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Rising from the rubble: Oberoi hotel reopens in Mumbai
The Oberoi Hotel, after a US$45 million post-attack refurb, re-opens for business this Saturday
Mumbai's hotels have made concerted efforts to reopen within around a year of the attacks. Closed for business since the terrorist attacks in November 2008, The Oberoi Hotel formerly reopens its doors on Saturday 24th April. The hotel has invested over US$45 million in the reconstruction of the building and in improving everything from its aesthetics to its security.
Rooms have been overhauled and the hotel now offers a greater variety of dinning and leisure venues, as the hotel owner hopes to wipe the slate clean and restore associations of safety and luxury synonymous with the Oberoi Group. The New York Times reports, "Mr. Oberoi, who himself narrowly missed being caught up in the attack on the hotel because he had left to attend an event elsewhere, said he had feared the hotel would be unsalvageable. But after four months of planning and 11 months of reconstruction, the innards of the hotel, which was built in 1986, have been transformed."
Whats New:
- Ziya: An India restaurant under the Michelin starred chef Vineet Bhatia.
- Fenix: Formerly Tiffin, Fenix is an all day dining restaurant.
- The Eau Bar: A new bar and lounge.
- Fewer standard rooms and more Suites: The Oberoi now has 81 suites up from 26. Total number of rooms has gone down from 330 to 287 to make space for the suites.
- Renovated guest rooms and suites: bigger bathrooms, new shower stalls and TVs in front of free-standing bathtubs. Rooms now also have 'butler buttons', which will summon a hotel employee within three minutes.
- Improved Security: the hotel now has 150 security cameras compared to the 15 they had at the time of the attacks. Security personnel have also increased five fold with 50 now on duty at any given time.
