Trident vows impeccable return in 2 weeks

Trident, the tower block of EIH Ltd8217;s the Trident-Oberoi Hotel, is being cleaned and its broken windows and doors replaced, said Ketaki Narain, director of corporate communications for the Oberoi Group.

Employees have returned to work, and new security measures are being put in place, she said, without giving details.

8220;The hotel lobby8217;s already sparkling clean, the staff8217;s all immaculately turned out, as usual,8221; Narain said.

8220;Guests will come back to the hotel they knew,8221; she said, adding they were already getting inquiries about room and restaurant reservations.

A favourite of foreign business executives because of its location in the business district and its sweeping sea views, the hotel8217;s lobby lounge, the Opium Den bar and Frangipani and India Jones restaurants will all open for business, she said.

The older Oberoi wing alongside suffered more extensive damage and may take a few months to re-open, she said.

The attacks came at the height of India8217;s tourist season, which runs from November to March, and will affect arrivals by about 15 per cent, tour operators have said.

The popular Leopold Cafe served up beer and fries on Monday with bullet holes still visible in its walls and windows.

A short distance away, the Taj Mahal Hotel, where commandos gunned down the last of four militants on Saturday to end a three-day siege, is boarded up for cleaning and renovation.