Panchals are new owners of Silver Pines Lodge

This Monday, the new owners of Silver Pines Lodge held a ribbon cutting with the help of Idyllwild Rotary and a special appearance by former owner Chris Perault. Anjali and Rajiv Panchal, or “Raj and Anji” as Idyllwilders have come to know them, created a festive atmosphere combining traditional fall colors with hints of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. Afterward there was a lively reception with Indian sweet and savory treats and mango juice.

The Crier interviewed Raj and Anji this week and they were very excited to tell the story of how they came to be proprietors of one of the town’s most storied and historic inns. Even before this recent acquisition they were established members of the community, being owners of the Idyllwild Bunkhouse.

TC: “When did you begin at the Bunkhouse?”

RP: “In 2017, 01/17 we closed escrow and took over that place.”

TC: “What did you do before that?”

RP: “We came 10 years ago from India. In 2012, we landed in America, me, my wife Anji, and my now 16-year-old daughter. We came and we started working for my brother-in-law in Santa Maria as managers of a motel. From there, after a year and a half, we got an opportunity to be partners in a completely rundown motel in Utah. We moved there, brought the place back up so it made money.

“After three years the original owners came back so we handed the business back to them and then we bought the Idyllwild Bunkhouse. We started very humbly, beginning as an experiment to find what America could offer. We came with an $800 prepaid card in my pocket, $800 prepaid card in my wife’s pocket.”

TC: “How did you find Idyllwild?”

RP: “It was God-sent. Literally, it was like that. We wanted to move back to California, we were searching for a place. We decided to move to Lake Tahoe. We were searching for motels in Lake Tahoe but none worked out. This Bunkhouse had fallen out of escrow. One of our realtors called us saying, ‘This is different, but it fits your budget.’ Several deals in Tahoe fell through. We were only five years in America so our credit was not so good, but [the Bunkhouse] was owner financed, and the money we had saved was enough for the down payment; everything just worked out beautifully.”

TC: “What attracted you to Silver Pines?”

RP: “This one, from the day we saw it we had said, ‘Wow, what if we owned this one!’ There was always a ‘wow factor;’ such a beautiful property and such a nicely run property.

“In 2018, I had taken a promise form Chris, the owner; she kept it. Whenever she sells, I will be the first person who she will let know.”

TC: “Will running the Silver Pines be different from the Bunkhouse?”

RP: “It is different because Chris has been running it for 29 years and she has a certain clientele.

“Things will stay the same. We will try to keep it the same and not let go of the soul the place has.”

Raj was clearly enthused about the series of events that led up to the purchase. Concerned that maybe readers might not care about all the details, I assured him that many locals follow real estate the way others follow football or baseball, and that “falling out” of escrow is like striking out with the bases loaded.

RP: “One more story: I was the first person to get an escrow (for Silver Pines) but then my investors backed out and I fell. Then there were two more that tried to get in and they failed, and I got back in. It was eight months of ‘Are we going to get it?’ I want to say that Steve and Chris [Perrault], it is such a beautiful thing that they have given it to us. The handshake was like passing the baton in a relay race. They are so helpful. They are still helping us get everything on track. Such beautiful people to help us.”

Anji agreed,:“Right now they are helping every step we take. Anything, any question or anything.”

Raj: “They say marriages are made in heaven. This was that kind of thing, it was meant to be.”

Anji: “We feel blessed. We’ve come to a place where we own the property, but the community is happy and makes us feel welcome. It’s a big thing for us. We used to believe ‘If it’s meant to be it will be,’ and now I thoroughly believe. We couldn’t have done it without Chris and Steve’s help.”

Beyond pride of ownership, the pair seem most thrilled by the support of the many friends and allies they have found here: “How much people want us to succeed.”