Grand restoration

The 134-year-old Oberoi Grand in Kolkata is ready to take on competition. The hotel has earmarked Rs 40 crore for renovation and upgrading its amenities.

The process of being in sync with modern times while retaining its old world charm, started sometime back and has picked up speed now.

To be a step ahead of the rest, a team under the chairman, P R S Oberoi's office has been set up. External consultants have also been appointed to work on the project.

The brief is simple: find ways to make the hotel a pioneer in services and products, yet retain its heritage. For starters, all the restaurants are to be completely renovated by 2004.

"The ideas and changes that evolve in-house are born out of a process of exposing business heads to best practices worldwide," says Amitabh Rai, resident manager at the Oberoi.

Staff members are sent to stay in some of the top and newest properties in the world, to pick up practices and norms that can be adapted or adopted at the property.

The hotel recently also revamped its staff structure, inducting new blood through a comprehensive voluntary retirement programme. Like in any hotel of its vintage, the Grand's backroom has witnessed larger than usual investments.

Energy guzzling systems like air-conditioning and boilers were upgraded to cut costs and eliminate guest complaints. Other facilities which received investments range from fire safety and water recycling measures to security systems.

Banquets and restaurants have state of the art food and meat handling systems so that they can not only run on lean inventories but also serve the freshest food.

Today, each room offers broadband communication links. The fad for spas and health saw the Grand launching the first hotel-based spa in the city some years ago, with the global chain Banyan Tree fitting it out.

In a bid to further improve its service, the hotel now offers free transfers, and in the vehicle carrying them into the hotel, check-in paperwork is completed.

Guests have commented positively on the specially designed multi-use luggage racks in the rooms. The article in question serves as luggage rack, shoe-change stand and bench-seat rolled into one and is a hotel trademark.