Taj, Trident to open again from Dec 21

However, the heritage wing of the Taj Mahal as well as the Oberoi hotel, both of which have borne the brunt of the damage, are expected to reopen much later. In its statement issued today, Tata group’s Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) said the Taj Mahal Tower will reopen at 7 pm on December 21. “To reopen the Taj with such speed but with no loss of attention to details shows our resolve to commemorate all the innocent and brave people who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks. In their honour, the Taj will shine again in all its brilliance,” said IHCL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Raymond Bickson.

Officials at the Trident hotel in the business district of Nariman Point have said that they are receiving enquiries from guests who want to stay there. “The solidarity from the guests who had made reservations has been tremendous. We are receiving SMSes and calls from people who want the staff to know that they are standing by us and will come back to stay at the hotel,” an employee told The Indian Express. “The staff is busy bringing things back to normal. We want to reopen the hotel and ensure that everything is perfect.”

Oberoi Hotels Executive Vice-President Devendra Bharma said that the restoration process would involve two aspects. While the civil part will include repairs to the structure and replacing of furniture, the security aspect will involve steps to beef up the security according to expert recommendations.

He added that in case of Oberoi Hotel, an assessment of the damage, volume of work needed and cost involved is yet to be carried out. “It is important to send a message that terrorists cannot stop this country. Reopening the hotel at the earliest possible was important from the point of boosting the morale not only of our staff but also of the city of Mumbai and the country as a whole,” Oberoi Group Vice-Chairman S S Mukherji said.

The Oberoi Hotel is connected to the Trident through a corridor and was also targeted by the terrorists. Mukherji said it is difficult to give a time-frame on the reopening of the Oberoi as the damages are huge. “It is going to take longer and I cannot imagine the Oberoi being re-opened before four to six months,” he said.