Bon The Rink Heritage

After recent management changes, this hotel has become unprofessional and poorly run. I’d stayed there many times before, when the service was decent, but this visit was one of my worst hotel experiences. They promised at booking that breakfast was included. In the morning, the kitchen manager rudely denied it without properly checking. Communication among staff was completely broken, and guests weren’t treated with respect. The room intercom didn’t work, room service was pathetic, and housekeeping was almost nonexistent. The rooms weren’t properly maintained, and nobody seemed to care about complaints. Management seemed careless and irresponsible, interested only until payment was made. False promises, poor service and rude behavior ruined the stay. The hotel is no longer trustworthy. I strongly recommend travelers avoid it unless they want stress and arguments instead of hospitality.

Bon The Rink's online photos are pure fiction. The photographer deserves an Oscar for special effects. What looked like a cosy mountain retreat turned out to be a low budget psychological thriller, with dusty hallways where hygiene felt like an urban legend. My bedsheets were already shredded and strangely stained. The towels they gave me at check in were wet, and I couldn't tell if I was meant to dry off with them or wring them into a bucket. There’s a strict 10 PM curfew, so if you want to enjoy Darjeeling’s evenings, you’d better sprint up a steep Himalayan road to avoid getting locked out by management. They run the place like a Victorian orphanage. If your idea of a vacation is soiled, damp rags and being treated like a delinquent toddler, this is the place for you. Booking feels like a voluntary hostage situation. Consider yourself warned.

The hotel is in a central spot, just behind the Smart Bazar mall and opposite the post office. The rooms are good, clean and nicely decorated, with quality bedding, large windows and modern toilet fittings. There’s a coffee kit and hot water kettle in the room. Staff were helpful and adequate. The restaurant serves good food, and you can ask for it to be customised. Be very careful dealing with the sales staff and finance/accounts team. The salesman’s phone number is on the website, but he says a lot and ultimately doesn’t deliver, so it’s better to speak to reception. The accounts team took 3-4 days to generate a GST invoice. I was taken aback by the reluctance to issue a GST bill, since that means the hotel pays the tax to the government. When I refused to pay the hotel rent without one, they finally produced a GST invoice against the invoice.

The room had a strong damp odor as soon as I walked in, and the washroom was dirty, the sheet stained, and the walls scraped and neglected. I asked the manager to move me, but despite my online booking they said every room was full. Since the fare couldn't be refunded, I tried to put up with it, but lasted less than 10 minutes before checking out and losing my money. A terribly managed place, and I’d tell others to stay away.