Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort: A Series of Staycations III

Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort was originally The Himalayan Hotel, legendary in Kalimpong. As a child, I had apparently visited the place once, but, as memory and luck would have it, I barely remembered any of it when I went for my staycation at the property. Perched on the side of a valley, slightly over Kalimpong, Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort offers a relaxed vacation for those who want to relax in the mountains for a few days.

A Brief History of Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort

David MacDonald, a young Scot, decided to start The Himalayan Hotel in 1905, slowly building wing after wing to accommodate his children. Over the years, Mayfair grew in size and reputation, and it hosted many celebrities, including Edmund Hillary, Nicholas Roerich, Shirley MacLaine, the 13th Dalai Lama, Tenzing Norgay, Dominique Lapierre, Sunil Dutt, Nargis, and Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. The first cottage was made in 1900, for David and his children, but soon, he realised the potentials of a hotel, and thus, the Himalayan Hotel came into existence. Recently, the property was acquired by the Mayfair chain of hotels, which resulted in some renovations and changes in the style of the property. However, the new owners were keen on keeping the heritage aspect of the hotel intact, and they have, so far, done their best to ensure that.

How to Reach Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort

Kalimpong is about 2.5 to 3 hours’ ride from New Jalpaiguri via Teesta Bazaar. You can take a flight to Bagdogra airport and get a cab from there to Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort, or a train to NJP station, and find a cab or shuttle. As of now, a one-way ride to Kalimpong in a hatchback or sedan is roughly INR 2000-2600/- (depending on the season), but bargaining really helps, and so does checking with multiple drivers. Our car took a longer time, because the driver noted some anomaly with the front tire, and we ended up spending about 1 hour waiting for it to get fixed.

My Room at Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort

I, along with D and N, stayed in the Heritage Wing of the property, that is also known as Annie Perry’s residency. Built in 1900, the two-storey building sported beautiful wooden staircases, and a magnificent chandelier that we all admired.

My room was a heritage suite, with a sitting room, a changing room, and a large bedroom with a queen-size bed. The bed was pretty high up, and I had to use a staircase to get in and out of it. This proved to be slightly unfortunate for a blind bat such as I, since I quickly realised, at my own little toe’s expense, that getting up, half-blind, at six o’clock in the morning, quite disoriented, thanks to D’s frantic bell-ringing, resulted in me completely missing the rather large footstool and slipping on the carpet, only to stub my toe in the said footstool. That said, I ensured to put a pillow over my ears on the second day to avoid that scenario. Needless to say, it worked perfectly!

All the rooms in the heritage property boasted of famous people staying there, and mine had Shirley Maclaine’s name on it. That was rather endearing, I daresay (if you got the joke, comment!). There was a large bathtub in the attached bathroom, and a set of toiletries, including shampoo, soap, body wash, and lotion, were provided. I wish they had some good quality bath salts too, because it was a crime to leave that hot tub without bubbles floating around me. I duly appreciated the fluffy towels, massive and comfortable bathrobes, and specifically, the really powerful hair dryer.

The small minibar was stocked with water bottles and a can of soda, and I found an electric kettle, as well as packs of tea, coffee, creamer, and sugar. Packets of chips, and two containers filled with biscuits and lozenges were also provided, and I thought the lozenges were a cute addition. The bed was soft and I was asleep within a few minutes.

The Food

We mostly ate at the spacious main restaurant, Tiffany’s, which had a spacious terrace and a magnificent view of the mountains on a clear day. Breakfast was laid out by 7 am in the morning, and the fare had a generous mix of Indian and Western dishes, along eggs to order. I did appreciate the South Indian Upma and Masala Idlis on offer, as well as the rather satisfying Poori Bhaji. That said, I wasn’t much of a fan of the bland chicken sausages, and would have liked some pork. Unfortunately, Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort doesn’t serve Pork and Beef in their menu, and has a dedicated vegetarian section. However, I did get to eat a rather nice home-style mutton curry in their dinner buffet on the second night of our stay, and D might have gotten second and third helpings of the soft meat. From their a-la-carte menu, their roast chicken stood out, with crisp skin, soft, fall-off-the-bone meat and a glossy brown gravy.

I particularly enjoyed my meal at Mamma Mia!, the patisserie and tea room, which offered both outsiders and hotel guests to enjoy a nice afternoon tea with desserts and bakes. The chef there, who claimed to know some Amdo Tibetan dishes, made big bowls of comforting Thukpa and Thenthuk for us, as well as an interesting looking dumpling that he said was a form of momo, but which was more like a cheong fun than a momo (you can see the photo here).

I particularly enjoyed the thukpa with minced meat in it, because it was spicy and rather lovely on a chilly evening.

The Spa

N and I were both seriously interested in exploring the spa, and we were ushered in quickly by the smiling attendant, who wanted to know about the kind of massage we wanted to get. As I asked for a deep tissue massage for myself, she asked whether I had any injury, or any area that should be taken care of. I specifically asked her to let the masseuse know that my shoulders needed to be focused on. She then led me to a small parlour, where two beds were laid out. The spa can be used for massages, facials, wraps, and each room comes with a steam room, where I relaxed for some time after my massage, to fully let the oils soak into my skin.

My masseuse used a soothing lavender oil on me, and then concentrated on my back. She asked me about my pressure preference, and after I had provided my feedback, proceeded to give me a massage that was both invigorating and relaxing. I might have fallen asleep near the end of it. The spa services are extensive, and couples’ massages as well as body care packages are available there.

Amenities at Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort

Right after our arrival at the property, we had discovered, to our dismay, that the WiFi and mobile network were both pretty bad here. That said, it was a blessing in disguise, since it made me explore the resort. I found a huge banquet hall on the second day, that is perfect for a small function. I got to know from the manager that this was already becoming a popular spot for that. There was also a fitness centre with treadmills and exercise gear that I might have run away from. I also found a cool projection room which was a private movie theatre, equipped with an old-fashioned movie projector both D and N were quite fascinated by.

There was also a library with really cosy couches, and I took the opportunity to read a book in peace there. At the reception, we found two huge cabinets filled with movie DVDs, and we checked out a few to watch in our room. D wanted Argo while I was all for Padosan. We ended up watching parts of both (Argo might have won). There was also a pool, but I had forgotten to carry my swimsuit, and therefore, I decided to not go for it.

Local Attractions

We were quite close to Delo, so we decided to go there one day to watch people paraglide. It was quite windy, and to my inexperienced eye, it looked quite unsafe to do that particular feat, or so I surmised. However, we did like walking around in the misty weather, the cold hitting us on our faces, before heading off to a cosy cafe (check out my next post for more about that!).

The second day, D and I decided on a trip to see Gauripur House, which was once inhabited by Rabindranath Tagore. Now, someone had made the mistake of confusing Gauripur House with Mangpu, which is another place where Tagore had stayed, so we ended up doing a wild goose chase for the better part of four hours. Once our driver heard we wanted to go to Gauripur house, he took us to the place, which was about 10 minutes’ drive from our hotel. Who knew!

If you want to go to a more religious space, Thongsha Gumpha can be a great spot to go, as well as Zong Dhog Palri Fo Brang Monastery, where if you walk up the stairs all the way to the top, you do get to see a rather breathtaking view of the valley.

Day trips can also be made to places nearby, like Sillery Gaon, which is about 23 kilometres away, and has a breathtaking view of the mountains on a clear day. Another option is Teenchuley, which is a beautiful, peaceful village with a couple of excellent home stays.

Booking Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort

You can book the hotel directly via their official website, but I have noted that both MakeMytrip and Booking.com offers excellent deals for their more expensive, luxury rooms. Check out great deals on these websites and you might just strike a great deal on their rooms.

Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee was invited to stay at The Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort by the management. The opinions provided here are clear and unbiased.