Built in 1830, Chapslee was purchased in 1938 by the Hon’ble Raja Charanjit Singh of Kapurthala as his summer residence. His grandson, the late Kanwar Ratanjit Singh, popularly known as Reggie, opened it as a small exclusive hotel in 1976. With Reggie’s passing, his wife Pronoti now carries on this legacy and so “The Chapslee Experience” lives on.

Chapslee was Reggie’s childhood home and where he was born. It is also one of the last remnants of a family heritage a millennium old. When the State of Himachal Pradesh came into existence in 1971 with Shimla as its capital, the government gave notice to acquire the house and its grounds. However, Reggie and Pronoti were determined that they would fight to preserve their unique heritage, whatever it took, and hence relocated from their farm in the plains to reside permanently in Shimla. In April, 1976 they opened the doors of Chapslee to visitors and so began the saga of “The Chapslee Experience”.

The dilemma was whether to advertise and go commercial or be select and let “word of mouth” be the only source of promotion. In obeisance to their prime motive, the preservation of their heritage and family traditions, Reggie and Pronoti decided to carry on as it were, and make it an “exclusive affair”. Though Chapslee was registered as a hotel, it was first and foremost a home and would always remain so, except that now they would share it with their guests.

Over the years, hundreds have passed through its portals and soaked in its old-world charm. Many have savoured “The Chapslee Experience” and described it as unique, like no other! Chapslee resonates with Reggie’s memories of an age gone by, memories of elaborate sit down dinners, garden parties and liveried rickshaws. His pride and sheer love for his ancestral home with beautiful things and an aura of history lives on and continues to embody the very essence of “The Chapslee Experience” and define its spirit.