Reckless digging by a builder down the fragile hill side has made a 115-year-old hotel building unsafe, forcing the Oberoi Group to close their antique property in Himachal Pradesh’s most popular tourist destination yesterday.
Ever since work began in May this year to build offices for lawyers of the state High Court, the hill side began sinking.
Two walls and a section of the terraced gardens have sunk several times since work began. A stretch of road next to the hotel has also collapsed .
Incessant rains this month has triggered these landslides, forcing the helpless and jittery hotel staff to shut down the hotel for the next three months until the rains cease and no further damages take place.
The guests have been shifted to another Oberoi hotel in town, a staff member said.
The multi-storied building is located in the heart of the town at the edge of the well known Mall Street and faces the Himachal Pradesh High Court building.
The 115 year old Clarkes is the first hotel purchased by the Oberoi group’s legendary founder M S Oberoi .
The group was founded in 1934 now has 28 luxury hotels and 3 cruisers in five countries .
Three of these Oberoi properties are in Shimla including the most sought after hotel in town the Wildflower Hall which once was once the house of the British Commander in chief.
