From Tragedy to Rebirth: Mumbai’s Oberoi Hotel Reopens After $45 Million Makeover

The Oberoi Mumbai is back. After the tragic terrorist attacks in late 2008, the grand hotel is opening its doors this week after a lavish $45 million makeover. The lobby has been reconstructed with marble from the Greek island of Thassos, flat-screen TVs adorn the guest room bathrooms, and new restaurants welcome guests. The hotel has a new General Manager, to boot. Formerly at The Ballantyne in North Carolina, Steven Kalczynski will oversee the opening. To quote The New York Times, "The rebirth of the Oberoi — along with the expected return to full service of the other hotel attacked, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower — is an important milestone for Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. The brazen strike, in which 163 people died, dealt India and Mumbai a significant psychic and economic blow, and recovery has come slowly."