Udechee Huts in Dharamshala is run by 41-year-old Yaduraaj Singh from Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. “My parents started the hotel in 1989 and now I am running it. We own the property which is now in its 37th year. Udechee means ‘Uttar Disha’ or the North Direction and was conceptualized by my parents, Abhai Singh Mankotia and Swarnima Singh back in 1990 keeping in mind the architecture of the hills,” Singh says.

Birth of Udechee Huts in Dharamshala

 Abhai Singh originally belonging to Kangra with his ancestral village in the Kangra valley was a frequent trekker to the Dhauladhar range and often visited the small Gaddi village of Naddi because of its uninterrupted view of the Dhauladhar range. The duo in 1990 decided to work towards promoting tourism and started five huts in Naddi and called it “Udechee Huts”. It was the first hotel to come up in this village overlooking the mighty Dhauladhar range. 

“Since then our family runs the hotel in which guests are treated like our own family. It has expanded to have a total of 14 well-appointed huts and rooms, a dining room, a lounge for relaxation and a playing area for families with children. To take this family run hotel forward and continue the legacy of hospitality, I now follow in their footsteps,” Singh adds.

 Happy stories

Meeting people and ensuring that they have the most comfortable stay along with taking back fond memories of their time is the best satisfaction and is the aim of the Singh family at Udechee Huts in Dharamshala.

 “We are a very homely style hotel which has taken care in building amongst nature and ensuring that the local community benefits from the organization. We employ only local people, take great care of the environment and ensure that the local architecture and vibe is felt at each corner of the property,” Singh shares.

 At Udechee Huts in Dharamshala they have individual staff members taking care of guests rather than departments. “We have a concept of a butler service where two team members are responsible for three to four rooms and from the check in to check out and all housekeeping and meals service is done by these two staff only. This gives a very personal touch and service to guests,” Singh says.

Local touch 

They have a lot of sightseeing options around Udechee Huts in Dharamshala hence all the guests are out most of the day. They do not have any guided tours or special activities. But they welcome guests and their team members being local give a Himachali touch. 

“Moreover our architecture, and the property set up depicts Himachal culture. We serve the Himachali Thali or the Dham and the mutton curry is very popular. Diwali is a festival that is celebrated with great joy and guests are involved in the celebrations,” Singh says.

 All the rooms at Udechee Huts in Dharamshala are fitted with all modern amenities and the outside is rustic giving it a very authentic look. They follow eco-friendly initiatives at the stay. 

“We do not use plastic bottles, We do not use and throw toiletries. We have water harvesting in the property. Our linen is not washed daily but on guests request only,” Singh shares.

 At Udechee Huts in Dharamshala they only employ local staff. “We give donations to a school nearby. All our material that we use in the building and the kitchen is sourced locally,” Singh says. 

Over the years

 Many guests have been visiting Udechee Huts in Dharamshala since the past 30 years and the Singh family have been welcoming them again and again, which they say is the best experience. 

“They have become like family members. Yes, over the years there have been many challenges. Covid 19 being the most difficult time for us however we kept all our staff employed and paid them wages even when we were fully closed for more than 5 months,” Singh says about the good and bad experiences for the stay.

 They generally receive good feedback from guests specially regarding the team and whenever they get any negative feedback they do their best to improve on it immediately.

 “We have some of our team members speak English and they are able to assist the guests easily. We plan to increase the number of rooms and improve our dining area,” he says.

 Singh advises people who want to start a stay in Himachal to take it slowly and easily as occupancies are not high and expenses are high.

  “Our location and our service are the two USPs of Udechee Huts in Dharamshala,” Singh ends.