Woodville Palace
Woodville Palace literally looms ahead of you as you reach the building, a large British stone building complete with green ivy growing on its façade. It has an illustrious history dating back to 1866 when Sir William Mansfield, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, became the first resident of this charming estate. The palace was reconstructed in 1938 by the Rana of Jubbal when hundreds of expert artisans were brought from far and wide to ensure the highest quality of craftsmanship. Later, Kanwar Udai Singh opened a part of the mansion as a guest house in 1977 and today, the palace is one of the finest places to stay in Shimla.
Having been remade in the 1930’s at the height of the Art Deco period, the hotel is resplendent of that era. The Prince and Princess of Jubbal were a well travelled couple, once the toast of Hollywood, and had excellent taste. Like the designers of Art Deco furniture at its peak, the furniture at Woodville is embellished and sometimes entirely covered in exotic materials such as mother-of-pearl, sharkskin, snakeskin, gold and silver leaf, crushed eggshell lacquer and ivory. All these materials only add to the opulent interiors at the palace. There are pictures of royalty from around the world on the walls, as well as film royalty from Hollywood. There are antique radios, lampshades, chandeliers, trunks, dressing tables, dinning tables, hunted stuffed animals & skins, weapons and antique curios that will constantly pique your interest.
The staff is exceptionally polite and take you back to the old days with their traditional uniforms and rather formal army style salutes (each time you pass by!). It is located within Raj Bhavan – Shimla’s military and political base – right next door to the Chief Minister’s official residence and the Governor’s House – both buildings that are probably older than the Palace. With the art deco décor, the location, the very formal staff, the huge gardens and private pine forest as well as the large royal rooms and the beautiful ‘Hollywood Bar’ – the palace makes sure you feel like royalty yourself!
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