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Come November and Kolkata is likely to witness the inauguration of the first Taj Gateway Hotel. This incidentally, will be the second Taj property in the city after the existing Taj Bengal Hotel. Managed by The Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) — a Tata group hospitality firm — under the Gateway brand, the 197-room hotel is being developed by Jalan Intercontinental Hotels Pvt Ltd.
The Gateway brand is present in 21 cities with 40 operating and signed-up hotels. IHCL and its subsidiaries are collectively branded as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces.
The company operates in India and abroad through the luxury brand Taj; upper upscale brand Vivanta by Taj; upscale/mid-market hotels and resorts under Gateway and in the economy segment through Ginger brands.
Gateway did not respond to queries sent by Business Line . Market sources, however, confirmed a likely November opening for the Kolkata property. According to market sources, Jalan Intercontinental Hotels is said to have spent an estimated Rs 140 crore (Rs 70 lakh per room) in developing the property on a 1.9-acre plot off Eastern Metropolitan Bypass (along the South-Eastern parts of the city). The hotel will have 6,400 sq. ft. of banqueting space (accommodating 800 people), a roof-top swimming pool and other regular facilities such as Wi-Fi connectivity, food and beverage outlets, apart from the guest rooms, according to the the hotel’s Web Site.
Attempts to contact Aditya Jalan, MD, Jalan Intercontinental, did not elicit any response. The Gateway hotel, market sources said, was set for opening in October (before the Durga Puja) this year.
However, a delay in obtaining clearances, especially liquor licences, saw the inauguration being pushed back by almost a month. At present, the banquet halls and a restaurant have already been opened. It makes more sense to inaugurate the banquet halls ahead of the guest rooms. This will ensure flow of working capital. “Keeping in mind, the upcoming marriage season after Diwali, opening the banquet hall is a good decision,” a property analyst, who did not wish to be named, said.
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