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Wildflower Hall, An Oberoi Resort
Shimla, India · Oberoi · Grand Luxury
Wildflower Hall stands on the former Himalayan estate of Lord Kitchener, the British Commander-in-Chief in India, whose original house here dated to 1902. The Oberoi Group rebuilt an earlier hotel on the site that had burned down and reopened the resort in 2001 with 85 rooms on 22 acres of cedar forest at 8,250 feet. After a decades-long legal battle, India's Supreme Court ordered Oberoi to hand the property to the Himachal Pradesh government in 2025, though Oberoi still operates it while the state runs a global bid for a new long-term operator.
- 85 rooms
- Opened 2001
- Neighborhood: Dhani
- Rooms from 463 sq ft (43 m²)
- Architect: Ranjit Sabikhi (Ranjit Sabikhi Associates)
- Interiors: Chandu Chhada (Chhada Siembieda Associates)
About Wildflower Hall, An Oberoi Resort
- British Viceroys Lord Ripon and Lord Dufferin were among the guests who visited Lord Kitchener's original 1902 estate house on this site, decades before Oberoi built its current resort here.
- The earlier hotel building on the site, a three-story, 40-room property built around 1925, was destroyed by an electrical fire on April 5, 1993.
- India's Supreme Court ordered the Oberoi Group to vacate the resort; the Himachal Pradesh government formally took ownership on March 31, 2025, after the joint-venture company paid the state roughly 401 crore rupees.
- As of August 2026, Oberoi still operates Wildflower Hall under a temporary arrangement while the state government runs a global tender for a 35-year operating lease, with a new operator expected to be selected that month.
- The rebuilt resort was designed by architect Ranjit Sabikhi, with interiors by Chandu Chhada of Chhada Siembieda Associates.
History
Wildflower Hall in Mashobra, near Shimla, stands on the former estate of Lord Kitchener, whose original residence dated to 1902; British Viceroys Ripon and Dufferin were among its historic guests. Mrs. Hotz demolished the old house and built a three-story, 40-room hotel around 1925. That building was destroyed by an electrical fire on April 5, 1993. Through a joint venture (Mashobra Resorts Ltd, 1995), The Oberoi Group rebuilt the property and reopened it in 2001 with 85 rooms on a 22-23 acre estate at about 8,250 feet. Following a decades-long legal dispute, India's Supreme Court ordered EIH/Oberoi to vacate in February 2024, and the Himachal Pradesh government formally took ownership on March 31, 2025. As of August 2026, Oberoi continues to operate the resort under a temporary arrangement while the state runs a global tender for a 35-year operating lease, with a new operator expected to be selected around August 22, 2026.
Experiences
- Daily weather bulletin for sunrise and sunset — The hotel provides a daily weather bulletin so guests can plan to experience sunrise and sunset.
Amenities
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Tennis
Awards
- Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards (2025)
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