Hotel Savoy is located in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, and is considered the first hotel in India. It was built in 1838, and initially only British people were allowed to stay there. The hotel was a prestigious establishment and is renowned for its rich history.
The hotel received historic recognition due to the Afghan Conference. At that time, prominent figures like Nepal’s Shamsher Bahadur Singh and Maharaja Jagjit Singh of Kapurthala praised the scenic beauty of the location.
During the British regime, Only British people were allowed to stay and they used the establishment as their holiday retreat during summer. The hotel was considered as a symbol of Mussoorie’s prestige. Earlier, Indian people were not allowed in hotels but later the rules were changed.
In 1906, Queen Mary enjoyed her stay as a guest at the hotel. She planted a tree near Christ Church which recalls her visit.
The hotel’s building was damaged during the 1905 earthquake. After the rapier work was done, It was later opened in 1907. In the same year, the hotel was connected with electricity. Earlier, the chandeliers had candles in Ball and Dining Rooms.
Former Prime Ministers Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had also stayed at the hotel. Several other famous foreign dignitaries like Iran’s Shah and Pancham Dalai Lama had also enjoyed their stay at the hotel.
Hotel Savoy was not only the center of jazz music, but beauty contests were also held at the hotel. A documentary film about the hotel’s rich history, Savoy: Saga of an Icon, won the Dada Saheb Phalke best documentary and best cinematography awards.
