Darjeeling Hotels Guide

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How to book a hotel in Darjeeling?

In order to get the list of the prominent hotels in Darjeeling of various categories (budget to upscale), enter your check-in and check-out dates in the search box below and click the search button.

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You can see hotels along with amenities, guest reviews & scores, room rates etc. You can also change the location on the search box and see hotels in places like Gangtok, Kalimpong, Mirik or any other location.

You can sort the hotel list by price, star ratings, review score etc (see the sort bar on top of the hotel list). Once you select a hotel, you can go on to book the hotel online at an attractive low rate. This service is provided by world's no.1 online hotel booking site.

Watch out for these!

Hotels on lease!

Irrespective of their category (i.e. budget or upscale), the best hotels are often run by the owners themselves and have traditionally been family run businesses. There are also lot many hotels that coexist and run on lease.

While there are exceptions, management of most hotels that run on lease have the main objective of somehow making money so that they can pay back the lease amount to the main owner of the property and then start making good profits.

I have been a long time traveler and visiting Darjeeling since past many years as a travel writer. During my many interactions with hotel owners, I have figured out that many hotels that are running on lease have a practice of holding on to several empty rooms during the high season.

They decline further bookings to the travel agents or even to the incoming phone inquiries. But if you land up and ask for rooms, you will likely get it. So what's the story here?

This is when and how they make opportunistic money. They know that there would be many flying visitors who land up in the hill town even during peak season and hope to get instant accommodations. This is when they charge several times the usual tariff.

And I know of hotels in Darjeeling that even drop prior bookings to accommodate instant customers.

So do you think such hotels can actually be great for tourists? If not, then the next question is how do you know which are the ones who do not indulge in such practices and rather focus on a long term pleasant experience to their guests. I'll answer that question later. But let me share a few more insights first.

Room Heating in Darjeeling Hotels

There is no central heating in the hotels in Darjeeling (Ramada Hotel is the only exception). The smaller hotels offer small heaters or blowers at an extra charge. The larger hotels have better heaters (such as panel heaters) in the rooms including fireplaces in some.

So pack your clothes accordingly particularly in the winter. In peak winter, look for hotels that have electrical bed warming system.

Several hotels including a few budget hotels have started installing such beds in the rooms to offer real value to their guests. You can control the warmth and temperature of the bed all through the night and that can be very effective during the winter.

Water Supply in Darjeeling hotels

In Darjeeling almost all hotels of all types end up purchasing water for use in the bathrooms. The corporation water supply from Ghoom area is completely inadequate to meet the running demands of the hotels.

Early in the morning, you will often see trucks unloading portable fiber water tanks at the hotels and picking up the empty ones. I was told by a hotel owner that he could lower his tariff by as much as 20% if he didn't have to purchase the water. Several hotels have stickers pasted on the bathroom doors saying "Please use water sparingly".

Try to avoid drinking water supplied by the hotel even if it's filtered. The water quality in this hill town is not good and it can easily spoil your vacation. Try to buy and drink mineral or package drinking water even if that adds to your cost.

Cars may not reach up to the hotels

In Darjeeling, taxis are not allowed in some areas that are designated pedestrian zones. For example, if you are taking up an accommodation in Chowrasta Mall area, you will need to leave your taxi at the stand below Nehru Road or near Gorkha Bhavan on Mall Road and walk for few minutes.

You will get porters almost everywhere, so carrying your luggage is not a problem. Hotel staff also help carry the luggage.

For hotels along Nehru Road and around Mall area, vehicles are not allowed to come up to the hotel entrance. The Mall is about 5 minutes uphill walk from the base of Nehru Road.

If you are travelling light or have trolley bags, you may not even need porters. But you should be prepared to walk a bit. So while booking, check out with the hotel if a taxi can drop you right at the entrance of the hotel and pick you up.

Combining meals with your stay

Many hotels that have their own restaurants and particularly the upscale ones support various meal plans. Which means they can combine the meals as part of the rates. Here are some of the plans that you may get:

EP (European Plan): Lodging only, i.e., rate does not include any food.

CP (Continental Plan): Rate includes Continental breakfast only.

AP (American Plan): Rate includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.

MAP (Modified American Plan): Rate includes breakfast and one meal, usually dinner.

So is it a good idea to go for rooms with meal plans in Darjeeling instead of lodging only option? Well combined rate is cheaper than what you would pay separately. But the meal plans will not only restrict you to set meals or limited choices, you won't have the option of eating out.

And in Darjeeling, how can I let go an opportunity to take meals at heritage restaurants like Glenary's or Keventers? So I may be open to take CP plan or at the most MAP, because I am likely to be out during lunch for sightseeing, and may decide not to go out of hotel for breakfast and dinner.

Should you book rooms directly or through agents?

This is a tricky question because almost the whole world is moving on making hotel reservations through online or offline booking agencies. It is so convenient plus they offer rankings based on guest reviews, cost etc.

And almost all agencies will claim to offer the lowest price as well as instant confirmation. Apparently it all looks great! But there can be several limitations if you book hotels through agencies and not directly. Here is why I am saying this:

Do you think that you can ask for a view room when booking through an agency? I know that's a major consideration of many visitors. Who wouldn't want a sweeping view of the Kanchenjunga while sipping a cup of tea in the morning?

Many hotels including budget ones offer views, but only from limited number of rooms and that too in some categories.

How do you ensure one? Only if you talk to the owner or the Front Desk manager and book directly, you have a good chance of getting one unless you are ready to pay for the room with highest rate which normally would have views.

Even today, the good hotels in Darjeeling follow the simple system of trust. Most hotels in Darjeeling will confirm booking with an advance of 1 or 2 nights which you can pay through bank transfers.

Do you have that option through the travel sites? No. You will need to pay up in full. However in direct bookings, you should always take email confirmation of your room bookings.

I have had numerous discussions with many hotel owners in Darjeeling and heard strange stories about both online and offline travel agencies. In short, very few of them keep current and up to date inventory (i.e. stock) of rooms. But they offer instant confirmations although the hotel may have already gone full.

So when you land up, the hotel can't honor the booking. There can not be a more terrible situation than this, but this happens in high season. We don't come to know about such cases and the hotel owner under pressure tries to make some alternative arrangements for such guests.

Another case... how often do you see online travel companies offering 30 to 50% discounts on some hotels and stamping them as "Lowest Rate Guarantee"? Well, what do you think is the story here? Sometimes they hike up the rate and then discount it heavily.

As a result you seem to get a room of Rs. 5,000 at Rs. 2,500. Fantastic!!! But the actual room rate is perhaps Rs. 2,700. But having booked a room on such offer and with a feel of a lucky winner, you will surely expect a luxury room worth Rs. 5,000, won't you?

Now imagine the position of the hotel manager or the owner. Can he ever satisfy you? He doesn't have a room worth Rs. 5,000/- in his hotel. So be careful of many such unscrupulous online booking agencies.

There are of course few exceptions in booking sites who do a good job. In fact I personally go through the user reviews of one or two good ones before I approach a new hotel even today.

Should you book hotel rooms in advance?

If you are visiting Darjeeling during the high season (which is usually from April to mid June, and October to early January), you must book well in advance. These days the good hotels get full months in advance. For high season, ideally you should book about 3-4 months in advance if you are looking for a quality hotel in Darjeeling area.

During off season (mid Jan to mid March, and July to early September), you can get rooms as you walk in. But in order to get the right room of your choice, you should always book in advance. In recent past I visited Darjeeling in March, and all good hotels were surprisingly running full. So tourist flow has certainly increased in recent time.

Indicative rates by category

Top of the line luxury hotels usually have fixed rate through out the year. Some hotels publish seasonal rates (i.e. separate rates for high, mid and low seasons). Others offer discounts on their standard published rates during the off season.

The low or the off season in Darjeeling and Sikkim areas are the peak winter time (i.e. mid Jan through mid March) and the monsoon time (July to mid September).

Another point, keep in mind that most hotels will add a 10% Service Charge to the room tariffs in addition to Government Service Tax. So the effective room charges you pay is actually 10% more than what you see in the declared rates.

Category Low Budget: Rs. 1200 - Rs. 1,600 per night.

Category Budget: Rs. 1600 - Rs. 2,200 per night.

Category 2 Star: Rs. 2,200 - Rs. 4,000 per night.

Category 3 Star: Rs. 4,000 - Rs. 6,000 per night.

Category 4 Star: Rs. 6,000 - 9,000 per night

Category 5 Star: Rs. 9,000 upwards

Reviews & ratings of hotels in Darjeeling

Now back to the original question of how do you know which are the good and not so good hotels? Over the past many years in my search for quality accommodations in Darjeeling, I have gone around and stayed in numerous hotels and lodgings.

While I must say that the exploration continues even today, I can share all my experience and findings to help you make the right judgement.

Listed below are the hotels that I have explored personally. Look at my ratings and go through my detailed reviews, and you will know which is what... Good, Bad, Ugly?? And for more information about how to choose the right hotels, go through these questions & answers.

Hotel	Rating	Category	Location

Fairmont	4.0/5	Budget	Gandhi Road, 6 mins walk to Mall
Classic Guesthouse	4.5/5	Budget	CR Das Rd, 3 mins walk to Mall
Broadway Annex	4.0/5	Budget	Zakir Hussain Rd, on a hill above town (15-18 mins walk to Mall)
Aliment Hotel	3.5/5	Low Budget	Zakir Hussain Rd, 20 mins walk from Mall
Revolver	4.5/5	Low Budget	Gandhi Road, 15 mins walk to Mall
Tibet Home	3.5/5	Budget	Gandhi Road, 10 mins walk to Mall
Hotel Capital	3.5/5	Budget	Gandhi Rd Taxi Stand, 5 mins to Mall
Alice Villa	3.5/5	Low Budget	H D Lama Rd, 5 mins walk to Mall
Snow Lion Homestay	3.5/5	Budget	Gandhi Road, 10 mins walk to Mall
Travellers' Inn	3.5/5	Budget	Zakir Hussain Rd, 15 mins walk to Mall
Grace Inn	3.5/5	Budget	Coochbehar Rd, 15 mins walk to Mall
Seven Seas	3.5/5	Budget	NB Sing Road, 5 mins walk to Mall
The Bellevue	3.5/5	Budget	On Mall
Highlanders Inn	4.0/5	Low Budget	On Mall Road (East), 6 minutes walk to Mall
Tower View	2.5/5	Low Budget	Zakir Hussain Rd, 12 mins walk to Mall
Andy's Guesthouse	4.0/5	Low Budget	Zakir Hussain Road, 4 mins walk to Mall (No Indians, foreigners only)
Tenzing Youth Hostel	3.0/5	Low Budget	Zakir Hussain Rd, 20 mins walk from Mall
Annex: Olde Bellevue	3.5/5	Budget	Nehru Road, 2 mins walk to Mall
Princess	3.0/5	Budget	Gandhi Road, 10 mins walk to Mall
Pine Ridge	2.5/5	Budget	Nehru Road, Chowrasta Mall
Hotel Pradhan	3.0/5	Budget	Gandhi Road, 15 mins walk to Mall
Chanakya	2.5/5	Budget	Robertson Rd, near Gandhi Rd taxi stand

Hotel	Rating	Category	Location

Shangri-La	4.0/5	2 Star	Nehru Road, 1/2 min walk to Mall
Golden Heights Enclave	4.0/5	2 Star	Gandhi Road, 10 mins walk to Mall
Broadway	4.0/5	2 Star	Coochbehar Road (off Gandhi Road), 5 mins walk to Mall
Krishna Residency	4.0/5	2 Star	Lebong Cart Rd. 1km from bus stand. Lovely view of tea estate.
Shangri-La Regency	4.0/5	2 Star	Gandhi Road, 12 mins walk to Mall
Darjeeling Tourist Lodge	4.0/5	2 Star	Bhanu Sarani, 7 mins walk to Mall
Villa Everest	4.0/5	2 Star	AJC Bose Road, 15 mins walk to Mall
Sonar Bangla	4.0/5	2 Star	Robertson Road, 5 mins to Mall
Planters Club	3.5/5	2 Star	Gandhi Road, 5 mins walk to Mall
SunFlower	3.5/5	2 Star	On Mall
Dekeling Hotel	3.5/5	2 Star	Gandhi Road, 5 mins walk to Mall
Main Olde Bellevue	3.5/5	2 Star	On Mall
Meghma	3.0/5	2 Star	Gandhi Road, 15 mins walk to Mall
Shambhu	3.0/5	2 Star	Gandhi Road, 12 mins walk to Mall
Lunar Hotel	3.5/5	2 Star	Gandhi Rd Taxi Stand, 5 mins to Mall
Rhododendron Dell	3.5/5	2 Star	3.5km from town on Gandhi Road
Dolphin	3.0/5	2 Star	On the Mall Road, near Governor House
Seven Seventeen	3.0/5	2 Star	HD Lama Road, 10 mins walk to Mall

Hotel	Rating	Category	Location

Sinclairs	4.0/5	3 Star	Gandhi Road, 12 mins walk to Mall
Little Tibet	4.0/5	3 Star	Mall Road, 3-4 mins walk to Mall
Udaan Nirvana	4.0/5	3 Star	CR Das Road, 200 yards from Mall
The Retreat	4.0/5	3 Star	Near Raj Bhawan, 4-5 Mins to Mall
Hermitage Resort	4.0/5	3 Star	Near Raj Bhawan, 4-5 Mins to Mall
Central Gleneagles	4.0/5	3 Star	On Mall road, 1 min walk from Mall
Swiss Hotel	4.0/5	3 Star	Gandhi Road, 15 mins walk to Mall
Sterling Resort	3.5/5	3 Star	Located at Ghum (8kms from Darj)
Tumsong Tea Resort	4.5/5	3 Star	In Ghum area (10kms from Darj)

Cedar Inn	4.5/5	4 Star	Zakir Hussain Rd, on a hill
Viceroy	4.5/5	4 Star	Gandhi Road, 6 mins walk to Mall
Elgin	4.5/5	4 Star	HD Lama Road, 5 mins walk to Mall
Central Heritage	4.0/5	4 Star	Robertson Road, 5 mins walk to mall
Ging Tea House	4.5/5	4 Star	30 mins drive from lower town
Singtom Tea Resort	4.5/5	4 Star	Singtom Tea Estate, 25-30 mins drive from downtown (Clocktower area).
Summit Yashshree	4.0/5	4 Star	HD Lama Road, at busy town center and 5 minute walk to Chowrasta Mall.
Ramada	4.0/5	4 Star	Gandhi Road, in the main township. 5 minute walk to the Mall
Mayfair	4.0/5	4 Star	Mall Road, 3-4 mins walk to Mall
Windamere	4.5/5	4 Star	Mall Road, 2 mins walk to Mall
Glenburn Tea Est	4.5/5	4 Star	1hr 15mins drive from Darjeeling town

1) Darjeeling hotels with best view of Kanchenjunga: Here are the hotels in Darjeeling that offer the best views of Kanchenjunga snow peaks.

2) Nice hotels near Mall, Chowrasta

3) Top Budget Hotels in Darjeeling: These are in my view the best of the cheap hotels in Darjeeling who really bring value for money on the table.

4) Top 2 Star Hotels in Darjeeling: These in my view are the best mid range accommodations in Darjeeling that offer excellent amenities and services.

5) Top Luxury Hotels in Darjeeling: These are of course the top of the line hotels.

6) Cheap Holiday Homes in Darjeeling: If you are looking for even cheaper accommodations which are quite decent at the same time, then these may be just the right ones for you.

7) Great hotels for kids & Families: Here are some of the best hotels in Darjeeling which the kids & childrn will love and so will the family members.

8) Hotels for backpackers: Find out the hotels in Darjeeling that are great favorites with the backpackers community.

9) Homestays in Darjeeling: Are you looking for home like environment where you are able to chat with the local families, understand the local culture and have home made food?

10) Top Honeymoon Hotels in Darjeeling: Planning your honeymoon in Darjeeling? Then check out these hotels offering romantic stay and ambience.

11) Cottage & Vacation Rentals in Darjeeling: Find out the best cottage, bungalow and other vacation rentals in and around Darjeeling where you can stay independently on your own, cook or have homemade food and get immersed in the nature.

12) Hotels for physically challenged: This page discusses the hotels in Darjeeling that are best suited for aged and physically handicapped persons.

13) Hotels matching your budget: Find out the best hotels in Darjeeling with room rates that match your budget.

14) Questions & Answers on Hotels in Darjeeling

Visitors' Reviews/Comments

Subhamoy Ghosh (September 2023)

We are planning for a 4N 5D rip darjeeling from 29.03.2024. I will be accompanied by my wife and son of 15 yrs. After reading your website in detail, I have shortlisted two hotel / homestays.

1. Revolver

2. Heyagriva

Now my question is that which will be better among this two ... like closer to mall... view... easier o walk to mall...car droping at the hotel etc.

I talked to both of them...view from heygriva terrace I think is more beautiful ... and they are also providing full car service at a predefined reasonable rate.. from pickup drop sightseeing offbeat everything and also helping fine tuning our itinerary.

But in case of Revolver ... they are not providing any car service or help. only providing room...asnela recommended room John for us. they will provide number of some car operator..and we have to talk direct and fix our itinerary.

Now I am a bit confused....which one to select.

As of now ... approach of Heyagriva looks better ... but viewed many good reviews about Revolver also. This will be our first family trip to Darjeeling. Also contacted Fairmont and Rajen of Classic Guesthouse...but they are a bit costly.

Another one ... is Magnolia residency & Alice Villa .....what you think about them...are they good ?... and i think they are nearer to mall...but no view.... they are also not giving any prior car rental charges estimation. Please guide.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) September 2023

Hello, you seem to be looking into too many options. For your kind of requirements, I think you can zero down between Heyagriva and Revolver.

The main difference between the two is... Heyagriva is run like a homestay where you will get a homely atmosphere, home-like food, guidance from the host, etc.

Revolver, on the other hand, is run like a hotel. They are more professional and non-interfering. Revolver offers an a-la-carte menu and the food there is relatively expensive, although very good.

You will need to decide on what kind of stay you want. Both are good, and both have good views (John's room in Revolver, the first room on the upper floor, has a good view). But, the view from Heyagriva's terrace is excellent.

Revolver is closer to the Mall and is within the main township area, while Heyagriva is on a narrow back road.

Taxis can reach both accommodations. But Revolver is on the main Gandhi Road (a few yards into an alleyway) and more conveniently located. Shops and main eateries of Darjeeling are much closer... it will be more convenient to spend the evenings at the township and shopping area if you stay at Revolver. Heyagriva, on the other hand, doesn't have anything around it. Good luck!

Raymond Rees-Oliviere (July 2022)

Hi Raj B! Many thanks for coming back to me with such great information. I have yet to finalise the actual dates for my trip this year and would like to request further information from you please, on what transport is available from the stations at Kurseong and Darjeeling to the hotels. Do some hotels have a pick-up service from the stations, or, is it just from the nearest airport? Kindest regards.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) July 2022

Hi, you will get private taxis outside Kurseong and Darjeeling stations, but the rates are not fixed and could be erratic. It is better to book a pickup service in advance. All privately run hotels in Kurseong and Darjeeling offer pickup and drop services from/to NJP Station/Bagdogra Airport, as well as sightseeing tours.

On request, they are likely to provide pickup service from the local toy train stations as well. The government-run hotels arrange sightseeing tours through private taxis but usually won't provide a pickup service. If your hotel is at a short walking distance from the station, then the hotel may send a staff to help you with the luggage, or at the least, they should guide you on your best option.

Sucheta Dutta (July 2022)

Dear Mr. Bhattacharya. I'm planning to drive to the hills of North Bengal with my grey-haired parents and two puppies (small breed) by the end of July or early August. I had been to Darjeeling and Kalimpong several times but would like to see the places around them this time. Could you please suggest a few places and respective pet-friendly accommodations?

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) July 2022

There are several pet-friendly accommodations in both Darjeeling and Dooars. Not having any idea of your budget, I can not deliberate on it much... but just to give you some ideas, in Darjeeling, Tumsong Tea Retreat, and The Elgin are pet-friendly in the upscale category, Hermit Retreat (an Airbnb lodge) is pet-friendly in the budget category. In Dooars, you can look into Grasshopper Jungle Queen Resort in the budget/mid-range category which is set up in a tea garden and you get a great view of the greenery. But whichever you choose, it is always a good idea to call up and verify if your requirements will be met or not.

Nandakumar (June 2022)

Hi, between Cedar Inn and Udaan Dekeling Resort, which one would you recommend? Or something else?

Thanks

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) June 2022

Hi, both are good hotels... Cedar inn is a large hotel with great views of Kanchenjunga, while Udaan Dekeling is a boutique hotel with a heritage charm and has a good view of Kanchenjunga from its lawn. Udaan serves only vegetarian food. Both hotels are located away from the town centre, more so Cedar Inn. If the Kanchenjunga view is not of primary consideration, then you may like to look into Mayfair Hotel... superb location (on Mall road) and a classy hotel.

Debasish (April 2022)

Hi Raj, Greetings !! you are really doing a wonderful work. We all are immensely grateful to you.

I planned to visit Darjeeling for 5 days in early next month (May 1st week). We have made a booking in Oakdene resort. We have 3 senior citizens travelling with us (70+), hence requesting some guidance and information from you.

My mother, father-in-law and mother-in-law - all are above 70, and although they can walk without any help, but cannot walk much/ longer distance and any up/ downhill climb should be avoided. So it would be great if you could answer following questions with respect to this requirement:

1. Where is Oakdene resort actually located? Is the Oakdene hotel is on flat surface or there is any up/ downhill climb ? I saw a ramp down from the main road, which looks okay, but just wanted to verify.

2. We learnt that cars don't reach the hotel premise. So how far it is from where car will drop us or how long we need to walk to catch a cab? Is there any up/ down hill? Will aged people can manage this distance?

3. How far is the Mall from the hotel? Is this a walking on a flat surface or there are up/ down slopes? Will aged people can manage this walk? Is Mall road flat/ plain level or there are slopes?

4. Overall, how is this hotel - in terms of service and mountain views and food and others? Do you have any feedback on it?

5. And overall is this hotel and location senior citizen friendly? What do you think? Basically, the less the walk, the better.

Thanks a ton in advance for your response. Your help and guidance will be very helpful for us.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) April 2022

Hi, Oakdene is located on Mall Road (east). The entire Mall road is on a relatively flat terrain and there is hardly any uphill/downhill walk required. The mall is about 600 meters away from the hotel (an 8-9 minute walk). The taxi can drop you near Bhanu Bhawan located on Mall Road (west) and from there Oakdene is 500 meters away (about a 7-minute walk) on a flat surface. The hotel has been taken over by the Summit group, so the service should improve... earlier, the service and the food were quite average. Some of the backside rooms (the higher category rooms) have good views of the peaks.

Bhanavi (April 2022)

Hello, Needed some help planning our trip to Darjeeling in June. I've been browsing through the net for good accommodation but since we haven't been that side, everything seems nice. Would request you to help us with a few options. there would be 3 adults and 2 kids. Ideally we are looking for a homestay and not a fancy Hotel, closer to the Mall or somewhere central. Would appreciate your assi6with this please. Thank you,

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) April 2022

Hi, the mall and its surrounding is a predominantly commercial and pedestrian area. Most homestays are located in residential areas and would be 15-20 minutes walk away from the mall or longer. If you are not looking for anything fancy, you can look into Meghbalika Tourism Property run by West Bengal Tourism Department... it's located on mall road... one of the very few properties on Mall road where cars can reach. The upstairs rooms in the main building have good views of the mountain peaks, and there is also a lawn on the backside where kids can play. The ambience too is homely. However, it may not be easy to get rooms there... it gets full months in advance. Check out Meghbalika Tourism Property for details and find out how to book.

Koel Chaudhuri (September 2021)

Hi Mr. Bhattacharya, I wanted to know your opinion about Udaan Dekeling Hotel. Actually I read somewhere that this hotel has rooms with heating panels inside it, and that got me interested. Winter is my favourite time to visit Darjeeling, but room heaters are really insufficient, and make the stay less than comfortable. Also, I have heard Ramada has central heating.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) September 2021

Hi, Udaan Dekeling is a nice hotel but it serves only vegetarian food and is also a little off the way. For convenience and comfort during the winters, Ramada will be a good choice with its central heating system and separate temperature controllers in individual rooms.

Namrata (September 2021)

Hi, I am travelling to Darjeeling with my Parents (75+). We are Jains and it would not be possible for them to stay in a place where non veg food is served. can you suggest any places in Darjeeling to stay which has pure vegetarian restaurant with it. Regards,

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) August 2021

Hi, there are a couple of nice pure vegetarian hotels in Darjeeling and both belong to the Udaan group. One is Udaan Nirvana Resort (a 3-star category hotel, although they claim it to be 4-Star)... it's located below the Mall (the town centre) but requires an 8-10 minute walk to the taxi stand. The other is Udaan Dekeling Resort... a nice upscale resort with colonial aura and old-world charm, but little away from the town centre. Check out my review of Udaan Nirvana.

Jashomati Deb (August 2021)

Namoshkar. I am planning to take my Delhi-based friends and make them feel the old flavour of Darjeeling: a small and cozy guest house with good wine and local hospitality. Kanchandzongha view is not an issue. Spoken to Ivanhoe House, but found the management has changed into Bengali hands. Classic Guest House won't work as already I've stayed there twice with my family and don't want to repeat, rather would like to have an upgraded version of Classic Guest House this time. Know you are the only person in the world who could help me immensely by suggesting some.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) August 2021

Hello, Most heritage properties of the colonial days that still ooze old world charm in Darjeeling belong to the upscale hotels like Windamere, Elgin, Central Heritage etc. If your budget permits, you may explore one of those. However, in the mid-range category, there are a couple of nice options too, other than the ones you mentioned...

My first choice would be Central Gleneagles Heritage Resort located conveniently on Mall road... it's a colonial house converted into a boutique hotel and has only 6 rooms... being a Central Group hotel, it's very well maintained. You can read my review of this hotel here.

Another one is Dekeling Resort... a wonderful heritage property beautifully maintained. This has recently changed hands to the Udaan Group, and as a result, it now serves only vegetarian food. Rooms are fully wood-panelled. One downside is, it's located a little off the way on Lal Kothi Road. You can google "Udaan Dekeling Resort Darjeeling" and get more details.

Deep Lahiri (June 2019)

Hey Raj, Going to Darjeeling on September 3rd week and planning to stay around 10 days. I have read your article on hotel guide. I have a question and i need your suggestion about that. I support your idea about direct booking instead of the websites or agents. So, if I call a hotel owner/manager from the number you have provided and book the hotel, how the things go afterwards? Like how do I pay them? Do I have to pay the full amount in advance? What about reliability? Certain budget hotels say no room left on those dates, according to hotel booking websites, and again certain websites say it's available; it's too confusing. Please help.

P.S. - Great job on providing so much information. It requires a lot of hard work, hats off to you.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) June 2019

If you book directly, most hotels ask for 50% advance. Take an email confirmation of your booking. Online booking websites often take bookings based on a quota... the real availability would be best known from the hotel itself.