 "India's first luxury hotel set to open on Tuesday")
The jewel of east is set to shine as India's first luxury hotel which has hosted guests to the likes of Queen Elizabeth, Mark Twain is ready to see the light of day again. Erstwhile Great Eastern Hotel, now rechristened as The Lalit Great Eastern, will be reopened on Tuesday evening in presence of state chief minister Mamata Banerjee but it is only a 'soft launch' as hurdles continue to stay in the way of historic hotel to be able to operate as fully commercial hotel.
The reasons are more than one. One of the primary reasons being cited by the hotel officials is not being able to remove stores which are still operating in the ground floors of one of the blocks of 171 year old hotel. Jyotsna Suri, chairman and managing director of Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, had cited same reason last week when she was here to attend a Ficci meeting. Suri herself has sought state government's help in this matter.
Among others, it is yet to obtain some of the licenses to be able to operate as commercial luxury hotels. One of the most important of such licenses being liquor licenses. But that is the case with many other hotels and restaurants in the city. The recently opened Taj Gateway in Kolkata is yet to get its liquor license.
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The complete launch of the hotel will take place in a span of one year.
Bharat Hotels, under Lalit Suri Hospitality Group which owns the property, has chosen to unveil the heritage property on November 19 on the occasion of the birth anniversary of late Lalit Suri, founder of the group. On this day, 171-year-old hotel was also born.
The soft launch of the hotel, what many called jewel of the east, was taken over by the group in 2005 following a disinvestment drive started by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee led left front government. The sale of the heritage hotel was one the biggest success stories of then chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's industrial reconstruction programme. The decision to divest government's stake in the hotel— built in 1840 by a Briton, David Wilson — had faced stiff opposition from several quarters, including its own trade wing, CITU.
The promoters have invested around Rs 260 crore for the 244 key property.. The hotel architecture, according of officials. will primarily represent two distinct styles. While ‘the heritage block’ will have the charm of the colonial era, the Great Eastern façade, the living accommodation and services, has been restored with a blend of modernity. The heritage block will have the famous Maxim’s grand bakery and a couple of specialty restaurants.
| Lalit Great Eastern set to re-open on 19 November |
| The 171 year old hotel will see 'soft launch' as hurdles continue to stay in the path. |
| Queen Elizabeth, Mark Twain, Nikita Khrushchev have been guest to the heritage property. |
| This is India's first luxury hotel and former left government divested its control to the group in 2005 |
| The hotel was built in 1840s by David Wilson. |
| While ‘the heritage block’ will have the charm of the colonial era, the Great Eastern façade, the living accommodation and services, has been restored with a blend of modernity. |