Iconic Mount Everest Hotel in Darjeeling to remain unchanged its exterior

The war of words and speculation about the future of the ‘naya’ hotel, as the iconic Mount Everest Hotel in Darjeeling used to be called by people in its early days, is out on social media sites after it was taken over by a private company a few days back. Referendums are being sought and views exchanged after the new owners announced that a modern housing complex would come up along with a hotel. The owners have also assured that the aesthetic of the old structure would be maintained. People have started creating pages in support of their ‘naya’ hotel in social networking sites (Save Hotel Mount Everest - a Darjeeling Heritage), and the pages have already garnered scores of likes.

Brij Mohan Garg, a prominent businessman of Darjeeling and one of the new co-owners of the property, on Monday tried to set at rest the “noise” being made on 

social sites. “My attachment and sentiments with the hotel is as deep as that of others. I am fully aware of the heritage nature of the hotel and it has become synonymous with the hills. Our vision is to rebuild the lost brand and take it back to its glory days,” he said.

The Mount Everest Hotel was built in 1914 by Arathoon Stephen, an Indian hotelier who named it The Darjeeling Family Hotel. It was taken over by the Oberoi Group in 1950 and was closed down completely in 1984 after a devastating fire ravaged the building in 1978. The new owners are already in consultation with structural engineers and architects to give the hotel a makeover, work for which is expected to start this winter. “It is a brand, but one must remember that at present it is in a shambles and will require major revamping to get it back into running condition. However, we will ensure that the aesthetic value of the infrastructure is kept intact,” said Garg.

The exteriors of the hotel would be kept as it is while the interiors will be given a modern look. “We will use the same material on the outside, but on the inside we may have to use other modern materials. We will also keep the look and name of the hotel the same,” Garg said.

Talking about the proposed housing complex, he said it would come up in the 5 acre available. “All these will be discussed in detail with our architects and structural engineers as they are the experts on how to utilise the area that is available. At the moment I can only say there are options before us,” he said. Apparently, the housing complex will be built keeping in mind the economics involved in the construction of the hotel. The complex will have a parking space, a premium in the hills, a community hall, medical and retails outlets and a swimming pool. “We want to convert the hotel into a five-star category. We expect expenses to soar very high once construction starts,” Garg reasoned.

In fact, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief executive Bimal Gurung wrote during the day on his Facebook page that he welcomed the takeover of an iconic brand, but was opposed to any form of dismantling. He also said the new venture being proposed by the new owners must be in line with the existing structure and construction must be undertaken without dismantling the aesthetic value of the place.(EOIC)