Guwahati, Dec. 20: The hospitality sector in the Northeast takes a big jump on Wednesday with the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces opening Vivanta by Taj in Guwahati - a brand positioned in the "upper-upscale" segment.

The city already has a Radisson Blu hotel in the same segment set up by DS Group.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi will be present on Wednesday, along with Rakesh Sarna, managing director and chief executive officer, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, and other top officials. Rs 166 crore has been spent to build the 150-room hotel with 16 suites. It will have two restaurants, two bars, and a convention centre, claimed to be one of the biggest in eastern India.

A senior official at the hotel said it was a unique mix of chic and classic and local inspiration and ethos have been presented in a modern manner.

"Check out the imposing cupola inspired by the legendary Kamakhya temple, which adds a spiritual vibe. Look out for the signature bamboo cane interweave abstraction, the gamosa pattern, the xingkhap murals in the rooms, the 1,008 sacred bells in the lobby that cascade dramatically against a stunning backdrop. Don't miss the marigold motifs that greet you all around," the hotel website says.

The Vivanta by Taj has been rated as the third best global hotel brand by an international travel magazine.

Officials said the hotel was the outcome of a public-private partnership between the Assam government and the Indian Hotels Company Ltd in which the latter would have to pay a yearly rent and share revenues with the government. The public-private partnership was facilitated by Globally Managed Services India Private Ltd - a pan-Indian advisory services company with footprints in the Northeast.

One of the main architects of the hotel in Guwahati is Ranjit Barthakur, who is the chairman of Amalgamated Plantations Private Ltd - a Tata company.

"It has been a long struggle to get a big Tata hotel into Guwahati and finally this has happened after many hiccups. It is like what Taj in Bombay is to western India. A lot of people have helped in the setting up the hotel - from the state government to people like Ratan Tata," the official added. "This will not just be a hotel, it would help in tourism movement in the region."

The foundation stone of the hotel was laid on March 9, 2010, and was attended by Ratan Tata and the chief minister.