MORE than 18 months after the deadly terrorist attack, the flagship Taj Mahal Palace Hotel will officially reopen on Sunday, August 15th – coinciding with India’s Independence Day.
Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata posed with staff on the grand cantilever staircase to herald the iconic hotel’s reopening. ‘This company and this flagship property, this honourable old lady, is going to reopen in the splendour it has enjoyed for over a century,’ Tata said as the group was showered with rose petals.
The restoration and upgrade of the historic wing totaled $37.3m and employed a team of 20 consultants from India, England, Italy, Singapore and US to restore the artwork and antiques damaged in the terrorist attacks. Tata also credits a huge team of employees who worked around the clock to restore the wing’s 285 rooms.
The terrorist attacks at the Taj were part of a siege that took place November 26th, 2008, and included a restaurant, the Oberoi hotel, a Jewish center and the city’s railway. Thirty-one people were killed at the Taj, including 12 staff member. The newer tower wing of the hotel reopened within a month of the attacks and has maintained around 70 per cent occupancy.