Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel, which suffered extensive damage from the 2008 militant attacks in which guests and staff died, will reopen this weekend after a £24m refurbishment.

The hotel was one of several Mumbai landmarks attacked by Pakistan-based militants in an assault that lasted over 60 hours, killing 166 people.

Standing on the grand cantilever stairway today, staff members cheered and tossed rose petals in the air after chairman Ratan Tata garlanded a bust of the founder of the Tata Group, the Indian conglomerate that owns the luxury Taj hotels.

"This flagship property, this venerable Old Lady, is going to reopen in the same glory, the same splendour of more than 100 years," Tata said, his voice cracking. The hotel is due to reopen on Sunday, India's independence day.

Advertisement
Tata had vowed to "rebuild every inch" of the hotel, founded in 1903, and which has played host to maharajas, heads of state, chief executives, movie stars and entertainers alike.

Architects, designers and restoration experts from India and around the world spent more than 21 months assessing the damage, then restoring the hotel, said Raymond Bickson, managing director of Taj Hotels. "It was a cast of thousands that undertook the extensive restoration and sensitive restoration of the hotel, staying true to the original design and spirit," he said.