- Oberoi to operate Wildflower Hall for 35 years.
- State expects $210.72 million in revenue.
- It regained full ownership of the hotel in 2025.
The state awarded the hotel’s license through an e-auction. The winning bid was 47.1 percent of the hotel’s annual gross revenue, a record amount, ANI reported.
The state expects to receive $0.31 million a month, with a 3 percent increase each year. Over the 35-year term, the state expects to receive about $210.72 million. The license also includes an upfront fee of $2.53 million and a minimum investment of $5.27 million. The state has also received about $42.14 million in cash.
The 123-year-old Wildflower Hall features a spa, swimming pool, gym and banquet halls. The hotel covers 77,471 square meters and stands at an elevation of 8,250 feet.
“The government has ensured full ownership and control over the hotel’s land and property, the joint venture company, and the associated assets and rights,” said Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.
Hotel’s history and state takeover
The property was first owned by GHM Batten, private secretary to the Earl of Lytton. After a fire destroyed the original building, Batten rebuilt it. Lord Kitchener later leased the property. When he returned to England in 1909, it was sold to a British couple.
The couple demolished the house in 1925 and built a three-story, 37-room hotel. After India’s independence, the central government took over the property and used it as an agricultural school until 1973. The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp. then began operating it as a hotel.
HPTDC added 11 cottages, four rooms, a multipurpose hall and a green room. Another fire damaged the property in 1993. The state later invited global tenders to operate the five-star hotel and selected EIHL.
The state received about $42.25 million from Mashobra Resorts Ltd. on Oct. 14, 2025, and became the company’s sole owner. The Oberoi Group has managed the hotel for nearly four decades through Mashobra, a joint venture with the state.
In March 2022, the state ended the partnership, citing alleged contract violations. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state on Feb. 20, 2024 and directed that ownership and control be returned to it. The state took control of the hotel on March 31, 2025.
Separately, Shree Naman Group acquired JW Marriott Bengaluru and Crowne Plaza Pune for a combined $189.43 million.
