Best Kalimpong Hotels
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About hotels in Kalimpong
Kalimpong requires minimum two nights stay if you like to explore this quaint hill town. It is at a strategic location where the tourists can easily combine a stay here with Darjeeling and/or Gangtok. So, the place continue to draw tourists throughout the year.
Although number of hotels in Kalimpong are not as many as in Darjeeling or Gangtok, there are still enough to satisfy all class of tourists - both budget as well as luxury class travelers.
Some hotels are exceptionally good when it comes to the views of Kanchnejunga snow peaks and some are nestled in lovely natural settings and landscapes. Few are of course close to the main market area or town center.
Category Budget: Rs. 1800 - Rs. 2,500 per night.
Category 2 Star: Rs. 2,500 - 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
Gompu's Hotel
If you want to stay right at the market area surrounded by shops and restaurants, then Gompu's Hotel can be a good choice for a budget hotel. This is a family run Tibetan hotel with couple of floors above its own restaurant.
The hotel started as a boarding house and a confectionery in the early 1900s when it was set up by an immigrant Tibetan, Tsering Gompu. It was later converted into a full fledged hotel and restaurant, and is still being run by 4th generation family members.
All 14 rooms are nice, clean but not very large. But you will get Tibetan flavors inside. The rooms have color TV and WiFi. There is separate charge for using WiFi though. Bathrooms have hot & cold water with showers and western style toilets.
The staff are quite friendly and nice. The restaurant below serves nice Chinese, Indian, Tibetan & Continental food. It has a bar as well. The room service is prompt and you can have your food in your room as well.
Penjo is the current owner and has great knowledge of Kalimpong and nearby areas. He is very helpful and will assist you to plan out your days effectively if you so want.
Gompu's Restaurant
Overall a hotel with good value for money. The only downside is that it's located right in the middle of the main market area, off the main road on a narrow lane and right next to Damber Chowk (earlier known as the Maharani Chowk). The area is quite crowded and noisy as you can see in the picture.
Contact information
Gompus Hotel, Damber Chowk, Kalimpong -734301, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India
Phone + 91 (3552) 255818; Mobile 9832435448
Breathing Stone
Owned and run by Dr. Pema... a medical practitioner, this is almost like a hidden gem that very few tourists know of. It's right on Rishi road that leads all the way to Kalimpong town center (i.e. the market area) but located 2.5kms before the town center.
Although it's possible to walk, most would require a car to go up to the town center or to get back (7-minute drive one way).
The stone tiled surface of the building's exterior would have inspired such a name for the hotel. Although known as a hotel (rather an Inn), Breathing Stone is more like a homestay and the moment you enter the premises, you will feel as if you are entering a house and not a hotel.
The staff includes a manager and couple of young local lads. There are several rooms spread across three floors of the hotel including one room in the ground floor.
The reception with a small seating area is located at the ground floor in a separate room where you need to complete the check-in formality. The wall behind the reception desk has a paper stuck on it saying 'Alcohol and Smoking Not Allowed'.
You need to pay up the balance of room tariff at the time of check in (and you need to pay by cash). Note that only a token amount as advance was asked at the time of booking which I had transferred to their bank account.
My Room 204
There is a stairway that leads to the rooms upstairs. There is no elevator. So seniors should avoid booking rooms in 2nd or 3rd floor because the climb can be exhausting. The owner's family stays at the 4th floor.
We took the best view rooms on third floor (room no. 204 which was at the corner and the adjacent room 205). Rooms are quite spacious and the view rooms have nice private balconies overlooking the Kalimpong town on the opposite hill.
In the mornings I could even see Kanchenjunga peaks from my bed. Views are lovely all around with a beautiful valley ahead.
View of valley and Teesta river
from the balcony
One of the best things about this hotel is... rooms, bathrooms and all parts of the hotel premises are exceptionally clean and very well maintained.
Rooms are cleaned, beds made, towels & linens changed everyday... attention to details and quality of accessories used is noteworthy.
Dr. Pema takes delicate care of the property and that's evident all across. In fact she mentioned that she also tries to be selective about the guests and tries to check some basic credentials before booking.
Night view from balcony
The dining room is at the ground floor and is quite spacious and impressive. They take pride in serving homemade food. You get nice Bengali/Nepali style food comprising of rice, roti, daal, vegetables, chicken, salad etc, and the food was really nice every time and comes with nice variations.
They can also serve food in the rooms. Breakfast was included in our tariff and comprised of toast, butter, jam, eggs made to order, tea/coffee etc, you can also ask for puri bhaji.
Hot food served in the room
Dr. Pema met us daily during our breakfast, chatting with us for long and sharing her experiences here including the kind of effort she has to put in everyday to keep this hotel in its current state. Her husband too is a doctor.
She mentioned that she had to invest practically all her money to build this property. Once she had given out the hotel on lease, but having seen negligence of the property, she ended the lease and decided to run it on her own despite the hardship.
You may find the hotel in the list of OYO hotels because once it was leased out to them, but it is no longer so.
Dr. Pema of Breathing Stone
By the way, you can go up to the terrace on top... there is a lovely terrace garden up there with flowering plantations and seats to enjoy.
You can also book cars through the hotel for tours and transfers... just ask the manager. We had a great time here and I would love to come back again.
Contacts Info
Breathing Stone Hotel
8th Mile, Rishi Road, Kalimpong 734101
Phone: 03552-256433, +91 8116224128
Mid Range (2 Star) Hotels
Hill Top Tourist Lodge
This hotel is managed by West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) which is the state tourism department. But this lodge unlike the rest of them (two more are located in Kalimpong itself) have taken a clear lead.
It has created an exceptional name for itself when it comes to maintenance, quality of rooms, overall staff behavior and even food quality, which are all above par offering great value for money for such reasonable room rate it charges.
As the name suggests, it's located on a hill top, about 1.5kms uphill from the main Kalimpong market area or the town square and perched in a secluded serene area. It takes about 10 minutes by cab to reach and about 30-minute walk from the market area.
The uphill walk can be quite tiring, while downhill is doable. Shared taxis are available both ways till about 7pm. You can also take a private cab.
The lodge itself is a grand two-storied British bungalow which has been complete renovated and restored to its past glory with a large lush lawn in front with great view of mountains beyond including that of Kanchenjunga snow peaks. Mountain views are of course available on clear days.
You will enjoy the large spacious rooms with wooden flooring, spotless bed linens, several nice amenities including wi-fi, LCD TV, 24 hours hot & cold water in the bathroom which are all very well maintained.
There are sofas with center table as well in the rooms. They provide room heaters in the winter and depending on room type, even electric kettle.
There are several types of rooms including 3-bedded standard or deluxe rooms, 6 bedded and even 8 bedded dormitory room. While all are great value for money, the front facing rooms (the deluxe ones) are special because of their mountain views.
3-Bedded Deluxe Room
Both floors have a running veranda across its front facade which is common to rooms facing the garden. Take a front facing room and you can enjoy the mountain view from the room itself or from the veranda which too has seating arrangements.
While the ground floor common veranda is open, the first floor one is covered but has series of glass windows for the views.
The kitchen staff prepare nice Bengali type of food. In breakfast you get puri-sabji or toast omelet plus Darjeeling tea. The breakfast is included in the room rate like most other state tourist lodges. Lunch and dinner are made to order and you need to order in advance.
The menu is simple but other than Bengali cuisine, it also includes Chinese and Continental dishes which too are worth trying. In the evening while you sip a cup of Darjeeling tea, try to order some chicken pakora - delicious.
Dining Room
The lodge can arrange for a reserved cab for your sightseeing if you tell them in advance. They can also arrange for a cab for you to go down to the market. Staff are all very well behaved and cooperative.
From the hotel instead of going down to the market if you walk up, you will reach the Army Golf Course. There is a coffee shop there and also a view point.
How to book Hill Top Lodge
You can book room in Hill Top Tourist Lodge online through WBTDCL website.
Address: Darwin Road, Kalimpong 734301
Hotel Garden Reach
This is another nice hotel further up from Himalayan Hotel along Upper Cart Road that leads from the Town Center. From the hotel, the town center or the main market area is about 10-12 minutes downhill walk.
The old building is behind the newer block, each having several rooms over 3 floors.
Rooms are clean, and furnishing is adequate including TV, wooden cupboard, double bed, window-side wooden chairs and glass tables where you can have your breakfast or tea and enjoy the nice views outside.
On a clear day, from some rooms (for example room no. 313 or 413) you get nice views of Kanchenjunga snow peaks.
Hotel Garden Reach, Kalimpong
The bathrooms with western toilets are also quite good, fitted with geyzers. They have a dining room at the basement which opens out to a nice small garden in the backside. The garden has a swing and a gazebo where you can relax in the greens.
There is also an open terrace here next to the garden with excellent views of mountains. There are benches to relax. They will serve you tea here from the kitchen if you order. The kitchen prepares mainly Indian & Chinese dishes and the food is quite good.
Room 313, Hotel Garden Reach, Kalimpong
However there are couple of things to note. Most waiters and staff are college students and this is a side job for them. So while they can be quite energetic and lively, they often lack professionalism as you may expect. Sometimes you will find them gossiping at the reception quite loudly or getting engrossed in watching TV.
Some rooms like Room 313 have the bathroom ventilation window towards the inside corridor and have some glass slabs missing. It's at an easy height where one can jump and peep from outside.
With mostly college kids managing the show, you can not rule out this possibility and once it did happen with us. When I took up with the manager at the reception, he could not explain why the glass slabs haven't been replaced, as it seemed to be lying in that position for quite some time.
I had to change my room to 314 which had the bathroom window opening outside and had no such problem.
View from Room 313
Another thing which I noticed was a school van dropping school girls in front of the hotel and the girls using the hotel premises as a short cut to get through to their homes behind the hotel. I had no idea why the hotel allows this.
But overall we liked the hotel and the friendliness of the staff. When we left early in the morning, the kitchen staff went out of the way to pack breakfast for us.
Rates provided by booking.com
Contact information
Upper Cart Road, Below Bankim Chandra Park, Kalimpong, Darjeeling Ditrict,
West Bengal-734301, India
Phone: 03552-255091; Mobile: 09832040822, 09331107996
Morgan House
Morgan House is one of my great favorites of all times. It's located out of the typical touristy area up on a hill (Durpin dara) and right next to the scenic golf course.
So if you are looking for a quiet and tranquil vacation, like to be with the nature and the mist, want sweeping views of the valley and mountains, and enjoy the charm of an old but gorgeous colonial house, then this is the place to stay. You won't regret it.
Morgan House is an old British villa constructed during the colonial days by Mr. and Mrs. Morgan. It has a lovely manicured garden with garden umbrellas and sitting places.
The West Bengal Tourism Department has taken over this villa as a heritage building and running it as a hotel. The staff are courteous and very friendly.
Lawn at Morgan House Kalimpong
While there are couple of rooms in the ground floor where the reception and the office is located, a staircase with a red carpet leads to the rooms upstairs.
The deluxe rooms are spacious and have nice furnishing including fire places (which are not operational though and mostly serve as another decorative element in the room). Bathrooms have geysers with hot & cold showers.
Ground Floor Room, Morgan House Kalimpong
Take a deluxe room upstairs with a terrace (like room 104). You will get wonderful view of the Army Golf Course (which is supposed to be the most scenic course in the country) as well as that of the mountains and valley with Kanchenjunga in the backdrop.
The in-house food is good and they serve nice Indian dishes. Tell them in advance as they prepare against orders and serve it warm.
Room, Morgan House Kalimpong
How to book Morgan House in Kalimpong?
You can book online directly through the WBTDCL (West Bengal Tourist Development Corporations) website. Morgan House is in high demand, so book well in advance.
Deolo Tourist Lodge, Kalimpong
Location! Location! Location! .... this is the reason why you will love to stay here. The castle like lodge with several large and spacious rooms is located on a hill top.
This is the Deolo Hill which is the highest point in Kalimpong and about 8kms from the town center. The 8-acre large compound has lovely manicured garden with pathways to take strolls amongst many flowering plants.
And there are lovely view points and sitting areas in vantage locations from where you get sweeping views of Kanchenjunga, as well as the rivers flowing below and that of Kalimpong town itself.
There are stalls on one side of the lawn where you get coffee and snacks. The children and even adults can take horse rides around the property (at a separate charge though). The property is run by GTA (erstwhile Darjeeling Hill Gorkha Council, DGHC).
View from Deolo
Now coming to the rooms and facilities. Rooms are large, mostly wood paneled with a lot of wooden furnishing. The double beds are however just good enough for two.
The bathrooms are fitted with geysers so that you get hot water whenever you want. The lodge also has an in-house restaurant in the first floor and a bar lounge.
Restaurant, Deolo Tourist Lodge, Kalimpong
Any issues or problems? Yes there are a few. The rooms could be certainly better maintained, for example the intercom or even the geysers sometimes do not work, even the TV remote may not work on your arrival. And the service could also improve.
The food in the restaurant is just about okay and a bit pricey though. Deolo is one of the tourist sightseeing spots. So tourists from other places in Kalimpong make regular day visits to Deolo compound and spend some time here.
However considering the place and the overall set up, it's a great place to spend a couple of days. It's kind of an all inclusive hotel in Kalimpong. The lodge can also arrange for day sightseeing and other activities.
How to book Deolo Tourist Lodge in Kalimpong?
You need to book by visiting the GTA tourism office. Check out
Tourist Centers to know location and contacts of GTA tourism offices and how to book. Note that Deolo Lodge is in high demand and you must book well in advance.
Sood's Garden Retreat
This is a family owned boutique hotel with 18 rooms of different types including standard, deluxe, suites and attic rooms. The hotel is located little out of the main town (about 20 minutes walk).
It's located off the main road, has a nice garden setting with many flowering plants and offers great views of Himalayan snow peaks from several of its rooms.
Some rooms like the suits are very large. All rooms are clean, have modern amenities including free WiFi (stay close to the reception for better signal strength), flat TVs, attached western style nice bathrooms etc.
The staff and the owner Siddhant Sood are very cordial and friendly. They will go out of their way to cater to your needs.
The in-house restaurant is one of the best in Kalimpong where you will see many tourists come and take their lunch or dinner. It serves north Indian, Tandoor, Chinese, Tibetan and even Bengali dishes. However the menu items are not extensive, but food is good.
However, unless you tell them they may not make your beds everyday. You may also feel the garden is a bit neglected. These are some sighs that show a more professional approach would have helped. But overall a great place.
Rates provided by booking.com
Contact information
Sood's Garden Retreat
8.5 Miles Kalimpong-734301, West Bengal.
Himalayan Hotel
This is a wonderful heritage hotel located few minutes walk from Kalimpong town center. It's an uphill gradual walk to the hotel. Cars can also enter the hotel premises and there is ample car parking.
Once you enter, the first thing you notice is the beautiful flowering gardens all around. The reception is on the right, while the stone built old block with 8 rooms and new block with additional 8 rooms on the left.
All rooms have double beds with balcony. The view from the balconies are special. What do you see? Mount Kanchenjunga and Mount Kabru peeping out between Mount Tendong and Mainom (the highest mountain of Sikkim).
This is a family run property and used to be the home of David Mcdonald in the early 1900s, a British Trade Agent posted in Tibet.
When Mcdonald retired in 1924, he converted this into a hotel. Until recently, this hotel was run by his family members. However, it is still in careful hands as evident all around.
Himalayan Hotel Kalimpong - Old Block
The rooms feature oak ceilings, walnut & teak furniture, open fire places, the garden is full of Himalayan flora blooming all round the year, the spacious dining room has many Tibetan memorabilia, and the building has several teak pillars.
The rooms in old block do not have TV. Overall a wonderful quiet ambience which has retained its colonial aura. The hotel was visited by several well known personalities in the past including Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay who were the first to climb Everest.
Himalayan Hotel Kalimpong - New Block
The service is friendly. The same staff have been serving the hotel for many years. The food is homely and nice. You will get Indian and European cuisine and also Tibetan & Local Gorkha dishes on request.
You mostly see foreign tourists staying in the hotel. If I must talk about some negatives, that would be the water pressure in showers which is not consistently good in some rooms. But I can forget that.
UPDATE
This hotel is no longer in operation. It has been taken over by Mayfair group and converted into Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort which is described in the section below.
Contact information
Himalayan Hotel
Upper Cart Road, Kalimpong - 734301
Hotel Elgin Silver Oaks
I have stayed in this hotel several times during my visits in Kalimpong. This is arguably the best hotel when it comes to luxury combined with location.
It's located very close to the town center (a minute's walk) yet in a landscape with lovely gardens and view of the valley.
It' one of those hotels which tries to retain the colonial charm of the British Raj days. It's evident from the many features like the open fire place in the dining room, stylish sofas in the lounge, exquisite carpets, chandeliers and so on.
Being a luxury hotel, the rooms have all luxury amenities which a hotel of this category offers and does not require a special mention.
The corner rooms have great views of the Kanchenjunga snow peaks on clear days. You can also ask for a room with valley or garden views. They are nice as well. If you need wifi, take a room near reception.
Lounge, Elgin Silver Oaks, Kalimpong
So is it a hotel with no flaws? I can't say that though. I think the food menu and the preparations need to improve. Breakfast and meals with set menu are included in the rates. However given the limited menu items and not that good food, this becomes a serious limitation.
The hotel can also improve its service from the staff. It's an old fashioned hotel when it comes to its staff & management. You can sometimes find them to be quite lackadaisical in nature. However, all in all a good luxury hotel.
Rates provided by booking.com
Contact information
Hotel Elgin Silver Oaks
Rinking Pong Road, Kalimpong, West Bengal, Pin: 734301
Phone: +91-3552-255296; +91-3552-255767
Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort
This hotel belongs to the Mayfair group which has a great hotel in Darjeeling and several other places. It was earlier the Himalayan Hotel. The property was taken over by the group and converted into this sprawling luxury resort.
However the heritage buildings of the earlier hotel has been retained and fully refurbished (the Heritage rooms and suits)... these units are over 150 years old.
Eminent personalities like Tenzing Norgay & Edmund Hillary (the first ones to climb the Everest), Indira Gandhi etc availed the heritage accommodations... so the property has a lot of history behind it.
But what it additionally offers is a sweeping view of the Himalayan snow peaks including Mt. Kanchenjunga and Mt. Kabru ... two of the highest peaks in the world. And of course the property is in a nice location at a walking distance from the town center (the market area) yet in a peaceful locality up the hill.
There is a lovely garden which is surrounded by the pink buildings that house the rooms, restaurant, spa, fitness center, library etc. There is a nice swimming pool as well.
As you walk into the property, you come to a wonderful fountain and then a white arch gate that leads to the garden. There are several tables laid out here for guests to enjoy the views around. Walk up to the edge of the lawn and get amazing views of the mountains.
The Heritage rooms and suits offer view of the mountains or the pool, have 4-poster beds, fireplace, and matching furnished bathrooms. There are also deluxe & executive rooms, family rooms, suits and cottages (all newly built).
All rooms have modern luxury amenities including free wi-fi (basic), tea/coffee maker, bottled water, safe, hair dryer, TV & DVD player, ironing board (on request) etc.
Executive Room
The multi-cuisine restaurant Tiffany with its grand decor has magnificent views through the large glass windows. The breakfast spread here is quite excellent.
The resort also has a lounge bar. Try out the Mama Mia cafe which offers nice Himalayan street food like momos, and noodles.
One of the highlight is the David's Museum Library housed in a separate wonderful bungalow... a quiet veranda here offers an excellent opportunity to explore books on Hiamalayas in solitude whiled surrounded by nature.
The resort Spa offers a range of massages and salon services. There is a children's play room as well (for below 6 years) and a children's open-air play center.
Heritage Suit With 4-Poster Bed
The resort is also popular for office conferences... the main conference hall can accommodate up to 500 persons, there is a smaller one with a capacity of 150. The staff are very friendly and the service is nice and prompt.
This is a premium property and spotlessly clean, and exudes classy elegance at every corner. It might be pricey, but if you care for luxury with views, this would certainly be the one.
Rates provided by booking.com
Contact information
Upper Cart Road, Kalimpong - 734301
Phone: +91-3552-260101 / 114/5/6
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Visitors' Reviews/Comments
Enasree Sreemany (January 2024)
Hi Raj, This forum of yours is very helpful. My query is
1.Is it a walkable distance from Windsong or Kalimpong Park or Summit Barsana to Kalimpong City Centre? Or Suggest us some hotels which can be easily accessed from the city centre. Actually other than the sightseeing we want to explore Kalimpong city on our own.
2.What are the good food joints on the way to Kalimpong?
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) January 2024
Hi, none of the hotels you mentioned is at an easy walking distance from the Kalimpong City Center (the market area). You can look into Elgin Silver Oaks which is about a 4-minute walk from the center.
For food, the Siliguri town has several decent restaurants (ask the driver). Alternatively, if you want to have food out of the town and on the way to Kalimpong, go through Getting to Kalimpong for some ideas:
Subrata Saha (June 2023)
Dear Raj, I am a fan of your website and refer to it whenever I want to know about the hills of Darjeeling. In 2016 you had also guided me to find a suitable hotel for my physically challenged son in Darjeeling.
Subsequently I found that you have added an altogether separate link on this, thank you so much; it's so so helpful for tourists with such requirements.
We have planned to visit Kalimpong in November this year, 2023. We will be a group of relatives and need 6 rooms for 3 nights. After going through your website I have decided to stay in WBTDCL's Hill Top Tourism Property.
Please help me with the following queries:
1. Total no. of rooms in Hill Top
2. No. of front facing (mountain view) GROUND FLOOR rooms in Hill Top.
3. Any further Room Tips over and above what is alredy contained in your website.
Thanking you in advance and with best regards
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) June 2023
Hello, Hill Top Tourism Property has a total of 8-9 rooms of different capacities (8-bedded dormitory, 6-bedded, 3-bedded, etc). Suggest you call up the lodge and find out the exact details. Phone: +91-9836621300 (as given on WBTDCL Website).
Ambarish Sanyal (April 2023)
Hello, Came back once again to your site for some authentic knowledge. While you described many hotels in Kalimpong, how about the Summit group of hotels or Sinclairs.
My requirement is something which would be not very far from town centre (as I have a 7 year kid along) yet will have excellent views and of course good food (may be asking for too many things).
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) April 2023
Hello, both Sinclairs and Sumit Barsana in Kalimpong are good hotels. Both have rooms with views of the mountains (but not all... so, you need to specifically ask for a view room).
Sinclairs is about 5kms before you reach Kalimpong town while Summit Barsana is about 2kms further up from Kalimpong town on Upper Cart road.
Both have nice lawns where your kid can enjoy. There is a sitting area on the lawn of Summit Barsana that has great views of the peaks.
Koel Chaudhuri (June 2020)
Hi Mr. Bhattacharya, First of all can't thank you enough for this website. It has become my go-to page for any information in this area. I wanted your suggestion on Kalimpong hotel booking.
Between Delo Guest House, Morgan House and Hill Top tourist lodge, which one would you recommend? I went through your page and felt that Delo has better views than Morgan House or Hilltop... is that so? And the service at Delo, electricity, hot water etc., is that still an issue? If I go to Kalimpong it will be either in November or December (may be not this year, depending on the circumstances), so comfort is a factor. But at the same time, having to compromise on views also feels really bad. So just want your opinion.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) June 2020
Hello, Delo lodge certainly has great views from several rooms and so does Morgan House (particularly some of the upstairs rooms in the main building). But from a maintenance perspective, Hill Top and Morgan House are better compared to Delo. After all, Delo is a GTA managed lodge while the other two are managed directly by West Bengal Tourism. Another problem with Delo is, being an open tourist spot, it gets crowded with outsiders during the day time. In November last year, I found that inside of the lodge including the upstairs restaurant, lobby and even the rooms were poorly maintained and the food and service were sub-par. However, the compound itself is still nice and worth a visit. Several years back, I had seen Delo lodge in much better shape.
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