The reopening of Asia's first luxury hotel here early next week will be nowhere as grand as it was expected to be.
That's not only because the restoration of the heritage wing of the 173-year-old The Lalit Great Eastern is far from complete, but many of the 70 licences required to make the new block fully functional are yet to be received from the state government. The much-awaited reopening, as a result, will only be a 'soft launch' and, at best, the hotel will be able to receive guests only from the end of this year.
November 19 has been chosen for the 'soft launch' of the hotel since it is the 63rd birth anniversary of Lalit Suri, the group's founder.