Shimla, Himachal Pradesh · premium

The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla

★★★★★

The Cecil is a heritage hotel at the quiet end of the Mall in Shimla, a few minutes' walk from the Ridge. It opened in the 1880s and kept its Raj-era bones: a tall glass-roofed atrium with a fire, wood floors, old photographs. The rooms are warm and traditional, and the valley-side ones look across the pines to the hills. There is a heated indoor pool, a spa, and a good restaurant. Being in the town is the point here, as against Wildflower Hall's forest. Christ Church, the Gaiety Theatre and the shops are a short walk, and the toy train station is close. It is the premium choice for a Shimla stay built around the colonial town itself.