About Us

The Jhansi Hotel was established by my Grandfather the Honorable J.H.Abbott, OBE and is still known as Bungalows 37 and 38 in the Cantonments Records. From the very start my grandfathers’ idea proved to be fruitful, as Jhansi was a fast growing Cantonment and there was a demand for accommodation and good food from the local population, resident British Officers and Officers visiting the station. As the station grew, demand increased and my grandfather added more cottages adjacent to the existing main building. By 1910 the renovation work was completed. The Hotel as it stands today covers the area of the old hotel. The hotel prospered then, not only from occupancy, but also from frequent social gatherings and functions when Turkey and other exotic meats available at the time were served. A table at the Restaurant, which was situated where the present Reception area and Restaurant are located, had to be booked months in advance, particularly during the festive seasons of Diwali, Xmas and New Year. Further prosperity came to the hotel when in the 1930’s Jhansi was selected over Gwalior, as a stopover for the air route between the UK and Australia. Flights were available on British Airways, Air France and KLM. One of the deciding factors was that Jhansi had an established reputable hotel that could accommodate the airline staff and their passengers. The Jhansi Hotel provided transport from the airfield to the hotel and after a memorable overnight stopover the passengers were taken to the airfield for their onward morning flight to Calcutta or Karachi. This arrangement continued until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1936 when passenger flights were stopped but the hotel continued to prosper with the transfer of troops for the Burma and Malaysia campaigns. My Grandfather died in 1946 and the hotel was taken over by my father colonel R.L.Abbott. After his death in 1963 I assumed control and still take an active interest in the management of the current establishment. In the early days the hotel had provided modern facilities to a high standard but as time progressed these needed revisiting. I am pleased that the recent total refurbishment of the hotel has once again brought the Jhansi Hotel up to international class standards and once again it is the leading hotel in Jhansi.