The capital to the mountain state of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla is yet another example of a British summer capital being popularized over time as a hill station. Shimla incidentally, was the Summer Capital of India during the British Raj.

Shimla was discovered by the British in 1819, after the Gurkha War. Till then it was known for the temple of Hindu Goddess Shyamala Devi. In 1822, Scottish civil servant Charles Pratt Kennedy built Shimla's first British summer home. However, Shimla, or Shimla as it was known then, had already caught the eye of Lord William Bentinck, the Governor-General of India from 1828 to 1835.

The heritage hotels in Shimla are mostly converted British summer homes and a few royal castles that belonged to the local royal families.

Built in colonial architectural style, over acres of landscaped gardens at prized locations, the heritage hotels in Shimla offer luxury, for both the eyes and the rest of the senses.

The Woodville Palace Hotel, the Hotel Clarke’s Shimla, Wildflower Hall are some of the most well known and esteemed heritage hotels in Shimla.

However, all the Shimla hotels offer all the facilities the contemporary tourists have come to get used to. Restaurants, conference halls, recreational facilities, indoor and outdoor games are the facilities offered at these hotels.

So what are you waiting for? Come bask in the colonial grandeur of antique teak wood furniture and fireplaces this summer, for an unheard of experience.

Heritagehotelsofindia.com offers information on heritage hotels in Shimla and online booking facilities.