I happened to walk into Cecil Murree for a cup of coffee after many years, and it instantly brought back vivid memories of my childhood. As a youngster, I often visited Cecil with my father. I even remember staying there for a night in the early or mid-70s, when my uncle had a permanent room for the summers. He lived alone, married to a Britisher who never came to Pakistan. What fascinated me most back then was his yellow VW sports car with a black convertible roof – a rare sight in those days.
I clearly remember the lively and active bar, which is now probably the small restaurant overlooking the lawn. The grandeur and class of Cecil were unmatched. This time, I went with that same taste of nostalgia, but instead of the serene forest surroundings, I had to pass through a concrete jungle of apartments to reach the gate. Once an isolated retreat in the forest, it now feels lost in buildings – a sad story of our heritage everywhere. Still, I was glad to see the gate, standing almost as it always did, giving a glimpse of the same old grandeur.
At the entrance, we were asked to pay Rs. 1,000 per head, later adjusted in our coffee bill. I did not mind this – in fact, I think it is a good way to keep the place from becoming rowdy. While looking for parking, I spotted a couple of horses inside the grounds of Cecil. I was not expecting horses, and if not the yellow sports car of my memories, it still caught me by surprise. My humble suggestion to the management would be to place the horses outside the gate for rides towards Hoti House, rather than inside the premises.
Next, I saw an air-gun man with balloons, and for a moment I turned to my wife and said, “Are you serious? This, in Cecil – a place with such history?”
Having researched Cecil Murree to its roots, I must say the documented history isn’t very well preserved. Built in 1851 by Mr. Rivert Carnac of the Cecil family (who owned eight hotels worldwide from Morocco to the Subcontinent), it was later bought in 1916 by John Faletti, an Italian who had made his fortune in hospitality.
It remained a modest yet charming summer retreat for British officers and their families. Eventually, it became part of the Associated Hotels group, which included famous names like Deans Peshawar, Flashman’s Rawalpindi, Cecil Simla, and Longwood Simla.
Then came the Oberoi legacy. Rai Mohan Singh Oberoi, who joined in 1922 as a worker in Simla, eventually rose to ownership in 1944. PTDC took over during the 1965 war. By the 1990s, Imperial Builders acquired it and constructed apartments, before major shares were taken by the Hashoo Group. I must say, the Hashwanis have done justice in restoring the building to its original form – otherwise, we might have lost this heritage gem.
Cecil is a typical colonial building. Walking through it, I was reminded of Peshawar’s Flagstaff House, where I stayed for almost two years. The structure and aura are strikingly similar – built with firebrick and teak wood, lined with Delhi tiles, and crowned with tin roofs. The interior has a gallery filled with pictures from the past, complemented by classic artwork. You do find some contemporary pieces, but in a running hotel that is inevitable. A cheerful young girl kindly showed us around.
I could not confirm exactly when the Viceroy and Quaid-e-Azam visited Cecil, but my assessment is that it was before partition, likely for some meetings. The lawn, which I recall as vast and green with daffodils and lilies, seemed smaller now – either it has shrunk or perhaps I have simply grown. Still, it is fairly well maintained. I did notice a large adjacent plot, and I sincerely hope it is preserved or included into the lawn before it turns into another high-rise overshadowing Cecil. It could serve better as parking and horse-riding space.
I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the hotel’s first-floor balconies, reached by the old wooden staircase. Uff, I love the creaking sound of wood underfoot – it carries a voice of history. The place is still fairly well maintained, and I hope it continues to be so.
Although I was invited to visit the newly built rooms next to Cecil, I declined, preferring instead to remain lost in its history and heritage. We had a good cup of coffee, took a few pictures of the building, and then moved on to our next stop – Shangri-La, another iconic destination in Murree that has, sadly, also been lost to time.
LG Hassan (R)
MD Green Tourism Pakistan
