The Hindu Business Line : Oberoi staff working overtime for Sunday reopening

Tourists enjoying the Victoria ride at the Oberoi Trident hotel in Mumbai on Friday. The hotel, one of the sites of last month’s terror attacks, will be back in business from December 21.

Shubhra Tandon

Mumbai, Dec. 19 The mood at the Oberoi and Trident hotels in Mumbai is distinctly buoyant even while the terror attacks are fresh in everyone’s minds.

On Sunday, Trident will throw its doors open to the public thanks to an incredible spirit of coming together by the management and employees. All of them worked round the clock to make this dream a reality.

As a senior official from The Oberoi Group told Business Line, not even a single staff member asked to go on leave despite an “open offer” from the management to do so if anyone wished to. “Three words would describe the mood of the management and staff at the hotel best – conviction, commitment and eagerness (to reopen). The staff members who were on shift on the evening of the terrorist attack were back the moment we were given access to the hotel in a bid to extend all assistance,” the official said.

The goal was clear to all – reopen the Trident and be back on our feet at the earliest. According to the official, the Oberoi rose above rank and hierarchy in its endeavour to get going. It was just not the manpower in Mumbai that contributed to the brick-building but also the corporate and head offices of the entire Oberoi group.

The Trident’s Frangipani and India Jones restaurants will welcome their loyal customers from the breakfast gong and going on through the day. The favourites in the menu encompassing the best Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine are intact right from Chef’s Sashimi, Tamago and Avocado Cucumber to the Chicken Consomme, Lobster Linguini, Frangipani Seafood Grill and much, much more.

Apart from the restaurants, haunts like the bar – Opium Den – and the recently opened Shanti-spa and fitness centre will also be back with their offerings. This is not all. Guests will have access to conferencing facilities, the business centre, swimming pool and salon from Sunday. The hotel will also host the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2009’s press meet the same day at 6 p.m. The Trident is incidentally the hospitality partner for the marathon.

Taj reopening

Sunday will see the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower also open its Tower wing in the evening. As in the case of the Oberoi hotel, it was ravaged in the attacks and the repair and reconstruction will happen in phases during the coming months.