HYDERABAD: The 70-year-old Taj Mahal Hotel at SD Road in Secunderabad will be shutting its doors from February 6. However, those who have been savouring the Udipi cuisine dished by the hotel since decades need not worry.
The hotel owners promise to bring back a larger and multifaceted version of Taj Mahal Hotel back to Secunderabad but after one year in a refurbished version.
The Secunderabad Taj Mahal hotel has an old history. It was started in October 1947 by Babu Rao and Anand Rao. At a time when eating in a restaurant was a fancy affair limited to a small group of people, the hotel served as a hangout place for people who loved to eat out, especially Army officers residing in Secunderabad.
Ashwath Rao, one of the hotel owners, says, “With time we have to move on. The building is 70-years-old and required a lot of maintenance. The parking space was not proving enough. So it was decided that the hotel will be renovated with more space, amenities and a larger parking area.”
The refurbished hotel will have two restaurants, well-appointed rooms and banquet facilities on the same premises having the capability to cater to more than 1,000 persons at a time, along with 30,000 square feet of parking area. The hotel is expected to reopen around Ugadi or Shivaratri next year, said Rao.
While change is accompanied by skepticism that the food, which has a loyal following over years, might also change, Rao says that there is no need to worry.
He added that a new Taj Mahal Hotel will soon be opened at Maljakgiri to which the current staff of Secunderabad Taj Mahal would be shifted. Once the refurbished hotel is back in Secunderabad, the staff will shift back from Malkajgiri.