Thomas Cook 's wholly owned subsidiary Sterling Holiday Resorts has launched Sterling Valley of Pine, Lansdowne, marking a significant expansion in Uttarakhand's hospitality landscape. The boutique mountain retreat, announced on February 4, 2026, represents Sterling's ninth resort in the state and introduces a quieter, forest-driven escape within the company's hill portfolio.

Strategic Location and Accessibility

The resort is strategically positioned near Gumkhal, nestled amid dense pine forests, and designed specifically for drive-to travellers from Delhi NCR and Western UP. The location offers excellent connectivity to major Uttarakhand destinations:

Resort Features and Amenities

Conceived for purposeful mountain travel, Sterling Valley of Pine offers a view-led retreat with warm pinewood interiors and open terraces. All rooms feature private balconies with far-reaching views across the pine valleys, while select accommodations include access to open terraces overlooking the pool and surrounding landscape.

The guest experience centers around three signature venues:

• Lans Café: All-day dining in a warm pinewood setting with panoramic valley and garden views
• Sky Social: An open-to-sky terrace for sunset gatherings, bonfire evenings and small celebrations
• Sky Vista: A glass-walled meeting venue overlooking the valley and forests, designed for leadership offsites and private workshops

Comprehensive Hospitality Offerings

The resort caters to diverse travel needs including leisure stays, intimate celebrations, and leadership offsites. Additional amenities include:

Management Perspective

Vikram Lalvani, Managing Director & CEO of Sterling Holiday Resorts, emphasized Uttarakhand's position as one of India's most enduring year-round holiday regions. He noted that Valley of Pine adds a calmer, more design-forward chapter to Sterling's mountain portfolio, created for guests seeking meaningful outdoor time and restorative yet accessible destinations.

Ms. Meghna Bhatnagar from Dev Bhoomi, the development partner, highlighted their vision to create a retreat that attracts diverse guests from across India while offering refined hospitality. She praised Sterling's deep understanding of India's leisure segment and ability to blend local character with national scale.

Sterling's Expanded Portfolio

Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited operates a portfolio across 57 unique destinations with over 3,600 keys operational. The company maintains resorts at India's premier holiday destinations including Alleppey, Coorg, Darjeeling, Goa, Manali, Ooty, Shimla, and Udaipur among others. As a 100% independently managed subsidiary of Thomas Cook (India) Limited, Sterling is part of the Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited group.

Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel have entered into a strategic partnership with the Tamil Nadu government through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This collaboration marks a significant development in the tourism sector, bringing together leading travel service providers with state government initiatives.

Partnership Details

The MOU establishes a formal framework for cooperation between the travel companies and Tamil Nadu's tourism department. This partnership aims to leverage the expertise of both Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel in promoting Tamil Nadu as a premier tourist destination.

Strategic Implications

This collaboration represents a strategic move to enhance tourism promotion and development in Tamil Nadu. The partnership brings together the extensive network and experience of Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel with the state government's tourism infrastructure and promotional capabilities.

The MOU is expected to facilitate better coordination between private travel operators and government tourism initiatives, potentially leading to improved services and enhanced visitor experiences in Tamil Nadu.

About the Companies

Thomas Cook India is a prominent player in the Indian travel and tourism industry, offering comprehensive travel solutions including leisure travel, business travel, and foreign exchange services. SOTC Travel, operating under the Thomas Cook India umbrella, specializes in leisure travel and holiday packages, serving customers across various market segments.