Written by: Moiz Abdul Majid
Posted on: July 29, 2020 | 
| 中文
(L) Faletti's in the 1960's and Faletti's Now (R)
In the early 2010’s, there was much buzz and discussion when renowned hotel Faletti’s was yet again placed for auction. Faletti’s is not simply a hotel, but an iconic landmark in colonial Lahore for as long as anyone can remember, and a monument of architectural grandeur and beauty. Although it has seen periods of uncertainty, Faletti’s hotel has remained an important part of the city’s history, as a convergence point between Old and New Lahore.
Located at 24 Egerton, Faletti’s Hotel is Lahore’s oldest hotel. It was owned by renowned hotelier and Italian businessman Giovanni Andrei Faletti, who also made Deans in Peshawar, Cecil’s in Murree and Flashman’s Hotel in Rawalpindi. Faletti came to Lahore from Italy in 1872, mingling easily with the elite British colonial society. He approached the governor of Punjab, Sir Robert Davis to build a hotel fit for a king. After receiving permission, Faletti enlisted the help of the famous architect J.R. Anderson, who designed the structure of the hotel with the help of Bhai Ram Singh.
Faletti’s was opened in 1880, and the road on which it was inaugurated was renamed after the new Punjab governor, Sir Robert Egerton. For a considerable time, the hotel was restricted to only British officials, local princes, and wealthy entrepreneurs of India.
From its very inception, the hotel was known as a place of luxury and comfort. It was located close to Mall Road, the commercial centers of the city as well as the leisure hubs of colonial Lahore. The hotel itself had 173 staff members and 44 rooms (which later expanded to 68), along with a banquet hall and restaurant. Faletti’s walls and floors were decorated with Burmese Teak. The lawn is home to 68 trees, which were planted over a hundred years ago; one of the trees is said to be a favorite resting spot of Guru Nanak.
The Halls of the Hotel
Not much is written about Faletti’s decline, and accounts of the subsequent changing of hotel management vary between sources. It was said that Faletti was warned against cutting down ancient trees with mystical powers, but did so anyway, and reaped the consequences of his actions. But other historians believe that Faletti’s lavish lifestyle incurred debt, and he had to sell off his hotel shares to pay the debt.
After Faletti died in 1905, the hotel was managed by Faletti’s firm, Associated Hotels of India. In 1942, the Association was taken over by Mohan Singh Oberoi, a Hindu clerk at the hotel who had bought shares in it. He loved this hotel, and it was said that Faletti himself saw Oberoi fit to run his hotel, with the condition that the name not be changed. The hotel flourished under Oberoi and it was saved from much of the violence which was the result of Partition. Oberoi finally had to let go of the hotel after the 1965 war, giving it to the Pakistan Tourism Development Cooperation (PTDC), with the promise that the name would remain unchanged.
Ava Gardner During the Filming of 'Bowani Junction'
Besides the grandeur of its rooms and architecture, Faletti’s is known for the many famous personalities which stayed there. Hollywood actress Ava Gardner stayed in Room 55 when she came for the shooting of the film ‘Bowani Junction’ in 1954, which is based on John Masters’ novel of the same name. Similarly, Hollywood actor Marlon Brando also stayed here in 1967, while enlisting Pakistani artists for his United Nations fund-raising gala. Other famous foreign guests include sportsmen like Sir Garfield Sobers, the Harlem Globetrotters, and legendary Jazz musician, Duke Ellington. Indian actors and singers like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Mohammad Rafi were also some of the notable guests at the hotel.
But Faletti’s has also seen its share of Indian and Pakistani personalities, visiting the hotel during key moments of Pakistan’s history. Perhaps one of the most famous residents of the hotel was former Chief Justice Cornelius, who lived there with his wife till his death in 1991. The Quaid-I-Azam stayed there in 1929, while fighting the case of Ghazi Ilmuddin. Jawaharlal Nehru also frequented the hotel during his trips to Lahore. After independence, notable personalities who stayed at the hotel include Z.A. Bhutto, the Pir of Pagero, and Abdul Ghaffar Khan.
Famous Guests Who Stayed at Faletti's
Faletti’s Hotel remained under government control till 2004, after which the hotel exchanged several hands, and was closed down for restoration work. In 2013, Faletti’s reopened under new management, with the hopes of preserving the hotel’s legacy. The colonial interior has been restored, along with the wooden paneling of the ballroom. Certain suites were named after their famous visitors like the Ava Gardener suite, Quaid-i-Azam suite, and the Justice Cornelius suite. However, there were promises to make modifications to update the hotel to requirements of the modern times. New facilities included a new wing of suites, modern amenities like saunas and Jacuzzis, and new restaurants with Mexican and Middle Eastern food.
The Quaid-i-Azam Suite at the Hotel
Today, Faletti’s is one of the most popular places to hold both serious government conferences and cultural conventions like the Lahore Literary Festival. The amount of triumphs and hardships witnessed by Faletti’s Hotel over its years is fit for a cinematic masterpiece of its own. In its heydays, the hotel has been a backdrop for key moments in Lahore’s history, whether it was the place to be during the peak of colonial high-society or the period of international cultural exchange in the 1950s and ‘60s. With its reopening after a period of uncertainty, Faletti’s can continue to stay relevant to the historic and cultural landscape of the city of Lahore.
Ava Gardner Dancing with Soldiers in Lahore
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