The Elgin Hotel,

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...

formerly known as The New Elgin is a luxury five-star heritage hotel situated in the heart of

. The hotel is owned by Elgin Hotels and Resorts.

History

Built in 1887 around a garden, the property was initially the summer residence of the Maharaja (king) of Cooch Behar and was later leased to British families such as the Pavion and the Oakley family. In 1965, Kuldip Chand Oberoi of the Oberoi family of hoteliers, bought the hotel with his entire life savings at INR 40,000 where his lessee Nancy Oakley was running it as a guest house. When Oakley departed for England in 1968, a

sole proprietorship A sole proprietorship, also known as a sole tradership, individual entrepreneurship or proprietorship, is a type of enterprise owned and run by only one person and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business entity. ...

firm named "New Elgin Hotel" was established and registered, with Mr. Kuldip Chand Oberoi as its sole proprietor. In 1975, the sole proprietorship firm transitioned into a

partnership A partnership is an agreement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments or combinations. Organizations ...

firm, adopting the name "New Elgin Hotel" with three directors: Mr. Kuldip Chand Oberoi, his wife Mrs. Shanti Devi Oberoi, and his son Mr. Diamond Oberoi. Subsequently, in 1995, the partnership firm "New Elgin Hotel" evolved into a

private limited company A private limited company is any type of business entity in Privately held company, "private" ownership used in many jurisdictions, in contrast to a Public company, publicly listed company, with some differences from country to country. Example ...

, leading to the establishment of "Elgin Hotels Private Limited" with three directors: Mr. Diamond Oberoi, Mrs. Nimmi Oberoi, and Mr. Viraj Oberoi, a structure that remains unchanged to this day.

Preservation Efforts

The hotel, designed in the style of a royal

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...

, has undergone extensive refurbishment to reclaim its former grandeur while preserving its rich history. This includes the incorporation of etchings by Goray Douglas,

lithographs Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...

by William Daniell, period Burma teak furniture, oak floorboards, paneling, and original fireplaces.

Notable Guests

This hotel has played host to dignitaries like the US Ambassador, the Crown Prince of Sikkim

Palden Thondup Namgyal Palden Thondup Namgyal ( Sikkimese: ; Wylie: ''dpal-ldan don-grub rnam-rgyal''; 23 May 1923 – 29 January 1982) was the 12th and last Chogyal (king) of the Kingdom of Sikkim. Biography Palden thondup Namgyal was born on 23 May 1923 at the ...

, to French author

Dominique Lapierre Dominique Lapierre (30 July 1931 – 2 December 2022) was a French author. Life Dominique Lapierre was born in Châtelaillon-Plage, Charente-Maritime, France. At the age of thirteen, he travelled to the U.S. with his father who was a diploma ...

, British journalist and writer

Mark Tully Sir William Mark Tully, KBE (born 24 October 1935) is a British journalist and the former Bureau Chief of BBC, New Delhi, a position he held for 20 years. He worked with the BBC for 30 years before resigning in July 1994. The recipient of sever ...

, ghazal singer

Pankaj Udhas Pankaj Udhas (17 May 1951 – 26 February 2024) was an Indian ghazal and playback singer known for his works in Hindi cinema, and Indian pop. He started his career with the release of a ghazal album titled ''Aahat'' in 1980 and subsequently rec ...

, and former Minister of External Affairs

Jaswant Singh Major Jaswant Singh (3 January 193827 September 2020) was an Indian Army officer and politician. He was one of the founding members of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and was one of India's longest serving parliamenta ...

and model-actor

Milind Soman Milind Usha Soman (born 4 November 1965) is an Indian actor, model, film producer, and fitness enthusiast. He rose to fame in the year 1995, when he got featured in Alisha Chinai's music video, '' Made in India''. The same year, he made his deb ...

Awards

*''Certificate of Excellence 2012'' status by

TripAdvisor Tripadvisor is an American company that operates online travel agency, travel agencies, comparison shopping websites, and mobile apps with user-generated content. Its namesake brand, Tripadvisor.com, operates in 40 countries and 20 languages, and ...

TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2012
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elgin Hotel Heritage hotels in India Hotels in Darjeeling Hotel buildings completed in 1887