If you’ve read my travel guide to Pelling, you’d know that I chose to stay at a nice little family-run hotel for the most part of my trip. I chose it because I wanted to get a feel of the place and find my bearings before deciding where to go next – closer to the main town or further toward the outskirts. However, since it was off-season in August, I found myself at the most convenient location, at the city center, for a price that’s half of what it is during tourist season, with all the peace and quiet I wanted! No throngs of tourists are always a win!
Another plus of living at that little hotel was that I spent less on clean, comfy accommodation than I had anticipated. That kind of gave me a little push to splurge a little on a bit of luxury. To be honest, I find everything to be a sign from the universe to spend on luxury, hahaha.
Anyway, a quick Google search pulled up Elgin Mount Pandim as the most luxurious boutique property in Pelling. Spanning 8 acres of land (although it seemed much, much smaller when I visited), this hotel was once the home of the royal family of Sikkim, and the old-world charm of that era is beautifully preserved even today.
The entrance to Elgin Mount Pandim isn’t grand by any means, but it is when you enter the reception area that you’ll feel that touch of opulence. Bursting with heritage artifacts, colonial furniture, and plush carpets, Elgin Pandim is so very elegant! Take a moment to walk around the lobby as you sip on your glass of cherry liqueur, the welcome drink they offer.
The staff are smartly dressed, stiff, and formal. Perhaps as they deal with the upper crust and A-listers frequently they maintain a cordial countenance, but I can speak for myself when I say that I’d much rather have warm smiles and friendliness to enjoy myself in a luxury hotel. Take the hospitality at Grand Hyatt Goa or Novotel Hyderabad Airport for example – they don’t let you feel, even for a second, that this is your first time staying at or visiting the property.
My room was small but well-appointed. On a clear day, Elgin Pandim in Pelling offers unmatched views of Mt. Kanchenjunga – the world’s third tallest mountain – all from the cozy comfort of your bed.
From the window, I had a view of whispering clouds in the morning and rolling mist in the evening. Ever so often I’d scan the horizon for a view of that elusive peak, but no luck. I was disappointed. One of the reasons I’d booked a stay at Elgin Mount Pandim is because I’d envisioned myself sitting in a large armchair with a cup of coffee, gazing at the mountains as I did at Machus Cottage, Uttarakhand with the Nanda Devi peak.
I ordered room service for dinner and while the food was good, I found the prices to be quite steep! Since it was off-season, they requested that we order dinner by 8 p.m., which was super early for me, but we complied. I’m hoping it isn’t like this all year round. Breakfast the next morning was simple, with the standard options – eggs, parathas, puri bhaji et all, although I must say it was well laid out and I think it was the fact that we were sitting in the veranda overlooking the gardens that nudged the experience from being satisfactory to good.
Did I see the mesmerizing Mt. Kanchenjunga from this luxury hotel? Indeed I did! I was woken up at 6 AM to catch a glimpse of it as the sun was rising and what a sight it was. Through sleepy eyes and scattered clouds, I could see it in the distance. Can you spot it in this image I clicked?
After around 10 minutes of looking at it in awe, I snuggled back into the blankets, satisfied, waking up 3 hours later for breakfast.
The hotel also has its own dogs – five-month-old puppies, rather. The bread, called Bhotia, are mastiff-type mountain dogs that are found in North India. They were the fluffiest and largest pups I’ve ever seen, bigger than most full-grown dogs, and I’d have happily spent all my time at the property playing with them! For the entire duration of my stay, they were kept in a little pen, and in the morning as I passed by, they howled to be let out of their kennels. It really pricked my conscience and reminded me of those gorgeous breeds at Della Adventure Park, Lonavala, kept in little enclosures all day and night, until a guest decides to avail of the amenity and ‘walk’ them. Granted, the dogs here at Elgin Mount Pandim may not have been an amenity, but it still made me sad to see them in there, especially since I wasn’t even allowed to go in and keep them company, but had to reach over and pet them from the other side of the enclosure.
Elgin Mount Pandim is a blissful place to unwind and do nothing but enjoy untouched nature coupled with smartly kept hotel grounds. As it is uphill and away from the main city, spending a day here is worthwhile and your chances of spotting the mountains are good! Though I wouldn’t recommend it for more than a day – or even for a second visit.
Hope you enjoyed this blog post! The last of my blog posts on this trip to Sikkim is coming up next. It’s on another little town called Ravangla! Watch out for that! Bye!
