Shimla Accommodation & City Overview
| The capital city of Himachal Pradesh which was the 'Summer Capital' of India during the British Rule; Shimla (along with Manali) is one of the leading and popular tourist hotspots of the country. The city of Shimla was also given a name of 'Queen of Hills' by the British during their rule, a name which has carried on till date from then on. The city is surrounded by forests of oak and pine trees and is a major attraction for tourists especially the ones who in the neighboring states. For these Shimla is like a weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of their normal cosmopolitan city life. The city got its name 'Shimla' from the goddess 'Shyamala Devi' who was an incarnation of the great goddess 'Kali'. |
The city of Shimla which started forming shape around the period of early to mid 1830’s has great historical reference, especially during the British rule in the country. The Viceroy of India during 1864 – 1869; Sir John Lawrence, decided to have a combination of a summer and winter capital for the country. While the winter capital of the country was Calcutta, the city of Shimla was designated as the winter capital of the country.
Shimla is located in the north western region of the country in the mountain ranges known as the Himalayas. Being located in the mountain region Shimla experiences climate which is cold during the winters and moderately warm during the summers. Friendly climatic conditions coupled with the easy connectivity and availability of various places of tourist’s interests makes Shimla a preferred choice for visitors from neighboring states as well as from other parts. Shimla is very well connected by the road and rail network. Infact the Kalka – Shimla Rail link is the longest narrow gauge link which connects Shimla with the city of Kalka.
The economics of the city of Shimla are primarily dependent on tourism and jobs in government agencies and sector. The city being the capital of the state is home to different government offices and divisions and employees close to 50% of resident population. Close to 40% of the remainder population is employed in sectors which deal in souvenir productions and manufacturing of other products which are targeted towards travelling customers. The remainder of the population of Shimla is employed in the services sector which caters to the needs of the tourists directly.
Being a preferred tourist destination and hill station, Shimla also boast of various buildings and monuments of the colonial era; the architecture of which is quite reminiscent to the building and planning practices of those times. Such buildings are in today’s times a major attraction for tourists who come into the city. Being high on the tourist wish list; Shimla is frequented by millions of travelers through out the year which has been one of the prime reasons of sustenance of the local residents. The influx of people has also given a rise to sectors like hospitality accommodation services, travel management, excursions trips organization etc. There are various hotels and resorts which are present in Shimla which offer exquisite accommodation alternatives to the travelers.
Some of these hotels have been serving the travelers and have been providing accommodation and travel related services since two three decades and are very well known for their service and hospitality standards. There are a host of luxury, budget and local hotels which provide accommodation services in Shimla apart from the various resorts and government funded guest houses. All these places are an ideal hotspot for travelers who are looking accommodation and travel related alternatives.
