Eterno Camellia and Elettaria

HOTEL OVERVIEW

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first saw Eterno Camellia and Elettaria tucked away in Rathnagiri, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The name’s a bit of a mouthful (it’s named after spice plants, which actually makes sense once you’re there), but the location? That’s where this place really gets interesting. You’re basically in Bisonvalley, which sounds dramatic and sort of is – it’s this gorgeous stretch where the Western Ghats just roll on forever, and you can actually see why Munnar’s tea country is so famous.

The hotel itself sits at this sweet spot where you get proper 5-star treatment without feeling like you’re in some sterile business hotel. I mean, the 7.3 rating tells you it’s not perfect – and honestly, that’s kind of refreshing? The staff clearly care, but they’re still figuring some things out, which gives the whole place this authentic, lived-in feeling. What really got me was walking out onto any of the upper floor balconies in the early morning – you know that time right after sunrise when the mist is still clinging to the tea plantations? The smell hits you first, this incredible mix of cardamom (hello, Elettaria) and that fresh mountain air that you just can’t get in the cities. The rooms themselves are spacious enough that you’re not bumping into furniture, and they’ve actually thought about the little things – good water pressure, blackout curtains that work (crucial when you want to sleep in after those early morning tea estate walks), and outlets where you actually need them.

Here’s what I wish someone had told me before I went: the road getting there is proper winding mountain driving, so factor in extra time if you’re coming from Kochi. But once you’re settled in, you’re perfectly positioned for the real Munnar experience. The Eravikulam National Park entrance is maybe twenty minutes away, and you can actually walk to some of the working tea plantations – not the touristy ones, but the places where you’ll see actual tea pickers heading out with their baskets at dawn. The hotel’s restaurant does this thing with local spices that makes sense given the name, and while it’s not going to change your life, it’s solid comfort food after a day of hiking around. Parking’s no problem, which matters more than you’d think when you’re hauling luggage after that mountain drive. The only real downside? It can get pretty quiet in the evenings – which is either exactly what you want or slightly too peaceful, depending on what you’re after. But if you’re looking for that authentic hill station experience without roughing it completely, and you want to be close enough to the real Munnar (not just the crowded viewpoints), this place hits that balance pretty well.