 12 PM on Sunday and that actually gave us time to spend almost entire weekend and explore different places. It was refreshing trip for all of us. A Big Thank You to...

We were five friends who decided to book two rooms in ekaant the retreat, Lavasaa for 2 nights. The resort looked beautiful and peaceful as the name suggested . I would say the only good thing about it was the view . It was indeed breathtaking . Now if I have to talk about the hospitality they definitely need classes in that . Few instances to elaborate further on the topic:

1. The checkin time was 2 o'clock which in itself is very late . I haven't heard of such a late check in ever !! Since we started early we reached there by 11 :30 . We requested the gentleman at the reception to give it us atleast by 12 or 12:30 since we wanted to freshen up . He wasn't ready to budge and instead spoke to us very rudely . We didn't argue further and waited till the rooms were alloted
2. let's come to the rooms now : to put it in the nicest way possible: not worth the money paid by us and especially at a property that claims a certain number of stars . The interiors were sub standard with a musty smell. It was bug infested wherein one day we saw a lizard and flying cockroach in the rooms . Though the housekeeping staff were proactive and did what they could so no complains as such about the house keeping and restaurant staff. 3 ) The food was overpriced and not At All Good .the first day we ordered biryani and it tasted stale after which we went out and had decent food at a small restraunt called Yuvraj .
3. The final day we had to checkout at 12 but the reception manager (a different one this time) constantly started calling us at 11:30 to check out while we requested that we need time till 12:30 . He again spoke to my friend in a curt manner and said I will charge u half day after 12 . Eventually we told them we are checking out one room and will do the one latest by 12:30 . He hung up saying I will get back to you ........not even someone in a Taj or Mariott will ever speak to you like this !!!
4. Eventually we checked and again tried to reason out with them but to no avail , we noticed they were talking to all the guests (young and old) in a similar way like we are staying here for free ........ All in all it was quite disappointing and the only good memories I take back from this trip is the amazing view of the lake and the good company of...

Lives upto the Name and Reputation - EKAANT!

If it has to be summed up in one word - Solitude, and that's what the name stands for as well. We were fortunate enough to get more than our share since we were the only family in the entire resort. So the experience of having the entire place to ourselves bumped it up by quite a few notches. The place is on the way to Lavasa and much before one enters the toll gate to pay the parking taxes. it's one of the very first resorts to have come up and is close to 10 years old or so. The location is just fantastic for the picturesque views it offers of both the water below as well as the far off valleys. it's almost as if it's a different world. I'm sure it's even more beautiful and enjoyable during the monsoons. A pleasant welcome at the reception, a smooth check in, most of the things in order. The rooms are still in decent condition considering it's been a while but the balconies are just fantastic - the view is breathtaking. The rooms are decent and not superlative, you could feel that the price is high but I think it's more for the view, service and exclusivity. Rooms are functional and nothing fancy. The second best thing after the views from the room/balcony are the views from the restaurant. if you manage to get the corner table it's almost as if you are floating in air. The food is quite decent too and although it wasn't a buffet breakfast since we were the only family, but they were such excellent hosts and got us whatever we ordered since our younger one is a fussy eater. Last but not the least- Nakul Shetty, the man at the reception has been with the setup for a long time and is an excellent person to welcome and guide guests about the place. If you are staying here, not to be missed is the trail that starts from right across the reception and leads you to several scenic spots that give a panoramic view of hills and water. It was a fantastic stay with fond memories that tug at the heart to plan...