Looking for an escape from the monotony? Just take an hour-long flight to Bagdogra Airport and reach Mayfair Siliguri — a boutique tea resort nestled within the first and oldest tea garden in Terai. Once you enter the property you cannot miss the grandeur of this 16th-century property built in the heritage Tudor-style architecture — chequered black-and-white flooring, life-size statues carved out of Italian marbles, vintage furniture, classic collectables and more. Mayfair Siliguri is a fine confluence of tranquillity, class and luxury and being surrounded by the New Chumta Tea Estate with the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary as the backdrop, the property scores big in the ambience category with a rich history attached to it.
“It was in 1866 that an intrepid entrepreneur Major C.M. Fitzgerald took possession of 14,000 acres of inhospitable land to plant the first tea saplings in the Terai region. With five other directors he formed the Chumta tea garden, which down the ages got fragmented and divided and stands presently at 1,000 acres. Incorporated in 1872, the directors chose to live in Tudor-styled bungalows and post India’s Independence, left for their native shores handing over the estate to Indian owners. Mayfair stepped in to build the first tea resort in the country at the very spot where Major Fitzgerald had downed his customary gin and tonic... an antidote to the malaria that was rampant. The property is a unique ode to the ubiquitous tea while making sure that the essence of tea is captured in its entirety,” said Ravi R. Mohapatra (inset), senior vice president (business development), Mayfair group of hotels and resorts.
Fairy lights? Check. Rare orchid collection? Check. Hanging plants, intricately designed iron structure? Double check. Green House doubles up as a great wine-and-dine venue, as well as a great wedding spot or for any kind of celebration for 100 people. They have an adjoining space that is ideal for non-resident guests.
Ambience aside, a stay always comes down to how good the rooms and service experiences are. The property houses seven categories of suites and 160 keys, which are adorned with Victorian-style bathrooms, elegant Chip and Dale beds, paintings, portraits but with updated contemporary amenities. The resort is built with the concept of providing everything a guest can need — restaurants, banquets, lounges, spa, salon, gym, a little museum, azure infinity swimming pool and bars, each offering world-class service provided by well-trained, warm and dedicated staff.
Another USP of the resort lies in being a classy venue to host weddings and social events. For each type of occasion, the venue has a one-of-a-kind option that includes more than 1,00,000sq ft outdoor space with manicured lawns and 50,000sq ft indoor space. So if you have destination wedding in mind, this property steeped in history makes the perfect cut.
Our fave place to dine at Mayfair Siliguri is the Bay Leaf — the day eatery that offers a mind-blowing view of the Chumta Tea Garden. A place where we soaked in the early morning vibes during breakfast while watching the tea-pluckers do their job. There is a sense of tranquillity which cannot be missed. The well spaced-out 108-seater eatery has a beautiful painted ceiling that might remind you of The Venetian (Macau) and is decorated with hanging plants and comfortable cane chairs. Delicious food, smashing view, this place effortlessly lifts your mood.
If you are a tea-totaller like me, you would be thrilled to stay at here, not only because it is themed around everything cha — two leaves and a bud wallpapers, tea gardens but also because one can get suggestions from tea sommeliers on the various kinds of teas one could taste — organic home-grown, CTC to imported ones.
A visit to Mayfair Siliguri is a must if you want a quick staycation or host an event. t2 checked out the boutique resort and here’s what we loved.
At a glance
What: Mayfair Siliguri
Where: New Chumta Tea Estate.
Located 11km from Bagdogra Airport and 6km away from Siliguri
Rooms:160 keys ranging over seven suite categories
Tariff: Rooms start at Rs 12,000-plus and goes up to 1 lakh (all rates include breakfast)
Nearby places to visit: Siliguri, Sukna, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Bengal Safari, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and Salugara Monastery
For someone who wants to enjoy a relaxing evening over some of the choicest malts, heady wines and yummy cocktails, head straight to the Vintage Bar with 33 covers that is a treasure trove of collectables (think vintage car, typewriter, pram and telephones!).
Every category of rooms in the property spells opulence but if you are looking for something more lavish and regal you can check into their Colonial Suite which is spread across 4,500sq ft and houses a massive master bedroom and another bedroom with twin beds, living room with an adjoining dining space, bathrooms, a private deep pool that overlooks the tea gardens with a huge sit-out overlooking the tea estate and the Sukna forest. If you are looking to splurge on your honeymoon or vacay, look no further.
Sukna, Director’s, Planter’s and Manager are some of the other categories of suites available.
Prices of suites start at Rs 45,000 per day and goes up to Rs 1 lakh.
(Top) With oversees travel continuing to be restricted, Mayfair Siliguri is a brilliant option for hosting corporate trips, meetings and opulent weddings, thanks to over 50,000sq ft banqueting space (indoor) and double of that outdoor space. Lavish amenities, luxurious chandeliers, carpets and service — be assured to have a great event here.
(Bottom) After walking around the property, your weary legs would scream for some pampering and what better than a session of spa at Mayfair Spa? Equipped with sauna, separate beauty and salon sections, the spa boasts of premium quality holistic experiences with a wide range of therapies to choose from that will cleanse your body, soul and provide a much-needed detox from stress.
Things to do
The hotel in itself has a lot of things to do and sections to explore. We were thrilled and stuffed after a session of high tea at Planter’s Club, which has options like Bagan high tea, Himalayan high tea and classic English high tea. That aside, step out and take a stroll in the tea gardens and watch the tea pluckers in action right in front of you while you indulge in a lavish breakfast spread.
If you want to venture out of the property, check out New Chumta Tea Estate where you trace the journey of tea leaves from the bush to packaging. A thrill enthusiast can drive down to Sukna Range (Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary) and if you are lucky you will be able to spot elephants, peacocks and wild boars just like us. And if you don’t get to spot any animals, just a safari through the forest would be thrilling and beautiful.
Must try
The property provides carefully curated dishes in the restaurants. But when you are in a luxury tea resort, you got to try out the exotic tea-inspired dishes like Chumta Saag Paneer, Tea Crusted Fish Steak and Masala Chai Creme Brulee among others.
Pictures: Author and Mayfair Siliguri