Inside dusitD2 Fagu Shimla, A Hill Retreat In Himachal Built Around Food, Wellness And Mountain Views

The road started to curl the moment we left Shimla behind.

With every bend, the traffic thinned, the houses got fewer and the hills opened up. I was watching the ridges through the car window when a veil of fog rolled across the road and swallowed it whole. Then the clouds lifted, a slope appeared, then another, and the mountains were back for a few minutes before the fog closed in again. It was a good introduction to the next two days, because at Fagu the weather can change the view in minutes.

Fagu sits about 20 kilometres from Shimla on the road towards Theog. Surrounded by forests, orchards and the apple-growing landscape of Himachal Pradesh, it is a place where the weather can change the view in a matter of minutes. It was here that I checked into dusitD2 Fagu, which opened on 15 December 2024 as the first Dusit-branded hotel in India, marking the Thai hospitality group's return to the Indian market. Dusit is one of Thailand’s leading hotel companies, so it says something that its first address here is up in the hills and not in a big city. The property spreads across 25 acres, and the idea is simple, Thai hospitality in a very Himachali setting.

A Room With A View

The first thing I did the next morning was open the curtains.

I stayed in a Junior Suite, and the view outside was a reminder that mountain weather rarely follows a plan. The fog had settled over the hills, obscuring much of the landscape. I watched it drift across the slopes until the outlines slowly came through. The view had been there all along, just out of sight.

The suite itself offered room to settle in rather than simply sleep between outings. With 65 sq. m of space, it felt comfortable for a longer stay, particularly if the weather encouraged you to spend more time indoors. The hotel has 80 rooms and suites across five categories, from Superior King and Twin rooms to Deluxe rooms, Junior Suites and Presidential Suites.

Fagu also makes a good base if you’d like to see more than Shimla’s busy centre. Kufri, Mashobra and Narkanda make easy day trips. So does Mahasu Peak, which looks out towards the Badrinath and Kedarnath ranges, and so does the UNESCO-listed Shimla-Kalka Toy Train. Still, when the mountains kept appearing and disappearing outside my window, staying in felt like a perfectly good plan.

Himachal And Thailand, At The Table

Food was the best way to see the hotel’s two sides. Dusit Gourmet handles all-day dining, and SOI is the Thai and Pan-Asian restaurant, where locally sourced ingredients tie the menu to the mountains. There’s also a bar, Fagu – The Destination Bar, for the evenings.

At SOI, I tried Pad Thai, stir-fried rice noodles, then Som Tum, a green papaya salad, and Gaeng Kiew Wan, a green curry. It made a nice change from the regional food most visitors expect here, and it was a little surprising to find Thai flavours so at home in the hills. I also spent time with Chef Arijit Gupta, who brings years of luxury hotel experience to the Thai and Pan-Asian kitchen and occasionally hosts cooking classes for guests – a rare opportunity to look beyond the finished dish and learn something about the ingredients and techniques behind the cuisine.

The local side came through with Himachali Dham, a traditional feast linked to festivals, weddings and other special occasions. Chef Amit Dogra, who specialises in Himachali cuisine, explained how it’s cooked in large quantities for community gatherings. The spread included Sepu Vadi, a green curry, Madra, a yellow yoghurt-based curry, Teliyah, a black dal, and Aloo ka Padla, a yellow potato curry, alongside raita. Missi roti and babru rounded off the meal. Traditionally, guests sit in rows and eat from leaf plates, making the Dham as much about bringing people together as it is about the food.

One meal took me to Southeast Asia and the other to the food traditions of the hills, which suits a hotel that is Thai in spirit and Himachali in setting.

A Retreat For The Senses

At Namm Spa, I tried a traditional Thai massage, which is nothing like the oil massage most of us expect. It uses pressure, stretching and assisted movement, with the therapist guiding you through a series of positions. It’s more active than lying back and letting someone work on your muscles, and you have to let them take the lead.

The name comes from the Thai word for water, linked to flow and renewal. The spa has four treatment rooms, including ones for couples, and it’s open daily. A sauna, a steam room and a salon sit alongside, and the indoor heated pool is handy when the weather rules out outdoor plans.

Wellness here is less about a packed schedule and more about having the option to slow down. A treatment, a swim or a slow morning all fit easily, and on a day when the clouds settle in, that matters more than it sounds.

When The Day Winds Down

Evenings shift the mood. The mountain views give way to the hotel’s indoor and outdoor spaces, and high tea on the spacious lawn comes first, a good moment to pause over a cup and a few bites. Later, the barbecue brings everyone back outside, with grills set up and food cooking over the flames.

The night ends around a bonfire. The fire crackles, the air turns cooler and nobody is in a hurry to go back in. After a day that took me from a Himachali feast to Thai cooking and a spa treatment, it was a fitting way to wind down.

Who It Suits

Dusit describes the hotel as a retreat for luxury travellers, wellness seekers and adventure fans, and that mix makes sense once you’re there. Couples will like the spa and the fire. Anyone who enjoys a day trip can use the hotel as a base for Kufri or the toy train. The hotel also has event spaces, including a large terrace lawn, so it’s popular for weddings and get-togethers. If you’d like a quiet stay, it helps to ask about the dates.

The Information

Getting There: Chandigarh Airport is about four and a half hours by road, and Kalka Railway Station is another way in, especially if you’d like to ride the toy train up.

Address: Katheldi, Post Office Majhar, Tehsil Theog, District Shimla, Himachal Pradesh 171209, India

Contact: +91 1772600001; reservations.d2fi@dusit.com

Website: dusit.com

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