Taj Mahal hotel fully reopens, heritage wing receives first guests after 26/11

Coinciding with the spirit of the Independence day, the 107-year-old heritage wing of the luxury seafront hotel received guests for the first time with the dedicated staff putting behind memories of fire, smoke and explosions during the 60-hour siege by heavily armed militants from Pakistan.

Of the 166 people who died across the city during the carnage that began on the night of November 26,2008, 31 of them were at the 107-year-old Taj Hotel whose iconic red dome also dramatically caught fire in the battle between gunmen and security forces. 12 of the 31 victims at the Taj were hotel staff members.

The modern Tower wing of the Taj reopened within a month of the attacks.

A total of Rs175 crore has been spent repairing, restoring and upgrading the Heritge wing, Anil Goel, according to the executive director of finance at the Indian Hotels Company, which owns the Taj.

"This company and this flagship property, this venerable old lady, is going to reopen in the splendour it has enjoyed for over a century," sai Ratan Tata, head of the Tata Group parent company ahead of the Taj scripting a new chapter in its history.

A hotel official said some guests who were staying at the hotel on the night of the attacks had booked to return today but did not elaborate.

According to Raymond Bickson, the Indian Hotels Company managing director and chief executive, a "cast of thousands" had been working around the clock to get the wing and its 285 rooms ready for reopening.

A team of 20 consultants from Britain, Italy, Singapore, the US and India has helped restore artwork and antique furniture damaged in the attacks, as well as redesign and upgrade fixtures and fittings, he added.

Additions include the new Ravi Shankar Suite, where the classical Indian musician taught The Beatles' guitarist George Harrison how to play the sitar for the group's 1967 album 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', Bickson said.

Bickson said the restoration work was helped by the solid structure of the building, which minimised the damage.

"Some of these walls are two feet (0.6m) thick. In reality it held up extremely well through all that," he said.

Bickson said the hotel had revamped its security arrangements to ensure the safety of its guests and staff.

Ratan Tata had vowed to "rebuild every inch" of the iconic hotel which has played host to maharajas, heads of state, chief executives, movie stars and entertainers alike.

The hotel, which combines Oriental, Florentine and Moorish architectural styles in its vaulted alabaster ceilings, graceful archways and marble floors, houses fine examples of modern and contemporary Indian art, and now, modern security systems, too.

The mood was quite upbeat inside the hotel as the staff and crew greeted the guests with a victorious smile, sandalpaste, vermillion and garlands.

"We are happy to have started our operations. It feels as if we have got victory. People have started coming in and more will be coming by the evening," a staff member told on the condition of anonymity.

Even though no one was willing to talk on the hotel's occupany and its guests due to security reasons, it is understood that many of the guests, who were present on the day of the attack, have booked the same rooms, in which they were put up at the time of attack.

"It is an emotional moment for them. Many of them have booked the same rooms, they had stayed on the day of the attack. Many of them have already gone to their respective rooms," a hotel official said adding most of the rooms are already booked.

He, however, refused to divulge the names of the guests for security reasons. The security in and around the hotel has been beefed up.

The official further said the Group had send communications to all its guests much in advance notifying the date of the reopening.

Meanwhile, all the the resturants Wasabi, Souk, Sea Lounge, Shamianaa among others operated as usual.

However, not a single celebrity or any renowned personality was seen in the hotel. Most of the guests were of foreign nationals -- a befitting reply to the perpetrators of 26/11 attacks, that nothing can dent the image of the country on security grounds or mar the spirit of its people.

Over 1,000 workers and crafstmen have worked day and night to restore the grandeur of the hotel.

The hotel have revised its room rates and now has an average room rate of Rs22,000 per night.

Of the total 285 rooms, 80 are luxury Taj Club rooms, 19 theme suites such as Tata Suite (price for the suite is on request), Pt Ravi Shankar, Dutch, Maharaja and Dolphin suites to name a few. The rates for the suites start from Rs80,000 onwards per night. Remaining are basic luxury rooms.

All the rooms have 24-hour butler service for the guests to experience and enjoy exotic food of their choice.

The hotel has just acquired luxurious Landrovers and Jaguars providing drop and pick facility for the guests.