The Oberoi Group on Thursday said its Trident Hotel in Mumbai, which was one of the hotels targeted by terrorists during last week's attacks, will re-open from December 21, while the other property the Oberoi would take at least four to six months before it can welcome guests again.
Damage to The Trident, which has been insured for Rs 780 crore (Rs 7.80 billion), was far less compared with that of the Oberoi -- insured for Rs 650 crore (Rs 6.50 billion).
"The damage at Trident was much lesser compared to that of the Oberoi. Although we have not fully assessed the cost of damage there, we have decided to re-open Trident on December 21," Oberoi Group vice chairman S S Mukherji told PTI.
"It is important to send a message that the terrorists cannot stop this country. Re-opening the hotel at the earliest possible was important from the point of boosting the morale of not only our staff but also for the city of Mumbai and the country as a whole," he added.
Asked by when the Oberoi could be re-opened, Mukherji said it was difficult to give an exact timeframe as the damages were much bigger and the group was still assessing it.
"It is little far away. It is going to take longer and I cannot imagine the Oberoi being re-opened before four to six months," Mukherji said.
The management and staff of the Trident are working round-the-clock to ensure that the hotel is ready to receive guests. All arrangements have been taken to ensure security once the hotel re-opens, the company said.
The Trident has 34 floors and 541 rooms, while the Oberoi has 11 floors and 327 rooms.
