8 July 2026
Seclude Shimla Taraview: the 150 year old bungalow that skips Mall Road entirely
A colonial home in Old Shimla where six galaxy named rooms, a glazed verandah and clear night skies do all the talking.
Shimla has a version of itself that most visitors never see. It is not the one with the crowds pushing along Mall Road or the queue for the toy train photo op. It is quieter, older, tucked into Old Shimla among tall deodars, and it is where Seclude Shimla Taraview has been sitting, mostly unbothered, for about 150 years.
The bungalow only recently opened its doors as a stay, which is part of the appeal. This is not a new build dressed up to look old. It is genuinely old, colonial in structure, with lime plastered walls and two lion statues guarding the garden, the kind of detail that reads as decoration until you realise it has just always been there. We think that's the difference between a heritage hotel and a heritage home wearing a hotel's name for a while.
The film
There are six rooms, and the website is refreshingly upfront that none of them feel the same. Cosmos has a spiral poster bed and old furniture. Milky Way is compact, built for two, with a study nook that seems aimed squarely at anyone who claims they're going to finally write something on this trip. Nebula leans vintage, frilled bed trim and all. Shooting Star has a Dhajji wall, a nod to the old construction style that keeps the colonial mood intact. Sunbeam sits on the first floor with a vintage bed head and carries much of the home's old world character. Super Moon is the master bedroom, wicker bed head, big glass windows, and reportedly the room most guests specifically ask for, largely because of its sunset views.
The verandah and the sky
If Taraview has a signature, it's the glazed verandah, which opens straight onto the Shimla skyline and, by most accounts, becomes everyone's favourite spot without much competition. It works as a reading corner in daylight and a front row seat for the sunset by evening. And because the property sits with an open skyline and very little city light around, the stargazing here is meant to be genuinely good on clear nights, which also explains, rather sweetly, why the rooms are all named after the galaxy.
Food leans into the hill station mood too, comfort dishes, a Himachali Dham lunch, warm desserts for when the temperature drops. Chai in the garden as the evening cools is apparently something of a ritual here.
Getting there takes some intention. Chandigarh Airport is the nearest major airport, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours by road, and Kalka is the closest railway station, another 2.5 to 3 hours into Shimla from there. It is worth timing your arrival for before sunset if you can, since the bungalow is said to make its best first impression in evening light, and honestly, we'd trust that advice.
This isn't a place for ticking off Shimla's checklist, though Jakhoo Temple, Christ Church and Kufri are all within reach if you want them. It's better suited to people who'd rather sit in a garden with chai, watch the sky change, and let a few unhurried days do the work Mall Road never quite manages.
Inside Seclude Shimla Taraview
The rooms
Cosmos
Spiral poster bed alongside heritage furniture and lime-plastered walls; quieter, tucked-away feel.
Milkyway
Cosy room ideal for two, with a study nook. A favourite for writers.
Nebula
Vintage frill-trimmed bed for a colonial-era look; bright and open through the day.
Shooting Star
Features a traditional 'Dhajji wall' in keeping with the home's vintage theme.
Sunbeam
First-floor room with a vintage bed head and warm wooden, old-world detailing.
Super Moon
Master bedroom with a wicker bed head and large glass windows framing sunset views.
Amenities
Glazed verandahButler serviceStargazingHimachali Dham diningGardensCommon sitting areasPicnics arrangedHeritage architecture
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Stays featured in the Journal are part of the Indiaesque collection. All information believed correct as of 8 July 2026. Errors and omissions excepted.
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