Lo and Behold! It was the majestic Kanchenjunga in all its resplendent beauty that I saw as I sat in the balcony of my room at Hotel Sonamchen in Pelling. The lofty snow clad mountain range is a mere 6 and ½ kms eye distance from the hotel. You can’t get enough of Kanchenjunga and later as I savoured my breakfast of hot and delicious aloo parathas and coffee in the restaurant, it continued to peek back at me. I couldn’t have asked for a better morning view specially since Kanchenjunga had eluded me in Darjeeling due to bad weather. I had specifically selected Hotel Sonamchen for this view.
And the amazing hospitality that I received here was a big add on. The staff doesn’t treat you as tourists; you are welcomed just like you are visiting their home. ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ is genuinely practiced at Sonamchen. The hotel includes 45 rooms which are divided into 30 premium rooms and 15 deluxe rooms. I would recommend booking a view facing premium room because apart from Kanchenjunga you also get to see lush forests that you can experience in tranquility, away from the hustle bustle of city life. That is exactly why you should come to Pelling- to recharge yourself. As you sit in the cool, fresh breeze and view the natural beauty in front of you sipping a warm coffee, your body and mind get rejuvenated.
Both the premium and deluxe rooms include a double bed, sofa, TV, heater and attached bathroom. WiFi and a conference room are in the pipeline. The restaurant called Curry Leaf serves pure vegetarian Jain, Rajasthani, Gujarati and South Indian cuisine. The maharaj (cook) is from Rajasthan. Local Sikkimese cuisine is also served and I recommend rai ka saag which is made from green spinach, churpi pickle which is a local cheese pickle, sour tasting nakima made from flowers, kinema which is made of fermented soyabean and gundruk which comprises of dry spinach with pickle and soup. The raw materials are local and organic so you not only eat tasty but healthy as well. Local Sikkimese beverages of thongba and changko are also available on request.
Sonamchen is the only hotel in Pelling which has a vegetarian restaurant and is also the only hotel with a relatively large inventory of rooms making it a preferred choice for groups and families. The view from the hotel beckons honeymooners. A group of senior citizens had chosen this hotel because unlike other hotels with a fixed buffet, the staff at Sonamchen had taken utmost care when it came to their dietary requirements even though procuring such ingredients is challenging because they are sourced from other places.
The garden is the perfect venue for bonfire parties with bar-be-que provided on request. Now that is one bonfire setting I look forward to in Pelling. Orchids and rose bloom in the garden in season. The curio shop at the entrance of Sonamchen offers souvenirs like lucky charms, prayer wheels, statues and stoles.
Hotel Sonamchen
Upper Pelling,
Old Helipad Road,
Pelling-737113
West Sikkim
Reservations- +91 8170028224/32
Email- jaingrouphotels@gmail.com/ jayanjain@gmail.com
Website- www.jaingrouphotels.in
LL- +91 3592204199
Khursheed Dinshaw
Hotel is very nice located n staff are too good n cooperative
agree with you Shipra.