India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (333 page)

Another interesting option, especially if you’re traveling with family and prefer a degree of independence, is
Violet Hill
(
98-1544-2233
), a gorgeous three-bedroom self-contained cottage in verdant Mashobra. It costs Rs 15,000 per night with the promise of fine home-style meals (breakfast Rs 200, lunch and dinner Rs 400) and ever-splendid scenery amid immaculate gardens with bikes on hand to explore the surrounding forest terrain. Also in Mashobra, an even better deal, but perhaps not quite as pretty, is
Forest Hill Villas
(
011/4053-3992;
www.foresthillvillas.com
), a massive three-story cottage with room for up to 10 guests (in three bedrooms and the attic; Rs 10,000 per night). You have to cook for yourself, and there’s a decent kitchen for you to do so—kindly supplied with basic provisions, including vegetables and milk.

Or, if you prefer things ultramodern, check out the outrageously beautiful and upmarket
Clairmont Mashobra
(
www.clairmont-mashobra.com
), which opened in 2009—ensconced in utter luxury with the finest contemporary design details, you’ll have the pleasure of enjoying utterly matchless views across Mashobra’s thick forest—and you’ll have the experience all to yourself, with personal chef to cater to any whim.

Cecil
Open since 1884, the Cecil has hosted the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and continues to draw political bigwigs, celebrities, and vacationing families, kids in tow. It was rebuilt in the Gothic style of Shimla’s most elegant Raj monuments, and the interiors are luxurious with plenty of wood paneling, leather, and opulent furniture. Guest rooms follow through with old fashioned good taste and a sophisticated period ambience that’s typical of the Oberoi’s classic design ethos; the much-larger premiere rooms have walk-in closets and a large bathroom with separate tub and shower. Request a south-facing room (nos. 411–415 are best) with spectacular views of the Shimla Valley foothills. While you’re being pampered in the spa, kids have their own entertainment hub, with everything from a doll’s house to video games, and staff doesn’t seem to mind them playing in the public areas, too (if you want a quiet, romantic getaway, head for Wildflower Hall). This is a less intimate, personal experience than Chapslee, but exceptional nonetheless.

Chaura Maidan, Shimla 171 004.
0177/280-4848
or
1600/11-2030
toll-free reservations in India. Fax 0177/281-1024.
www.oberoihotels.com
. [email protected]. 75 units (most with tub, 8 with shower only). Rs 14,850 deluxe double; Rs 17,050 premier double; Rs 27,500 deluxe suite; Rs 33,000 luxury suite. 10% tax extra. Book online for best rate of the day and multiday specials. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; lounge bar, garden lounge; airport transfers (Rs 1,800 plus tax); babysitting; billiards room; children’s activity center; health club and spa; library; heated indoor pool; room service. In room: A/C, central heating, TV/DVD, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 300/hr.; Rs 800/24 hr.).

Chapslee
Chapslee remains the quintessential creaky-floorboards Shimla homestead, its Raj-era aura hardly dented by modern conveniences or the slightly fraying Art Deco wallpaper and faded tapestries. Owned and lovingly managed by Ratanjit “Reggie” Singh, the regal grandson of Raja Charanjit Singh of Kapurthala, this charming home is the most authentically old-world lodging in town. Originally built in 1835 as the summer residence of a British family, the house received an Edwardian face-lift in 1896 with teak paneling (part of the same consignment used for the Viceregal Lodge), wood parquet floors, and a dramatic staircase. Be sure to request either of the two upstairs suites; the original master bedrooms in each afford lovely valley views (glorious at sunset), a massive brass four-poster bed, and delicate ornamentation, as well as a vast bathroom with a raised tub, an enormous shower, a bidet, and its own fireplace. Chapslee’s kitchen prepares British-influenced dishes, as well as delectable tandoori chicken and mouthwatering
shami
kebabs, all served by hard-working white-gloved attendants as you dine with your aristocratic host.

Lakkar Bazaar, Shimla 171 001.
0177/280-2542.
Fax 0177/265-8663.
www.chapslee.com
. [email protected]. 6 units. Rs 12,500–Rs 15,500 double; add 50% per extra person. Rates include breakfast, dinner, taxes, and service charges. MC, V.
Amenities:
Dining room, lounge; card room; croquet; Internet (for e-mail checking); library; tennis court. In room: Fireplace. no phone.

Wildflower Hall
Smack-dab in the middle of magnificent deodar cedar forests, atop its own hill 300m (1,000 ft.) above Shimla, surrounded by swirling mist and snowy peaks, this remake of the fire-gutted mountain retreat of Lord Kitchener is the ideal setting for a beautifully eerie alpine fantasy. Affording show-stopping views of some of the most scenic mountains and valleys in India, this opulent resort offers lovely service and top-notch facilities—it’s romantic, but sedate, and you’ll need to head outdoors to make the most of your time here (difficult, perhaps, since rooms are so cosseting). There are many adventure activities to put you in touch with the great outdoors, whether on foot, on horseback, or rafting the waters of the Sutlej. And for more laidback pastimes, book at least one session at the spa. Besides traditional Ayurvedic treatments, therapists offer a series of tantalizing touch therapies, Hungarian body wrap treatments, and combination rituals; after being thoroughly pampered head for the outdoor Jacuzzi, perched on the lip of a vast mountain wilderness.