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Our Bureau

FOR A START: A salt print of the Auckland Hotel by Frederick Fiebig dated 1851-52, courtesy British Library. David Wilson set up this hotel which was later transformed into the Great Eastern Hotel of today. The southern colonnaded facade of the hotel suggests that the hotel building of today has evolved directly from the mid-19th Century edifice.

Kolkata , Nov. 8

The first phase of the renovated and refurbished Great Eastern Hotel, which was bought over from the State Government by Bharat Hotels for Rs 52 crore in November last year, will be commissioned by the end of 2007.

By mid-2008, the entire property will be commissioned and operational, Ms Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson & Managing Director of Bharat Hotels Ltd and wife of the late Mr Lalit Suri, told presspersons here.

Addressing a conference on Wednesday, Ms Suri said the hotel's restoration and renovation would entail an investment of Rs 120 crore. The equity and debt components of this corpus have already been "secured and kept aside". Architects 61 of Singapore, which has been involved with the restoration of the Raffles and Fullerton Hotels of Singapore, and Dulal Mukherjee & Associates of Kolkata have been roped in for the Great Eastern Hotel's restoration work.

Ms Suri said that the hotel, spread over 2.3 acres, would be presented in two distinct styles. The original building — the heritage block — with the well-known Great Eastern façade would be restored to its pristine glory. Additionally, a new building would reflect and incorporate contemporary international hospitality trends that would be enhanced by local Bengali art, craft and culture.

When fully commissioned, the hotel — now christened The Grand Great Eastern Kolkata — would have 244 rooms, including 23 suites. It will also have an all-day dining, two speciality restaurants, a bakery, a 6,000 sq ft ballroom, five conference rooms, a spa, swimming pool and a two-level car packing facility. The hotel will also have a well-defined drive-in porch from the Waterloo Street.

According to Ms Suri, talks were on with construction firms for awarding the works contracts. Restoration work on the property is slated to begin later this month. "Mr Suri had dreamt of making this hotel the finest heritage hotel in the country; a destination in itself in the global tourism arena. We are determined to complete his dream project," she said.

Ms Suri said the hotel would provide employment to 350 people. Asked if any of the old hands would be taken back, she said: "Employment of all employees will be strictly on the basis of merit. If some of the old employees feel they are meritorious, they can apply and we will consider their application strictly on the basis of merit."

More Stories on : Modernisation | Hotels | West Bengal

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