A 1927 Envelope of Shaw Wallace & Company
A 1930 Envelope from The Hotz Hotel
The Story
Hotz family (Mrs. F.E. Hotz & Robert Hotz) was not only the first family to own luxury hotels in India, but also, they were the first ones to have a hotel chain in the country. Mrs. F.E. Hotz was the primary force behind the hotel chain.
Hotel Cecil, Delhi, was established in 1904 and was owned by Hotz family. Civil Lines, in Delhi was where all English hotels were located in the first decade of 1900s. The three hotels that stood out were Maidens Hotel, Swiss Hotel and Hotel Cecil. Maidens Hotel was the favourite haunt of Edwin Lutyens, the chief architect of New Delhi. The Cecil was an exclusive hotel with about hundred rooms and a swimming pool. Today, St Xavier’s School stands where it once used to be.
Cecil Hotel, Shimla, stand at the location of erstwhile Tendrils Cottage, a regular abode, of Rudyard Kipling. The cottage was bought by Hotz family in 1902, renovated, and a Tudor-framed structure of Cecil Hotel arose at the site. Cecil, over a period of time was transferred to a newly created company, Associated Hotels of India. The story of how the legendary Mohan Singh Oberoi acquired the hotel thereafter needs no retelling; from a clerk with a salary of Rupees Fifty to acquiring the hotel from the than owner Mr. Clarke for Rupees Twenty-Five Thousand.
Wildflower Hall Hotel was the summer residence of Lord Kitchener of Khartoum. The building got burnt down and thus a new one was constructed. It was a favoured summer residence of Lord Ripon. In 1909, after Lord Kitchener returned to London, it was sold to Hotz family. Mrs. Hotz constructed a beautiful three storey hotel at the site. After independence, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation ran the hotel. Another fire led to the destruction of the hotel. It was reconstructed by the Oberoi group. Today, it is a joint venture between Himachal Government and the Oberoi group.
Hotel Gables, Mashobra was a regular summer retreat of Lord Lutton, the Governor General and Viceroy of India (1876 - 1880). Today, Hotel Gables is owned by Gables Group active in hospitality, real estate and construction.
Lauries Hotel, Agra which was where the royalty and British gathered in British India has not kept pace with the times. It is a functional hotel but does not command the awe and respect that it once did.
A 1943 Envelope to The Eastern Bank, Bombay, India, from Kenya
A 1942 Envelope to The Ottoman Bank, Baghdad
A 1937 Envelope to Lloyd Triestino, Italy
