The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla

I with my family stayed in one of the best hotels in India Oberoi Cecil, Shimla to celebrate my 50 th marriage anniversary.When we entered for check in General manager Swati and other team warmly welcomed, upgraded our Rooms and one Room with light decoration and cake. The management and entire team is very customer friendly, cooperative and courteous. I am highly impressed with their hospitality and it's lifetime time memory for my 50 th Anniversary. They have made our stay comfortable and memorable. Hotel property is very nice at convenient location. Food is excellent, in restaurant chef and Mr. Mukesh attended us so nicely. I highly recommend to enjoy their hospitality.

I couldn't recommend this hotel more. The service is simply outstanding. Attentive polite prompt and intelligent. Food is some of the best I've had in India. Nothing is too much trouble. It was so good when my hotel in Narkanda disappointed me I cancelled my stay there and scuttled back to such a warm welcome home here! Seriously you won't regret staying here! Worth every paisa! Also lovely pool and jacuzzi with a view!

Dear Oberoi Team,

Just want to share my heartfelt thanks for the amazing jain South India platter at breakfast today! Special shoutout to Chef Rajkumar Bhakti and Lucy for making it truly special. Your hospitality is unmatched as always 😊.

Best regards
Jinen Shah

I was thoroughly impressed by the heritage beauty of Shimla and had a wonderful stay at your hotel. The wooden architecture and warm hospitality made our experience truly memorable. We especially appreciate the exceptional service provided by Raghav, the manager and bartender manan for serving his amazing cocktail. Thank you for making our visit so special.

Our family had a truly wonderful stay at The Oberoi Cecil. From the warm welcome to the exceptional service throughout, everything was simply outstanding.

A special thanks to Ms. Srivastava and Mr. Raghav for their kindness and personal attention, which made our visit even more memorable. The hospitality and care shown by the entire team made our birthday celebration very special.

Our children had an amazing time and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We are very grateful to the entire team and look forward to returning again.

A very splendid hotel offering the highest level of quality and luxury.
We enjoyed each moment of our stay and really appreciated the style, beauty, facilities, cleanliness, maintenance and, above all, the enthusiastic, sincere desire of the staff to help, assist and serve.
Dining is a real joy with a comprehensive menu and delicious food and drinks.
It was lovely to relax at the pool after a fascinating tour of Shimla and we enjoyed the dancers who performed in the early evening.
Thank you to the management and staff who provided a memorable holiday experience.

Exceptional service and food, wonderful staff and view of landscape.

We absolutely loved all aspects of the hotel, staff, food and rooms. It was our second time there and if we were marooned there it would not be a disaster.

The Oberoi Cecil is one of the most luxurious hotels I have experienced. Its location is ethereal and the entire experience from the friendly and welcoming staff, the lavish breakfast spread , the finest cuisine and not forgetting the spacious and super luxurious rooms make this Hotel a divine experience. Its location set in the midst of nature , surrounded by lush greenery and unending mountains and valleys and crisp clean air is a treat in itself.

The Oberoi Cecil had always fascinated me. Knowing that it was the first hotel where the founder of the Oberoi group once worked made it even more special, and staying there had been on my wish list for a long time. During my college alumni meet, my partner and I finally decided to book our stay there and looking back, it turned out to be one of the best decisions we made.

Our journey into Shimla itself became unforgettable. On the day we were entering the city, we experienced the heaviest snowfall of the season. The roads had become extremely slippery, and our bus had to stop a few kilometers before Shimla because it simply couldn’t move forward. We contacted the hotel and requested a pickup. They told us they would try their best since even the hotel parking area was covered with snow. After about an hour of waiting, they managed to arrange a hotel cab for us. Although the wait felt long at the time, we later realized how fortunate we were many other passengers on the bus were stranded because their hotels had clearly refused pickups in such conditions.

The only slightly disappointing part of the experience was the check-in process. I completely understand that it was a hectic day due to the heavy snowfall, but the welcome felt a bit underwhelming compared to other luxury properties we have stayed at. There was no warm ceremonial welcome like we had experienced previously at other Oberoi properties or even at Taj hotels, where guests are usually greeted with a tilak and a brief introduction to the property. Interestingly, we noticed that this welcome was being offered to foreign guests checking in later. We were simply asked to wait in the café, and the room keys were handed over to us without much interaction.

Another small miss was that we were not briefed about the property its restaurants, facilities like the swimming pool, or even the historical significance of the hotel. A quick orientation would have really enhanced the overall experience.

However, once we entered our room, everything changed for the better. The hotel had upgraded our room and decorated it beautifully, which we truly appreciated. The rooms are among the largest you’ll find in Shimla, and the amenities were excellent. Our room overlooked the valley, and although the window was a small slider without a balcony, it still offered a magical view of snow-covered Shimla.

The hotel itself felt incredibly cozy. The fireplaces at the reception create a warm and inviting atmosphere where you can sit and relax. There were thoughtful touches like small rod heaters placed at the hotel doors so guests could warm their hands during snowy days, and complimentary umbrellas for convenience.

One small issue we noticed was during breakfast. Whenever we requested something from the live counter, the staff ended up serving it twice, which unfortunately led to unnecessary food wastage. It was a minor operational hiccup but something that can definitely be improved.

Overall, despite these small areas of improvement, we truly couldn’t have chosen a better hotel for our snowy stay in Shimla. The charm, comfort, and warmth of the property made the experience memorable. These are just small details that, if refined, could elevate the guest experience even further.

Would I choose this hotel again when visiting Shimla? Absolutely. And I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy and memorable stay in the hills.

Excellent property and had a very comfortable stay..
The hotel staff are very friendly and took good care of us...
Chef Raj kumar Bhatia was available at all times and took good care...

Staying in Shimla? Only one place to stay. The Cecil is a class act. Difficult to explain, you just need to experience the service, the ambience and the history.
Couldn’t fault it.

We visited with a tour party and stayed for two nights. This is a beautiful hotel in a really central location (about 10 minutes walk to train station and 25 to Mall) our room was stunning, very comfortable with all amenities required (safe, iron hair dryer, toiletries etc) The buildings decor was beautiful, staff very polite and helpful and buffet food plentiful. Friends who used the spa facilities were very complimentary about it.
Apparently not all rooms are the same with some fellow travellers mentioning that theirs was much smaller than our corner room. Ask for a corner room if you have the option!

A short but highly memorable experience. Overall stay and dining experience was fabulous. Chef Raj Kumar was great as always ensuring personalised attention and delighting us with gastronomic delights. Mr. Mukesh, the F&B Manager also looked after us very well. Suraj at the restaurant created timeless memories by clicking highly professional photos and compiling a beautifully edited video. Tanushri and Adhranil at the restaurant served us enthusiastically always with a smile.

Hotel staff are friendly, polite and cooperative. Exceptional good service specially Suraj, Mukesh, Sahil, Rintu, Raj Kumar Bhatia, Gaurav Pal......

Our recent stay at The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla was truly unforgettable. It also coincided with our daughter’s 2nd birthday — which made it even more special for us as a family.

From the moment we arrived, the warmth and professionalism of the staff stood out. Every single team member greeted us with genuine smiles, and what touched us most was that they remembered the reason for our visit and even our daughter’s name. That personal touch made us feel valued.

The birthday arrangements were thoughtful and heartwarming — the cake, the room decoration, the daily fruit amenities, and especially the cartoon-faced pancake with our daughter’s name written on it at breakfast. These small yet meaningful gestures reflected true hospitality and care.

A special mention to Tanushree at the restaurant, who consistently took wonderful care of us and made lovely conversations that made every meal enjoyable. The gentleman at the bar was equally kind and welcoming. Even the farewell was memorable — the front desk team and the guard at the gate waving until our car left, left a lasting impression.

Everything well managed from check in to check out along with food, in-room dining, housekeeping.
Great hospitality by Chef Raj Kumar presenting special ice cream n poori bhaji made within minutes.

Loved our stay here. The staff was extremely helpful in helping me with a smooth check in for all my colleagues. Food was top. I’m definitely only choosing Cecil over all other hotels in Shimla.

Excellent hospitality..Will not find better anywhere else. Kudos to the Oberoi group.
Location very good for access to the Mall.
Easy access by road which is rare for Shimla
Beautiful heritage property
Great place to stay.

We had an amazing time at The Oberoi Cecil. The location is ideal, bang in the middle of the city, which makes it a good base to explore Shimla. They have ample, secured parking opposite the main entrance, which makes it ideal for people who are driving to Shimla. The rooms and the hotel infrastructure were great too, especially for enthusiasts of colonial era architecture.
What really made the experience special for us was the staff and the hospitality shown by them. They were extremely polite, helpful and professional in their conduct. Every single member of the Oberoi Cecil Staff was incredibly well trained and made a very good experience a truly memorable one.