Taj Wayanad Resort & Spa: a 5-star lakeside resort by Banasura Lake with 61 rooms and villas, an infinity pool and spa. Calicut airport ~94 km (3 hrs).
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Taj Wayanad Resort & Spa, Kerala is a 5-star Taj lakeside resort by Banasura Lake near Vellamunda, with 61 rooms and villas, an infinity pool and the J Wellness Circle spa, about 94 km (around 3 hours) from Calicut airport.
Live rates and availability confirmed at booking. All prices indicative — updated June 2026.
Taj Wayanad Resort & Spa, Kerala is IHCL's resort in the hills of Wayanad, set on a rise above Banasura Lake near Vellamunda. Opened in 2022, the eco-conscious property spreads across about ten acres and is built to make the most of 270-degree views over the lake and the Banasura hills. With 61 rooms and villas — including waterfront cottages and pool villas with private plunge pools — it is an intimate, design-led mountain resort rather than a large convention hotel.
Wayanad is one of Kerala's coolest, greenest districts, known for spice plantations, wildlife and trekking, and the resort is pitched at travellers who want a restful lakeside base from which to explore it. The setting — a quiet promontory above a reservoir, ringed by forested hills — is the property's single biggest asset, and most of the design works to keep that view in front of you.
It is worth being realistic about access: Wayanad sits high in the Western Ghats and there is no nearby airport. The closest is Calicut International Airport (Kozhikode), about 94 km away, roughly a 3-hour drive up winding ghat roads. Kannur International Airport is a broadly similar distance, and some guests drive in from Bengaluru, around 6 hours. The journey through hairpin bends and tea and spice country is genuinely part of the experience, but plan a daytime arrival as the ghat sections are slow and best not driven after dark. Once at the resort, the area's sights spread out: Banasura Sagar Dam, the largest earthen dam in India, is about 7 km away, with Edakkal Caves, Pookode Lake, Chembra Peak and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary all a scenic drive further on. Distances in Wayanad are short in kilometres but slow on the ground, so it pays to group sights by area when planning days out.
Accommodation runs from Luxury Rooms of around 32 sq m in the main building, each with a crafted balcony facing the lake and hills, through standalone Waterfront Cottages set among tropical greenery, to Pool Villas with private plunge pools. At the top sits the two-bedroom Presidential Villa, around 254 sq m, with an infinity plunge pool and the widest views on the property. The fit-out is contemporary and natural in palette, using wood and earthy tones designed to frame the landscape rather than compete with it. For honeymooners and those after privacy, the pool villas and waterfront cottages are the rooms to target.
There are several outlets. Shamiana is the all-day multi-cuisine restaurant and handles the buffet breakfast, while Southern Spice raises regional Kerala and South Indian cooking to a more refined level — the destination dining option, with local Wayanad and Malabar influences and an emphasis on coconut, spice and fresh produce. Tropics is the poolside grill and bar for relaxed lunches, and there is a maritime-themed bar for evening drinks. Given the resort's remote setting, dining is firmly in-house, and the kitchens lean on local produce and spices from the surrounding plantations, which is a strength rather than a limitation here.
The centrepiece is the outdoor infinity pool that appears to spill towards the lake, alongside a lakeside promenade, a yoga deck and a fitness centre. The J Wellness Circle spa offers signature therapies and Ayurvedic treatments rooted in Indian healing traditions — a natural fit in Kerala, the home of Ayurveda — and longer Ayurvedic programmes can be arranged. The combination of cool hill climate, lake views and wellness facilities is the core of what the resort sells, and it is a genuinely restorative place to spend two or three slow days.
Wayanad rewards the active traveller. From the resort you can arrange guided nature walks and birdwatching, visits to spice and coffee plantations, and trips to the district's headline sights: Banasura Sagar Dam and its reservoir for boating, the prehistoric petroglyphs at Edakkal Caves, the heart-shaped lake reached on the Chembra Peak trek, the freshwater Pookode Lake, and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary for elephants and other game on a morning safari. Cultural performances, cooking classes and adventure activities such as zip-lining can also be arranged through the resort. After a day out on the trails, the lakeside setting, infinity pool and spa make for a restful return.
Taj Wayanad suits couples, honeymooners and slow-luxury travellers who want a cool, scenic lakeside retreat with strong wellness facilities and are happy to make the long drive up from the coast. It works well for nature lovers using it as a comfortable base for Wayanad's trekking, plantations and wildlife, and for anyone wanting a private pool villa. Travellers on a tight schedule, or those who dislike long mountain transfers, should factor in the roughly three-hour airport drive before booking — but for those who want hill-country calm and Taj service, it is among the best bases in the district.
| Room | What you get |
|---|---|
| Luxury Room | Around 32 sq m rooms in the main building with crafted balconies looking onto Banasura Lake and the hills. |
| Waterfront Cottage | Standalone cottages encircled by tropical greenery, with views towards the lake. |
| Pool Villa | Villas with a private plunge pool and deck; five pool villas across the resort. |
| Presidential Villa | A two-bedroom villa of around 254 sq m with an infinity plunge pool and the resort's widest lake-and-hill vistas. |
| Outlet | Cuisine / type |
|---|---|
| Shamiana | All-day multi-cuisine dining |
| Southern Spice | Regional Kerala and South Indian cuisine |
| Tropics | Poolside grill and bar |
| Maritime-themed bar | Bar – cocktails and spirits |
| Landmark | Distance | Approx. on foot |
|---|---|---|
| Banasura Sagar Dam | 7 km | short taxi/auto |
| Pookode Lake | 28 km | short taxi/auto |
| Edakkal Caves | 40 km | short taxi/auto |
| Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Muthanga / Tholpetty) | 45 km | short taxi/auto |
| Chembra Peak | 35 km | short taxi/auto |
| Kalpetta (district town) | 22 km | short taxi/auto |
Distances are straight-line estimates; walking times assume roughly 12 minutes per km. Confirm routes locally.
The nearest airport is Calicut International (Kozhikode), about 94 km away — roughly a 3-hour drive up ghat roads. Kannur airport is a similar distance, and some guests drive in from Bengaluru in about 6 hours.
It opened in 2022 as IHCL's resort in Wayanad, set on about ten acres above Banasura Lake near Vellamunda.
Yes. There are pool villas with private plunge pools, plus a two-bedroom Presidential Villa of around 254 sq m with its own infinity plunge pool. The main outdoor infinity pool overlooks the lake.
Banasura Sagar Dam, the largest earthen dam in India, is about 7 km from the resort. Other sights such as Edakkal Caves, Pookode Lake and Chembra Peak are a longer scenic drive away.
Shamiana for all-day multi-cuisine dining, Southern Spice for regional Kerala and South Indian cuisine, Tropics poolside grill and bar, and a maritime-themed bar. Dining is in-house given the remote setting.
Yes. The J Wellness Circle spa offers signature therapies and Ayurvedic treatments, alongside a yoga deck and fitness centre — fitting for Kerala, the home of Ayurveda.