Mumbai: The 550-room Trident hotel at Nariman Point presents a lively picture. Security persons at the main gate have a busily tough time what with the steady stream of guests and visitors checking in.
Bell boys in the lobby tow in the luggage of a group of Germans, while media persons trundle in armed with cameras and notepads for press conferences that are more frequent now compared with last year when gunmen struck on November 26 and took everyone inside hostage for nearly three days.
The Oberoi family, promoters of East India Hotels Ltd (EIH) that owns and manages Trident, wants to infuse its adjacent sibling -- The Oberoi -- with the same liveliness.
The BSE-listed EIH has since December last year undertaken major restoration work at the 23-year-old Oberoi hotel, trying to wipe away the blood and bullet marks left behind by the gunmen.
"We are racing against time to reopen the entire hotel in the first quarter of 2010. I would say 70 percent of the work is complete. All services and facilities in the hotel will be available for our guests at the same time," Oberoi Hotels and Resorts Mumbai, Executive Vice President, Devendra Bharma told media here.
"The Oberoi was severely damaged and a major restoration project had to be taken up. Guest needs, design and technology have also changed since the hotel was built in 1986. We are using this opportunity to make changes," he added.
The 337-room Oberoi had most of its rooms considerably damaged, especially those on the higher floors where the gunmen were holed up. Between 800-1,000 employees, labourers and designers have been working on the restoration.
"The cost (of complete restoration) is fairly substantial. We have received Rs 80 crore from New India Assurance so far. Our final claim of insurance has not yet gone through so I will not be able to give an indication as to the total money required and money claimed at this point of time," Bharma said.
The company has beefed up security at all group hotels by spending as much as Rs 40 lakh on each property.
EIH has also appointed a leading international security consultant to advise it on enhancing security systems apart from holding Crisis Management Programmes across all Oberoi Group hotels.
"Security at Trident has been heightened and the Police have been requested to extend their assistance. Amongst the measures in place are baggage scanners, doorframe metal detectors, hand held detectors, regular patrolling of the periphery and within the hotel and camera surveillance," he said.
Immediately after the attacks last year, the group set up The Oberoi Care Fund, a special donation fund to give monthly financial aid and ensure the education of children of 10 of its employees, who were killed in the terror strike.
The hotel has so far disbursed a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to families of the unfortunate staff members apart from continuing their monthly allowance for the next 10 years.
Bharma said this was apart from the state and national government compensation, the workman`s compensation, employee contribution and insurance cover to the employees.
"All our staff has remained on our rolls. There have been no voluntary retirements in any of our hotels since the incidents," he added.
On Thursday, November 26, Trident has arranged a day-long affair where people can come and light a candle to pay homage to guests and staff who lost their lives.
The hotel expects to be fully booked on the first anniversary of 26/11 as gesture of solidarity by guests.
- PTI
