Himachal HC adjourns hearing on Hotel Wildflower Hall takeover to November 24
The Himachal Pradesh High Court adjourned the hearing on the takeover of the five-star luxury resort Hotel Wildflower Hall, a heritage property dating back to the British era. The case is nowscheduled for November 24.Three days ago, the Himachal Pradesh government took over the property. However, immediately after this, the Oberoi group’s East India Hotels (EIH) Ltd moved to the High Court, challenging the takeover process. Justice Satyen Vaidya, who heard the matter through counsel RL Sood and Arjun Lal of M/s East India Hotel Ltd, stayed the government action. In the previous order, the High Court instructed the government that the further process shall remain halted until further orders. The respondent state is pro-hibited from interfering in the day-to-day management and possession of the hotel.The legal battle between the Himachal Pradesh government and Oberoi Group’s East India Hotels (EIH) revolves around the control and profit-sharing of the 1925-era property built by Lord Kitchener. Before Oberois took over the property to run a five-star resort, the HPTDC had been managing a hotel that was destroyed in a fire in 1993. In 2002,the previous BJP government cancelled the agreement with the Oberois. Subsequently, an arbitrator was appointed, who awarded in favour of the government. The group challenged this decision in the High Court, which, in 2022, also dismissed their claim. The colonial-era hotel, regarded as one of the finest properties globally, is situated over 100 acres amid a deodar forest, 14 km from Shimla. It served as the residence of Lord Kitchener, the former Commander of the British Army. In 1909, after Lord Kitchener’s return to England, Wildflower Hall was sold to Robert Hotz and his wife. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu stated that the government would reclaim the 5-star resort Wildflower Hall and the estate from EIH Ltd. Currently, the government is involved in a legal battle over this property, as mentioned in a press statement issued on Wednesday.
