CGH Earth is expanding beyond its traditional South India footprint, entering the Eastern Himalayas with The Singell Tea Estate in Kurseong, West Bengal, and preparing to add a second property in Kalimpong.
The move marks a strategic geographic expansion for the hospitality group after more than four decades of developing destination-led experiences in Southern India. The company is positioning the Eastern Himalayas as a new growth region aligned with its focus on conservation, local culture and experiential hospitality.
Set within the historic Singell Tea Estate, established in 1871, the Kurseong property offers 11 rooms across a restored heritage bungalow and a contemporary wing. The experience centres on the estate’s tea heritage, mountain ecology and local culture, with activities including plantation walks, tea factory tours, village trails, tea tastings and birdwatching.
“Our expansion into the Eastern Himalayas is a natural evolution of this philosophy,” said Michael Dominic, CEO & MD, CGH Earth Experience Hotels. “The region’s remarkable ecological diversity, cultural richness, and heritage offer an incredible opportunity to create experiences that are immersive, authentic, and rooted in the landscape.”
The property is also taking a strong local approach to food, drawing on ingredients and culinary traditions from the Darjeeling hills. Its offering includes indigenous produce such as gundruk, kinema, Himalayan nettles, silam and buckwheat, prepared through traditional techniques including fermentation, smoking, foraging and slow cooking.
George Joseph, Vice President, Operations, CGH Earth, said the group’s philosophy of leaving destinations “richer than it was found” would guide its Kurseong and Kalimpong developments, with conservation, cultural heritage and community partnerships forming the foundation of the expansion.
CGH Earth is now preparing its next Eastern Himalayan property in Kalimpong, a destination known for its colonial heritage, monasteries, cultural traditions and Himalayan views.
The expansion signals CGH Earth’s intent to take its place-led, experiential hospitality model into new geographies, while retaining its focus on smaller-scale properties and locally rooted experiences.
