Oberoi hotel reopens after extensive renovation
24 Apr 2010
The landmark Oberoi hotel in South Mumbai that Pakistani terrorists had targeted in November 2008 reopened today sporting a brand new look with 287 guest rooms.
The five-star hotel at Nariman Point on the Mumbai seafront required extensive restoration and renovation that cost Rs180 crore to get back to business. According to hotel executives, 37 rooms had already been booked.
Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan lit a brass lamp in the hotel lobby and cut a ribbon to formally declare the hotel open.
Ten Oberoi employees were among 32 people killed in the hotel when terrorists stormed it and indulged in wanton killing after sneaking into the city by the sea on 26 November 2008.
The new-look Oberoi offers contemporary, luxurious ambience with a touch of Indian charm, according to an official.
The inside restaurants, which had come in the line of direct fire, will now sport a new appearance. Some of the familiar restaurant names like Kandahar, Tiffin and The Bayview have become part of the past with Tiffin, an extension of the lobby resurrected as Fenix. Similarly, Kandahar, which specialises in Indian cuisine, is now Ziya while the bar has been christened Eau after the French world for water.
The new hotel's 287 guest rooms are down from the earlier 327, however the suites have been increased from 22 to 73, including two presidential suites called Kohinoor and Golconda.
According to Liam Lambert, president of the hotel around Rs180 crore had been spent on restoration and renovation.