The noise of ordinary life simply stops. The air changes. The mountain mist settles. Sitting at the top of a hill of hairpin bends and further up a steep driveway lined with hydrangeas, the building that reveals itself. Fitting for its surroundings, the hotel presents less like a typical hotel and more akin to a chalet.
Sitting at 8,200 feet or 2.5 kilometres above sea level, yet still below the famous Silk Road Rohtang Pass, in the Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh, Sitara Himalaya is surrounded by epic views of mountains and glacier etched valleys, on every side. Its peaceful here. The boutique property became part of the Relais & Châteaux family in 2024, and in October 2025, was awarded Two MICHELIN Keys by the MICHELIN Guide in their inaugural global hotel selection, Sitara Himalaya was noted as being an 'exceptional stay'.
The ethos of the property is guided by the Vedic concept that we are at one with the cosmos, an ancient wisdom summarised in the Vedas as Tat Tvam Asi, meaning "You Are That." It is a philosophy that permeates everything here, from the way the staff greet you to the way the rooms are designed to frame the mountains rather than compete with them. Arriving at Sitara does not feel like checking into a regular hotel, there is no formal check in desk, rather the petite team of staff greets you with warm, friendly smiles at the top of the driveway and you are ushered in for tea.
In Short:
Good Earth founder Anita Lal has created a hospitality experience at Sitara Himalaya that combines the finest aspects of a private home and high-end hotel stay. With just ten rooms, exceptional food, a petite but deeply considered spa, and a team whose warmth is wholly genuine, this is a hotel that has become a regular haunt of so many, for so many reasons.
Getting There & The Location
It's impossible to skirt around the fact that getting to the property is a journey in itself.
The closest airport is Kullu–Manali Airport, also known as Bhuntar Airport. But, it is important to account for very possible flight cancellations due to weather conditions, given the mountainous location. Bhuntar Airport is connected to Delhi by direct flights. The total transfer from airport to Sitara approximately 65 kilometres and more than several hours. The hotel can arranges private transfers from the airport in the dedicated Sitara Caravan; a private, family style bus with a bed, a bathroom and three massage chairs.
Sitara Himalaya sits at an impressive altitude of 8,200 feet and is located just 13 kilometres from the closest town, Manali. The route to the hotel follows winding roads along the Beas River through the Kullu Valley, through colourful towns, passing apple orchards and cedar forests, with the mountains growing taller and more imposing with every kilometre.
The Background
Sitara Himalaya is an extension of the private home of Anita Lal, founder of the iconic Indian lifestyle brand Good Earth. Sitara is not, as Lal herself has noted, something she ever conceived of as a hotel in the conventional sense, it is a home that grew, and grew, and eventually became too full of warmth and beauty to keep to herself. The name Sitara is an amalgamation of the names of her three children; it is this detail that tells you everything you need to know about the intimacy and intention with which this place was made. With views over a glacier cut valley that is fringed by spectacular mountain peaks, Lal brought the same curatorial intelligence to Sitara that built Good Earth into one of India's most celebrated lifestyle brands, and the result is a property that feels as considered and personal as a great private home.
The Guests & Ambiance
Embracing the art of slow travel and considered destinations, Sitara Himalaya draws a guest who has, consciously or otherwise, grown tired of glitz with no soul. Rather than a property that commands attention at arrival with gilded edges and marble floors, only to blend into the muddle of identical luxury hotels in their camera roll, they seek something deeper.
In my experience, and from the conversations with staff members, guests tend to lean towards the contemplative: writers, artists, and people at significant turning points who have understood, somehow, that what they need is not a city but a mountain. Many come alone. Couples come to reconnect. Families who want something genuinely different from the standard luxury resort find a depth that is wholly unique. Because there are just ten rooms, Sitara can be taken in its entirety — privately reserved for a group, a family, or a gathering of friends who want the mountain views and Sitara experience to themselves. The hotel welcomes guests under the age of twelve exclusively for full property buy-outs.
The ambiance is adult, and feels warm and relaxed. Nobody is performing here. There is no formality to navigate, no dress code to remember, no sense that the house is watching you. Guests wander between the gardens, the sitting rooms and can discover the nooks and crannies in their own time, and Sitara simply and generously, accommodates them.
The Rooms
Each of the ten rooms at Sitara Himalaya is a quiet world of its own, generous in scale and designed to put the mountains and surrounding nature at the centre of the experience. Rooms feature large windows that look out directly across the valleys, with the wildflower gardens of the property blossoming below and the villages of the Kullu Valley dotting the hillsides in the middle distance with primary coloured roofs. There is a reading and coffee nook in each room; a window seat deep enough to spend the entire morning in, a small table laid with the makings of a decent cup of tea or coffee, and a selection of locally-inspired snacks.
It would be remiss to mention that the design elements throughout feature Good Earth's interior design and signature floral prints. Kansa brass, textured, silk-woven wallpaper and textile patterns from the ancient spice route, each room embraces its own signature jewel shade, from navy to turquoise, purple and magenta. The bathrooms are spacious, with a rainfall shower and underfloor heating that earns its keep on the chillier mountain mornings. Within the bathroom is a dedicated luggage and dressing area.
The Dining
Dining at Sitara Himalaya is one of the great pleasures of the stay, and it operates on a philosophy that is entirely in keeping with the house's broader warmth: the food is built around the guest, not the other way around. The can chef accommodate all requests, dietary preferences, and allergies without the slightest hesitation. Meals can be served as you wish, à la carte, in family-style sharing format, or as individually tailored dishes depending on what the evening calls for, and the kitchen's ability to pivot between intimate and abundant, refined and deeply comforting, is remarkable.
The ingredients are largely seasonal and sourced local, many grown in the property's own kitchen gardens or sourced from producers the surrounding valleys. It is, to put it simply, delicious — the kind of food that makes you feel like you are eating in someone's home, in the mountains, in India, with nowhere else to be.
Spa & Wellness
The spa at Sitara Himalaya is petite, pared back and entirely purposeful. The walls carry hand-painted murals and artwork that draw from Indian, Tibetan, and Himalayan traditions, and every surface has been chosen with the same eye for beauty and cultural resonance that defines Good Earth's broader aesthetic. Two private treatment rooms offering a menu rooted in Ayurvedic tradition, using products from Good Earth's new and carefully curated range of botanical formulations. Thermal wellness facilities include a hot tub plunge pool set into a windowed space overlooking the mountains, the kind of view that makes even the act of sitting still feel like an achievement, alongside a pink Himalayan salt room and a dry heat sauna.
Alongside the treatment rooms, a large, light-filled room adjoins the spa, with giant windows on three sides, it has been designed specifically for guided yoga, meditation, and sound healing sessions in mind. With the peaks and pines frame every window, the sounds of the birds echo as the valley spreads out below. It is impossible to feel entirely disconnected from the world when nature sits quite literally at your fingertips.
Wellness experiences are tailored towards the individual. For those looking for something deeply stirring, I would recommend trying the tactile Ayurvedic healing practice of Marma. The Marma therapy stimulates 107 vital energy points across the body, from head to toe, literally - each pushed and pulsed to release blocked energy (prana).
The Staff & Service
The team at Sitara Himalaya is small and entirely genuine in their care for the guests. The overall impression, by the second morning, is that the house is looking after you in the way that only a great private home can. Among the team is a dedicated hiking guide and outdoor expert who has an in-depth knowledge of the surrounding trails, passes, and terrain. From morning valley walks to more ambitious ascents, the guided outdoor programme is one of the most genuinely rewarding aspects of a stay here. A dedicated yoga and wellness practitioner leads the daily sessions in the wellness pavilion, tailoring each practice to the guests present with a sensitivity and skill that makes even first-timers (and very inflexible guests, like me!) feel entirely at ease.
Sitara Himalaya, Manali - Leh Highway, Himachal Pradesh, India
All images by author unless otherwise noted
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