Rakesh Mitra

His great grandfather was KC Nag, the mathematician who wrote sums that you pored over in school! Rakesh Mitra, 38, still counts numbers but of a different kind as general manager of The Lalit Great Eastern (and GM sales and marketing of the group), the heritage star hotel which opened on February 1.

What was your first thought when you were assigned as general manager of The Lalit Great Eastern?

When we took over Great Eastern in 2005, I was with The Lalit in Goa. My first thought was, ‘What a challenge to wake up to!’ I knew it would be a difficult project so I came to Calcutta two years prior to the inauguration on November 18, 2013. Being the Bong that I am, I thought coming to Calcutta was my homecoming. It felt wonderful. The only apprehension was expectation management... how to handle the expectations of the city from a hotel that would reopen after seven years! It was important to plan it well.

Do you think the hotel has lived up to those expectations?

The response to The Bakery was overwhelming. The chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) said that it would be great if we could open it for Christmas and it was a huge challenge to put everything in place in a month from November 19 to December 19. The government was a great help and I saw a completely different side of the government from what all I had heard.

I remember standing outside The Bakery at five minutes to 8am on December 24 and I saw some people queuing up. I thought people would gradually come and go but in two hours, I was shocked! Calcutta surprised me. By 1.30pm, we had to start re-baking and it got worse at 4pm when people were going back from office. The queue had reached the end of Waterloo Street and beyond and I remember carrying cookies and water for those waiting assuring them that no one would go home without buying anything that evening!

You also pre-opened The Lalit in Goa and Khajuraho. What were the biggest challenges you faced here?

We had to maintain a steady plan to open the hotel. I had come a month before the AMRI incident happened and I made sure that all fire-safety precautions were taken care of. The second challenge was creating a new block between the Victorian (built 1840) block and the Edwardian (built 1900-1910) and having created it, seamlessly connecting all three. The third challenge was creating an inward-looking hotel because externally the hotel is not beautiful, given the surroundings.

How did you do that?

The swimming pool, the courtyard... and by creating experiences within the hotel. For example, at The Tea Lounge, sipping Assam and Darjeeling tea is the first level, packing tea leaves to take home is the next and the third level is staying in a tea estate, which we organise for you. The hotel is like a monument. So we have already devised three-to-five hour walks around the hotel, serving champagne and talking history, and we will open this up to non-residents too.

What is the most interesting piece restored in the hotel?

For me, it is the spiral staircase in The Legacy Tower. Most of it was dismantled and kept in a corner but luckily, it was in the backyard and no one had touched it. It needed treads, which I got cast in Howrah, and now every time I see it standing in the middle of the atrium, I am wowed.

What are your long and short-term goals?

My long-term goal is to get a large base of happy customers who keep coming back to us. My short-term goal is to reach out to every segment of the society telling them the hotel is revived and that it’s as beautiful or even better. Also, to ensure that there are no teething problems and finally, to get the Victorian block running in three-four months, get Maxim’s back and open the Baluchi, the speciality restaurant.

What about Kitty Su, the nightclub?

Kitty Su, the rooftop nightclub, will open on the seventh floor and will be enclosed with glass from all sides. The spot has a great view of the two Howrah bridges, Victoria Memorial and Eden Gardens.

Which is your favourite spot in the hotel... so far!

During the day, I love to sit in the atrium of The Legacy Tower and have my cup of tea. In the evenings, I like the view of the lily pond from The Legacy Lounge.

When you’re not working, you...

Play golf... I’m an Indian Golf Union member and the Fort William is the most convenient course. I also run when I can and spend a lot of time travelling around the country. My family, wife Sonal and daughter Shansaa, 4, are with me in Calcutta and one has to fall in love with Peter Cat and Mocambo and the dhabas — Balwant Singh and Jai Hind.

Finally, how good are you at math?

(Laughs) I did manage to crack GMAT but I’m very bad!