Tree of Life Resort, Dehradun Foothills

The location added a lot of travel time. It isn’t in Dehradun, and “Dehradun foothills” made us assume it would be closer than Dehradun, but it turned out to be farther away. We were also uneasy walking our dog because the large Bhutia dog at the property roams off leash all day. The room’s outside area was dirty, and the staff didn’t clean it regularly or thoroughly. The bed linen had blood stains, and my dog became seriously ill after our visit. The beds are very tall, which seems designed to keep dogs from getting up beside their owners, and a dog could get badly hurt jumping on and off. They provide pet beds, as other hotels do, but that doesn’t make this feel caring or truly pet friendly. Pets can already be frightened in a strange place, and keeping them away from their people on the floor could make them petrified. The rooms and resort need to be clean and hygienic, and the beds need to be lower. This is the only pet-friendly Tree of Life I’ve encountered with such high beds. The other pet-friendly Tree of Life hotels don’t prohibit or discourage dogs from sleeping on beds or sofas, and they are clean and have normal-height beds where dogs can sleep safely beside us. I find this setup manipulative and deliberate.

From the room, you can hear birds and the river and look out on lush green forest. It’s a lovely place on the outskirts of Dehradun to relax and unwind, with excellent food and service. The interiors are fascinating too, filled with a wide range of collector’s items. Rachna, the owner, supports a few local women who knit and crochet by selling their work in a shop on the property. There’s some amazing stuff for sale.

The food menu is limited, but what we tried was tasty and reasonably priced. There’s plenty of room to sit outside, walk around, and spend time together, plus lots of parking. The parking area is steep and a little tricky if you’re new to the hills. The resort is beautiful, with large balconies facing lush mountains.

The trees and flowers make it a calming place, and the paintings and artefacts are mind-blowing. The resort itself is lovely, and the staff are very polite and helpful, especially Mr. Madan Thakur, who was incredibly efficient. Wi-Fi is definitely unreliable, though that’s expected given the location. We had a calm, peaceful, restful stay.