Oberoi Cecil

Shimla


Shimla’s glitziest hotel wraps most of its plush rooms around a multistorey piano-bar atrium, yet maintains a discreet sense of colonial-era charm that resonates with its earlier historical incarnation (the original started business in 1903).

There's a 15m indoor pool lined with faux doric columns, and the restaurant (mains ₹1250 to ₹2300) is widely considered the city's best. Some 2km west of Scandal Point, the Cecil is where Mohan Singh Oberoi got his first hotel job, as a clerk, in 1922. He went on to found the luxury hotel chain that bears his name, buying Clarkes and later the Cecil (1944) along the way. It was radically modernised in the 1990s.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Shimla attractions

1. Himachal State Museum

0.22 MILES

On a hilltop some 2.5km west of Scandal Point, the state museum sits right at the base of the prominent TV Tower. Rich if somewhat static displays include…

2. Himalayan Bird Park

0.4 MILES

Opposite the Viceregal Lodge's gate, the Himalayan Bird Park is a little aviary that's home to a small collection of exotic birdlife, including the…

3. Gorton Castle

0.49 MILES

Gorton Castle (1904), a massive and austere grey-stone edifice with neo-Gothic touches, was formerly the colonial government secretariat. Repairs are…

4. Railway Board Building

0.61 MILES

The distinctive, 1897 Railway Board Building has red and cream corner spires and has survived the years thanks to a fire-resistant cast-iron and steel…

5. Kali Bari Mandir

0.75 MILES

The Bengali hut–style Kali Bari Mandir enshrines an image of Kali as Shyamala.

6. Viceregal Lodge

0.78 MILES

A cross between Harry Potter's Hogwarts and a Scottish baronial castle, this 1888 pile was the official summer residence of the British viceroys until…

7. Bantony

0.92 MILES

Whimsical and photogenically dilapidated, this 1880 red-brick mansion looks like a place for a Scooby Doo adventure. There's a wobbly central spire-turret…

8. Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara

0.99 MILES

This major Sikh temple isn't a particular attraction but makes a useful landmark beside busy Cart Rd below the bazaar area.