Peering over the tall tips of a vibrantly green and dense pine forest lies a relic of the British Raj that has been converted into a hotel, which could very well be mistaken for a secluded Swiss castle. Oberoi has kept the original name of this estate, Wildflower Hall, a place that almost seems to have been stopped in time due to elaborate and painstaking efforts of in-house historians to keep this manor in its milieu.
Yesteryear’s summer home of British Lords pays homage to the best design elements of colonial architecture, and no lagaan to the former victories that vacationed in Shimla’s coveted Mashobra region. Just driving up the ambling driveway to this veritable mansion can make guests feel regal, especially at night when the warm lights emanating from the four story facade give off an inviting glow.
The hotel sprawls across a 22 acre property nestled upon a hilltop clearing 8,250 feet above sea level; and the edges of the estate are tucked in by a forest so lovely it looks as if Disney could have created it. If we’re keeping the analogies up, the hotel itself is like something out of The Beauty And The Beast. Guests receive a personal butler, which still may be on par with how the past’s royalty were pampered, however, we doubt they dipped into an expansive infinity pool with a hot tub setting.
Just image that! Basking in the enormity of The Greater Himalayas in the cordial warmth of a hut tub.
Safe to say Oberoi knocked it out of the park with this palatial manor. From an A-list design team to the use of in-house historians the effort put into this structure has ensured that the entire decor was pieced together perfectly. Even the esteemed design publication Architectural Digest could not restrain their urge to wax poetic at the detail that went into re-creating this space, “Tufted sofas, marquetry tables and generous upholstered lounge chairs with honey-colored beechwood frames evoke the colonial era without being enslaved by it.” Although room rates are rather steep, there are few ‘throwback hotels’ of the colonial era that manage to allure guests with a grandeur tantamount to their presence in the 19th century. This is one of those hotels.
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