Tourist lodges in West Bengal to get 3-star status

The West Bengal government is renovating around 25 state-owned tourist lodges to make them three-star properties. It is a significant move from the affordability archetype for tourist accommodation run by the former government to one of ensuring luxury.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 100 crore. “The room tariff will likely to increase when these lodges reopen in three months,” said Atri Bhattacharya, principal secretary in the Department of Tourism.

The move is aiming at expanding clientele in the state-owned lodges. Currently, the tourists looking for luxury prefer to stay in expensive private hotels.

Though there will be a hike in the tariffs after the renovation, these lodges will remain within the reach of the common man, assures Bhattacharya.

The Corporation owns 42 properties and most of them recover the cost of operations, according to Goutam Deb, the minister for tourism in the state.

The government also plans to provide training for the 400 employees working in these properties, for enhancing their skills and expertise in their fields, during the closure of the lodges for renovation. “For instance, chefs from these properties are to receive training at The Park hotel in Kolkata,” said Bhattacharya.

Around 42 properties of the state are under private management. The private partners have also been told to raise the standards and meet the government’s expectations.

The decision to face-lift 25 tourist lodges was the result of the positive outcomes from a pilot project undertaken with 66 rooms at Mainak, in Siliguri.

The tourism department is also planning to take over 72 motels owned by the housing department, to be revamped and add to their properties.