Badal: Grand deal

New Delhi, Jan. 27: The Oberoi chain of hotels today formally launched its Trident hotel in Gurgaon that stands on a seven-acre property owned by Sukhbir Singh Badal, son of the former Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal.

The Oberoi group of hotels has entered into a 30-year management contract with Badal to operate the 136-room five-star hotel in the national capital region.

Refusing to give details about the revenue-sharing arrangement between the two parties, P.R. S Oberoi, chairman of the Oberoi group, said, “It is a top secret”.

The hotel, which will be re-branded as ‘The Trident Hilton’ in March, is the only property in India that is not owned by the Oberois but only managed by them.

“We are always open to prospective deals,” Oberoi said when asked about future tieups in India. “However, we believe that the tieup should not only be prestige oriented but business driven.”

This is the first property that the Badals have developed in Haryana since they were hounded by the Punjab government under chief minister Amarinder Singh for acquiring assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Last year, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau had filed a charge-sheet alleging that former chief minister Prakash Singh Badal, his wife Surinder Kaur Badal and son Sukhbir Singh Badal had piled up assets worth Rs 4,326 crore when the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) alliance was in power in the state. This had led to raids on several Badal-owned properties in Haryana as well.

Conceived by architect Lek Bunnag and interior designer, Pia Wongli of Thailand, the Trident hotel is characterised by a 60-feet high dome, courtyards and fountains. A complete blend of Thai and Rajasthani architecture, hotel official maintained “the idea behind giving altitude to the hotel is to give it a spacious, private and disconnected feeling from the outside world”.

Leisure facilities include the spa by Angsana and an outdoor heated swimming pool. The hotel also offers conference and meeting facilities in addition to the 24 hour business centre. Dining options include Cilantro, an all-day dining restaurant offering international cuisine, saffron- serving north Indian and other specialities, a pool bar and the bar.