The Himalayan foothills region of northern India is one that is famous for its rather British and Scottish sounding hill station towns. Places like McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh and Lansdowne in Uttarakhand abound with their erstwhile colonial era charm. One other such town is Dalhousie.
A tiny, but historic place, Dalhousie is perched on five hills, near the town of Chamba in the state of Himachal Pradesh and is at a mighty elevation of 1,970 m (6,460 ft) above sea level. Named after The Earl of Dalhousie, who was the British Governor-General in India while establishing this place as a summer retreat, Dalhousie is known for its beautiful homestays and grand luxury boutique hotels.
And generously offering a blast from the ‘not-so-recent-past’ is the boutique hotel, Elgin Hall.
Hotel
Distilling the very essence of a place like Dalhousie that oozes the vintage charm of a bygone era and enhanced by the patina of time, this quaint hotel is high on luxury and jaw-dropping beauty. Set on a gentle cliff, overlooking the magnificent Shivalik mountain range of the Himalayas, the hotel’s wood and stone structure is surrounded by verdant natural landscape and well-manicured gardens on three sides. Originally a summer escape for the erstwhile British administration of India’s northern region, the property was built in 1857 and named after a British diplomat, Lord Elgin.
Nestled amongst fragrant pine and majestic deodar (cedar) trees, Elgin Hall is a restored retreat that tells the tale of the long gone British era in India, while keeping in mind the needs of the modern sybarite. The original colonial era elegance has been retained and merged with a splash of new and modern amenities to create a magnificent home away from home.
Room
Housing seven well-appointed suites, Elgin Hall spells opulence and comfort in the same breath. Each suite is splashed in a pastel colour palette and thus, named so. While you can stay in the ground floor Rustic Brown, French White and Sunset Grey suites, the four first floor accommodations named Ocean Teal, Lyon Mint, Soft Taupe and Opal Blue are even more breath-taking in their elevated beauty.
Decorated with crisp white furniture and accents inspired by Victorian heritage like tufted Chesterfield couches and four-poster beds, each are cocoons of elegance and sophistication. The darkly decorated bathrooms with every modern amenity in place, set an interesting contrast to the light and airy living quarters that they abut.
Food and drink
In keeping with the relaxed vibe of the place, Elgin Hall doesn’t have a dedicated food menu in place as such. It encourages guests to have a conversation with the local Himachali chefs to design menus as per one’s choice. Diners can choose from local specialities like mountain goat rogan josh and local chicken tandoori, to British classics like shepherd’s pie and good old fish and chips made from the local Himalayan trout.
While the property does have an indoor dining hall for the odd rainy day, it encourages guests to make the most of the beautiful gardens and lawns around the property. There are several tiny nooks and crannies like the stunning fire pit barbeque area where the staff are only too happy to set up a romantic candlelit dinner or an outdoor picnic during the day.
Daily high tea with masala chai and pakoras or dainty sandwiches is served in their artfully done up first floor tea room. This place boasts 30 varieties of the finest quality of Sancha Tea and is kitted out in chintzy upholstery, classic English tea cups, and fine china, all reminiscent of a luxury past.
To do
Elgin Hall is the kind of place that offers so much in and of itself, that deciding to leave its warm embrace to seek the outdoors is quite the conundrum. Offering a well-stocked library, a kids play area, and a game room, one doesn’t really feel like stepping out. But that wouldn’t be fair to a beautiful and historic place like Dalhousie at all!
Take an early evening meandering walk down the mist-shrouded Mall Road from Subhash Chowk outside Elgin Hall to Gandhi Chowk in Dalhousie’s main Market area. Making sure to stop by iconic places like the St. Francis Church to hear the daily choir singing, that’ll touch your soul.
Or perhaps, let the hotel’s staff plan an adventure filled day for you, as you trek the scenic Dainkund Peak or spend an afternoon boating at Chamera Lake. One can even take a day trip to visit ‘mini Switzerland’; the stunning little town of Khajjar nearby. Or, for those with a yen for wildlife, why not visit the Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary to see all sorts of fauna like wild bears and the lithe mountain gazelles?
In a nutshell
Elgin Hall is that kind of property where the flexibility of a country cottage homestay meets the elegance and beauty of a luxury property. Devoid of any major rules and regulations or binding one to strict meal timings and rigid menus, here everything is fluid and tailor made to suit one’s individual rhythms and preferences. Here, time is on as much as a vacation as you are, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of this historic property and ensuring you have the vacation of your lifetime amidst the tranquillity a mountain town like Dalhousie bestows upon you.
Factbox
Getting to Dalhousie is quite easy as it is well-connected with other parts of the India via an extensive network of flights, buses and trains. Gaggal Airport, also known as Kangra Airport (approximately 130 km away), is the nearest airbase to Dalhousie. Those travelling by train can book their tickets to Pathankot railway station, which is about 85 km away. Enjoying direct international flight connections with places like London, Birmingham and Vancouver, besides the rest of India, Amritsar Airport (a five-hour drive away) is also a great alternative to reach Dalhousie.
Suites range from £120++ to £180++ per night for double occupancy with breakfast included.
Address: Elgin Hall, The Mall Road, Subash Chowk, Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh-176304, India
Phone: +91-9169280000
E-mail: hello@elginhall.com
Website: elginhall.com
Photography courtesy of Elgin Hall
