Built between 1867 and 1869, Watson's Hotel was India's first cast-iron building and one of the earliest examples of prefabricated architecture. John Hudson Watson, a successful English cloth merchant, initially planned to use the site for his drapery and tailoring business. However, he changed his mind and decided to construct a luxury hotel instead. Designed by Rowland Mason Ordish and fabricated in England by the Phoenix Foundry Company, components were shipped to Bombay and assembled on-site. Watson's Hotel was a five-story structure with 130 guest rooms, each with attached bathroom.
It boasted India's first steam-powered elevator and in 1896 hosted India's first-ever film screening by the Lumière Brothers. Mark Twain stayed at the hotel during his visit to Bombay in 1896.
After Watson's departure in 1920, the hotel changed hands multiple times. It was renamed Esplanade Mansion in 1944 and ceased operating as a hotel in the 1960s. Currently, the building stands in a dilapidated state, facing neglect and decay.