http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-24T16:11:15Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/ http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/10/28/95829/121 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/jsimpindia.jpg" class="top"><p> Good old Jessica Simpson. Fresh from <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/10/16/105759/35/hotels/Jessica_Simpson_Serenades_Guests_at_the_Kampala_Serena_Hotel">serenading guests</a> at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Kampala+Serena+Hotel+/local/995"><b>Serena Hotel</b></a> in Kampala, she&#146;s moved on to <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotels/city/in/MAHARASHTA/Mumbai"><b>Mumbai</b></a> to film the next episode of her <a href="http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/7/85716/9384/travel/And+The+Next+New+Travel+Show+Will+Be+Hosted+By...Jessica+Simpson">new show</a>, <b><i>The Price of Beauty</i></b>. <p>She stayed at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Taj+Mahal+Palace+Mumbai/ian/198398"><b>Taj Mahal Palace & Tower</b></a>, which reopened last December after the devastating terrorist attacks, and had a party thrown for her by Bollywood actress <b>Neha Dhupia</b> at the <b>Vie Lounge</b> bar on Juhu Beach. According to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1223370/Jessica-Simpson-gets-henna-tattoo-bindi-films-Indian-TV-documentary.html">Daily Mail</a>, she &#147;fitted right in with India&#146;s fashion elite.&#148; Wonder if she cracked out the guitar as well? <p>Having gone down a storm and impressed everyone with her henna tattoo and bindi, she left Mumbai for London juliab 2009-10-28T11:23:14-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/2/3/64746/49683 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Taj_Hotel_Mumbai.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>It's a couple of months now since the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/11/29/211218/00/hotels/Taj_Palace_Nearly_Destroyed_in_Mumbai_Terrorist_Attacks">terrorist attacks</a> and, two weeks later, an <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/12/9/85721/6104/hotels/Fire_Breaks_Out_at_Mumbai_s_Devastated_Taj_Mahal_Palace_Hotel">accidental fire</a>, caused havoc for the poor <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Taj+Mahal+Palace+Mumbai/ian/198398"><b>Taj Mahal Palace</b></a> in Mumbai. We figured it was time to check in on this Taj and see if it's really up and running again.<p>And it looks like, just as they promised, the Taj Mahal Palace reopened the rooms of the Tower Wing plus the restaurants, banquet hall and chambers on December 21. That's a pretty impressive at just 24 days after the attacks.<p>A brass and bronze sculpture named the "Tree of Life" which was already on display in the hotel has now been turned into a memorial to the 31 people amandak 2009-02-03T09:10:59-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/12/22/0050/4025 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/tajreopening.jpg" class="top"> <p>Yesterday, both of the five-star Mumbai hotels<a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/11/26/154419/19/hotels/Luxury_Hotels_Attacked_by_Terrorists_in_Mumbai"> attacked by terrorists</a> in November &#151; the <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Taj+Mahal+Palace+Mumbai/ian/198398">Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Tower </a></b>and <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Oberoi+Mumbai/ian/123895">the Oberoi</a></b> &#151; reopened to guests. The swift repair and re-opening of the hotels were meant to serve as a symbol of hope and restoration for the city of Mumbai, which has been devastated by the attacks that claimed more than 170 lives. <p>According to an <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mumbai22-2008dec22,0,5528122.story">LA Times report</a>, the Taj re-opened only its tower wing yesterday, as the Palace wing (which houses the restaurant, where some of the worst fighting took place) could take more than a year to completely repair. From the Times: <blockquote><p>The Taj marked the occasion with a Jenna 2008-12-22T11:07:33-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/12/15/2579/7129 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/800px_Mumbai_TajMahalHotel.jpg" class="top"> <p>After the devastating <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/11/26/154419/19/hotels/Luxury_Hotels_Attacked_by_Terrorists_in_Mumbai">terrorist attacks</a> on November 26th in Mumbai <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/11/29/211218/00/hotels/Taj_Palace_Nearly_Destroyed_in_Mumbai_Terrorist_Attacks">virtually destroyed</a> the city's iconic <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Taj+Mahal+Palace+Mumbai/ian/198398">Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Tower</a></b>, the hotel had <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/12/2/93926/2438/hotels/Mumbai_Hotels_Determined_to_Rebuild_and_Re_open">vowed to reopen</a> as quickly as possible. Though a <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/12/9/85721/6104/hotels/Fire_Breaks_Out_at_Mumbai_s_Devastated_Taj_Mahal_Palace_Hotel">fire on the property</a> last week presumably caused some setbacks, Taj <a href="http://www.tajhotels.com/tmpt.htm">announced</a> today that the hotel has announced an official (partial) reopening date of <b>December 21st</b>: <p>Only the rooms in the Taj Mahal Tower will be reopening on the 21st (the Palace and the Tower are two different structures), but the hotel released this statement: <blockquote><p> Acknowledging the massive efforts devoted to the Hotel&#146;s swift re-opening, Mr. Raymond Bickson, Managing Director and CEO, The Indian Hotels Company Limited, Jenna 2008-12-15T10:31:35-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/12/9/85721/6104 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/TajTrooEPASTR4ps.jpg" class="top"> <p>The <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Taj+Mahal+Palace+Mumbai/ian/198398">Taj Mahal Palace Hotel</a></b>, which was <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/11/29/211218/00/hotels/Taj_Palace_Nearly_Destroyed_in_Mumbai_Terrorist_Attacks">nearly destroyed</a> in the devastating Mumbai terrorist <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/11/26/154419/19/hotels/Luxury_Hotels_Attacked_by_Terrorists_in_Mumbai">attacks </a>two weeks ago, suffered a fire on its 20th floor early this morning. <p>According to an <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iHMdLz1K4iE_U77OWalp4Q97CJSw">Associated Press</a> report, officials have not yet said what caused the fire (possibly a <a href="http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14814663">short circuit</a>), but it was under control quickly and there were no casualties reported. <p>When we headed over to the hotel's own website to see if they'd updated their <a href="http://www.tajhotels.com/tmpt.htm">news page</a> with details about the blaze (they hadn't), we learned a bit more about the efforts that have been underway since officials <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/12/2/93926/2438/hotels/Mumbai_Hotels_Determined_to_Rebuild_and_Re_open">announced</a> that they'd be working to get the iconic hotel restored as quickly Jenna 2008-12-09T09:00:52-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/