A customer who had booked Hotel Apple Blossom in Fagu, neat Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, over a month ago for his wedding on December 4 and 5 is now facing a crisis. Having paid Rs 1.2 lakh as advance and sent out wedding invitations, he was shocked to learn that the hotel, operated by the government-run Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department Corporation, has been ordered to close.
“The preparations are all complete — catering, decoration, DJ, band, photography. Suddenly, we have no venue,” said the bridegroom-to-be. Due to the high demand for weddings this season, he and many others are struggling to find alternative banquet halls on such short notice.
A woman central government also has her wedding planned at the same hotel on December 8 and 9, and she, too, paid Rs 1.2 lakh in advance. With all arrangements in place, she expressed frustration about the abrupt closure. “With just a few days left, relocating everything to a new venue is nearly impossible,” she said. The hotel management has offered either an alternate property or a refund, but she is worried about the inconvenience and additional expenses this will incur.
Calls for government intervention
A retired Army officer from Jubbal had booked Hotel Giriganga in Kharapathar for his daughter’s wedding in May, paying an advance to secure the venue. He now urges the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation to arrange another location. “If the hotel was slated for closure, they should not have accepted bookings,” he said. Many impacted families are appealing to the authorities to either delay the closure or assist in finding alternative venues.
Eighteen Himachal tourism hotels were ordered by the Himachal Pradesh High Court to close down from November 25 as these either had “low-profitability” or were “loss-making”, but nine were subsequently given reprieve till March 31, 2025.
