Hotel Willow Banks

Overview

About this property

Hotel Willow Banks is a hotel on the Mall Road in Shimla, near the Tourism Lift. Its own site says the hotel was established in the year 1871, and the building was redesigned into a four-star hotel in memory of its original owner, James Craddock. It is a landmark estate on the Mall, with a mix of old character and modern comforts.

The location is the main reason to stay here. You step out of the hotel and you are on the Mall Road, with its shops, cafes and restaurants. The hotel's own gallery page explains how to reach it: from the Cart Road parking, take the Tourism Lift to the Mall Road, then walk a short way to the main entrance, or walk up Metropole Road to the hotel's lower entrance.

Willow Banks suits people who want to be in the middle of Shimla town. Families on a first Shimla trip, couples who like to walk everywhere, and anyone who wants a practical, comfortable base on the Mall will like it here. The hotel's own site lists interconnected family rooms, which helps if you are travelling with children and want rooms that join together.

The hotel has a lively side too. Its own site lists a bar, a brewery, live music and a rooftop bar, so evenings here are less quiet than at a heritage hotel. If you like a bit of life in the evening, that suits you. If you want total quiet, ask for a room away from the bar areas when you book.

If you want a Mall Road hotel with a long history, several places to eat and drink, and a spa and gym on site, Hotel Willow Banks is a good pick. It is a solid, well-known name on the Mall, and its gallery shows rooms, dining spaces and wedding spaces in good detail.

At a glance

What you get here

Everything above is taken from the hotel's own website. If something is not listed here, it means we could not confirm it from the official site, so we have not written it.

Rooms

Rooms made for rest

The rooms at Hotel Willow Banks, as listed on the hotel's own site, are the Deluxe Room facing the Mall Road with a bathtub, the Super Deluxe Room with a small balcony and bathtub, the Premium Room with a large balcony and bathtub, the Club Room with a balcony and bathtub, the Luxury Room with a balcony and bathtub, the Interconnected Family Room with a jacuzzi, and the Premium Room with a kitchenette.

The rooms are made for a hill stay, with balconies on most room types, so you can sit outside and look over Shimla town. The bathtubs in the rooms are a nice touch after a cold day out, and the family rooms with a jacuzzi give more space and comfort for a family group.

The Premium Room with a kitchenette is worth knowing about if you are staying for more than a couple of nights. A kitchenette lets you make tea or a light snack in your room, which helps on a longer stay, especially with children.

If you want a particular room style, ask the hotel when you book. The Mall Road facing rooms and the balcony rooms are the ones people ask for most, so they are worth requesting early, especially in the busy summer months.

Room types and prices change with the season, so the hotel's own website will have the latest list. We do not show prices here because they change often, and we do not want to show you an old price.

Food & drink

Where to eat

Eighteen71 Cookhouse & Bar is the hotel's main restaurant and bar, as listed on the hotel's own site. The name points back to the year the hotel was established, and the hotel's gallery shows its dining spaces and meals in detail. It is a good place for a full meal in the evening.

Café Simla Times is the hotel's cafe, listed on its own site alongside the restaurant. It is a good place for a lighter meal or a coffee during the day, looking out over the Mall Road area. For the evening, there is Skybar, the hotel's rooftop bar, along with the Shimla Brewing Company, the hotel's brewery, and Beyond Gelato for something sweet.

Being on the Mall Road also means you have many other places to eat within a short walk. The Mall has cafes, bakeries and restaurants of every kind, so you are never short of choice. The Ridge and the main sights of Shimla town are close by too.

One small tip: try to have at least one meal inside the hotel during your stay, then use the Mall Road cafes for the rest of your meals. That way you get both the hotel's food and Shimla's street-side cafe life, which is a big part of a Shimla trip.

Things to do

A slow day at the hotel

A good day at Hotel Willow Banks starts with breakfast, then out onto the Mall Road. Walk to the Ridge, see Christ Church, and take the lift or the walk up to Jakhu Temple for views over Shimla. The Mall Road is best in the morning and evening, when the light is soft and the crowds are thinner.

In the afternoon, come back to the hotel and rest, or use the spa and gym. The hotel's gallery shows Akasa Spa, with spa rooms and a bathtub, and the gym is listed on the hotel's own site. A spa hour in the afternoon is a good way to rest after a morning of walking up and down Shimla's slopes.

The hotel also has a salon on site, the Habib Beauty Salon, as listed on its own site. If you want a haircut or a beauty treatment during your trip, you can get it done without leaving the hotel.

In the evening, a drink at Skybar, the rooftop bar, or at the brewery, then dinner at Eighteen71 Cookhouse & Bar or at one of the Mall Road restaurants. A slow walk on the Mall after dinner, watching the town lights come on, is a good way to end the day.

If you have another day in Shimla, use it for the Viceregal Lodge or a drive to Kufri. Both are easy from the Mall Road, and the hotel's location means you start every outing without a long drive into town. The hotel's own site also lists walking tours and sightseeing help, so ask at the hotel if you want a guided walk around town.

Amenities

Most popular amenities

These are the amenities confirmed on the hotel's own website. Anything not listed here means we could not confirm it from the official site, so we have not written it.

Location

Where it is, and what is near

Shimla is the old summer capital of British India, and it still feels like a hill town from another time. The hotels on this page are in and around Shimla town, near the Mall Road and the Ridge. From here, the main sights are easy to reach on foot or by a short taxi ride.

If this is your first time in Shimla, these are the places most people visit: the Mall Road, the Ridge, Jakhu Temple on the hilltop, Christ Church, and the Viceregal Lodge, the old summer home of the British viceroys. The toy train from Kalka to Shimla is also famous, and many people take it for the mountain views on the way up.

We have not written distances here on purpose. Hill roads and traffic change travel time a lot, so a fixed number would go out of date fast. Ask your driver for the time on the day you travel.

The Mall Road itself is worth a slow evening. It has shops, cafes and restaurants, and it is closed to most traffic, so you can walk freely. In the evening, the Ridge fills with people watching the sunset over the hills.

Getting here

How to reach the hotel

Most guests reach Shimla by road from Delhi or Chandigarh. The drive climbs up into the hills, and the last part is on winding mountain roads. Cheapcab runs Delhi to Shimla taxis, and the route pages on this site show the fare.

You can also reach Shimla by the toy train from Kalka. The train is slow, but the views are beautiful, and many people take it for the experience itself. From Shimla station, a short taxi ride takes you to your hotel.

Keep your hotel's name and address ready on your phone, and share it with your driver before you start. Hill addresses can be confusing, and a phone address saves a lot of back-and-forth at the end of a long journey.

Best time

Best time to visit Shimla

The best time to visit Shimla is from March to June, and again from September to November. The weather is cool and pleasant, and you can walk around the Mall and the Ridge without getting tired. These are also the busiest months, so book your hotel a few weeks ahead.

December to February brings cold weather and sometimes snow. If you want to see snowfall, winter is the time to come, but pack very warm clothes and check the road conditions before you travel.

July and August bring rain. The hills look green and fresh, and there are fewer tourists. But rain can slow down travel on hill roads, so keep some extra time in hand if you come in the monsoon.

Good to know

Before you book

Cheapcab does not book hotels. You book a hotel on its own official website, using the button on this page. Prices, room types, check-in time and cancellation rules are all on the hotel's site, and they change with the season. Always read them there before you pay.

The photos on this page are from the hotel's official website, and the source link is given under the photo gallery. We do not use photos from booking sites or stock photo sites for hotels.

If you need a taxi to reach the hotel, or to go from Delhi to Shimla, you can book it from Cheapcab. The taxi fare and the hotel stay are separate. Your taxi driver will not charge you for the hotel, and the hotel will not charge you for the taxi.

One last practical tip for Shimla: carry a warm jacket even in summer, as hill evenings get cool. Wear comfortable walking shoes, because the Mall Road and the Ridge are best explored on foot. Small shops on the Mall often prefer cash, so keep some small notes handy along with your card.

The way into the hotel is worth knowing before you arrive. The hotel's own gallery page says you can park at Cart Road and take the Tourism Lift up to the Mall Road, then walk a short way to the main entrance, or walk up Metropole Road to the lower entrance. Keep the hotel's name and the Tourism Lift in mind when you tell your driver where to stop.

Room types here are named for their balconies and bathtubs, so read the room names on the hotel's own site before you pick. The Mall Road facing rooms, the large-balcony rooms and the family rooms with a jacuzzi all feel different, and the right pick depends on whether you want a view, a balcony or space for children.

Evenings at Willow Banks are livelier than at a quiet heritage hotel, with a rooftop bar, a brewery and live music listed on the hotel's own site. If you like a bit of life in the evening, that suits you well. If you want total quiet, ask for a room away from the bar areas when you book.

The hotel's own site also lists a travel desk among its services, along with room service and laundry, which helps if you want help planning a day out to Kufri or the Viceregal Lodge. Ask at the hotel when you arrive, so your first full day in Shimla is already planned, rather than spent working out where to go.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

More hotels

More hotels in Shimla

Luxury resort

Wildflower Hall

City hotel

Hotel Combermere

Heritage hotel

The Oberoi Cecil

City hotel

Radisson Jass Shimla

Hotels are not included in the taxi fare — book them directly. Hotel photos unki official websites se li gayi hain.