Shimla, Aug 18 - The Peterhoff Hotel here, which will host senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders during their three-day 'Chintan Baithak' or introspection meet starting Wednesday, is not just another state-run guest house. It was home to viceroys during the British Raj and housed the Punjab High Court before it was gutted in 1981.

The hotel with 34 suites, of which 10 are reserved for state guests, stands on the charred remains of the earlier building that was gutted in a massive fire Jan 12, 1981.

'During the brainstorming session, the party leaders will get a chance to taste Shimla's glorious past. During their stay, they will spend every moment in the midst of grand monuments constructed by the British,' state BJP chief Khimi Ram told IANS.

Most of the party leaders are staying in Peterhoff, which had served as the residence of at least seven viceroys and governors general during the British rule.

Peterhoff was first occupied in 1876 by the Viceroy couple, the Lyttons. At that time it developed a reputation for its hospitality, particularly for the quality and quantity of the exotic drinks served there.

After independence, Peterhoff housed the Punjab High Court when it witnessed the trial of Nathu Ram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi.