Ramana Towers

I chose Ramana Towers primarily because of the location and its website. The location was excellent for me, just a few minutes walk from the entrance of Sri Ramana Ashram which was literally at the end of the street. (I discovered a nearby cafe/restaurant called 'The Dreaming Tree' which is one of the main places for meeting Westerners and which is also just a few minutes walk away plus Ganga Ma's place is also close by for Satsangs). The staff were always friendly, approachable and helpful (and arranged a taxi for me in advance from Chennai airport direct to Ramana Towers). The attached restaurant served traditional local food which was fine although I preferred to buy my own cereals and fruit for breakfast which I prepared in the kitchen area of my room. My room was fine and everything worked, including the hot water. At night, monkeys would sleep against my bathroom window and on my balcony! Another feature of this hotel I liked was the rooftop terrace which had great views of Arunachala. The website was a little misleading about the meditation halls though, when I was there the meditation halls appeared to be being used as dormitories. And the library was out of use while I was there too due to building work. Overall though, I was happy with my stay here: the place was clean and secure, and seemed relatively high-end compared to many other places in Tiruvannamalai.

The room is good for a couple though small in size and difficult to walk around. Service is quite an issue. TV was not working and took almost two hours to rectify. For the price and since no breakfast included it should be the last option. Bathroom very dirty. No room service. Changing of linen, towell etc. not done inspite of request.

Location is perfect for Ramana ashram. Less than 5 mins walk. Packaged breakfast is served. Quality, Quantity and Taste of breakfast is very good. It is served at 8:30. Would have liked to get it sooner. Hot water is available 24 hrs which is very good. The host calls a rickshaw when needed. Rooms & Bathroom were clean. Bathroom fixtures were old, but all was very clean. While there is a kitchen, it just has a sink and fridge. You cant cook there. We did not want to, so it was not a problem. They do not have a restaurant. But there are multiple restaurants around. It is a quiet location. Sufficient parking is available if you have a car.

RAMANA TOWERS IS GOING DOWNHILL! For many years we have loved to make a pilgrimage once or twice a year to Tiruvanamalai for our spiritual upliftment. Ramana Towers Hotel is very convenient for us because it is close to the Ramana Maharshi Ashram and it has an outstanding view of the Arunachala Mountain. But in the future, we will not book with that hotel anymore because the service provided is not what is used to be. Ramana Towers is going downhill! Enough is enough! We have coped with too much already! Rooms are lacking cleanliness; the fridges stink; the taps are rusty; the staff does not clean the room daily. The restaurant that used to provide snacks, tea, and coffee is now closed. There used to be courtesy coffee pots in the rooms, but not anymore. On our previous stay this year, the AC in the room was on as we arrived. We could barely sleep that night because we were not able to turn it down or switch it off. The next day, it took a while before the employee could come and access what the problem was. They obviously did not check the remote before our arrival, the remote battery was dead!!!

Best part about Ramana towers is its proximity to Sri Ramanashram - 5 min walk and the breakfast at Ananda Ramana. Nice place to stay for few days… There is also a small library and souvenir shop on ground floor….

This is an overrated place for its current condition (an old building - not as their photos show) There is no attention given to the maintainance of this place: - full of mold in the bathrooms - rust on cloth & towel hangers - broken mosquito net (beware! full of mosquitos by night!) - missing furniture in the bedroom (phone just placed on the ground) This is a place to be avoided! It’s much older than their photos look like.