New on the ridge. Quietly the coolest stay in town.
MountTea Stays is a young homestay above Darjeeling, founded by Salil Chetri — a born-and-raised hill kid who wanted a place that felt less like a hotel and more like crashing at a friend's (a friend with a really good view).
We're not technically family-run, but it sort of works out that way. Salil's cousins help out in the kitchen, his old trekking buddies lead the walks, and the dog is on the payroll in spirit. Everyone here knows your name by breakfast.
Because we're new, every detail is still being shaped — the playlists, the menu, the route up to the next ridge. Tell us what you'd love and there's a good chance Salil will make it happen by morning.
Sort-of-family
Not a family business on paper, but the crew has known each other for years. Same warmth, fewer arguments about whose turn it is to cook.
Local first
Every guide, cook and driver is from the Darjeeling–Sikkim hills. What you spend here mostly stays here.
Slow by design
Small house, small groups, no rushed itineraries. We'd rather you stay an extra night than tick another box.
“We arrived strangers and left as part of the family. The momos by the fireplace and the 5 AM Kanchenjunga wake-up call will stay with us forever.”
“Pema planned a Sandakphu trek that fit our pace exactly. Beautiful little tea-houses, brilliant guides and the safest hands we could have asked for.”
“The Heritage Suite is unreal — fireplace crackling, mountains in the window, and the kindest hosts in the hills. Already booked for next October.”