It will be a “white” Christmas for The Gateway Hotel this year. The hotel will be bathed in shades of white with silver and gold colour effects, to give it a “different” feel from the usual shades of red.
Gearing up for the festive season, the hotel held a ‘cake mixing’ ceremony on Saturday with the hotel staff and guests. Around 200 kg. of dry fruits were mixed with 22 litres of spirits and alcohol.
“This mix will be stored to prepare the plum cake next year. Last year, we had soaked 180 kg. of dry fruit, which will be used to make cakes this year,” said Souvik Bhattacharya, hotel’s General Manager.
‘The Cake Shop’ at the hotel will dish out flavours of cakes, pastries, and puddings that will be on offer at the take-away counter at the lobby from December 22 to January 3.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Bhattacharya said the hotel was in the recovery mode after being hit by the cyclone Hudhud, which affected its operations for 15 days. The Food and Beverage segment was down 20 per cent in the aftermath of the cyclone.
“We are heading for a consolidation phase. The December season seems promising and overall sentiment seems to be improving with the revival of the corporate travel. In fact, we have confirmed a corporate conference for next month,” he added.
The hotel is looking ahead to a busy season with weddings and events lined up. This apart, the hotel is hosting a Sizzlers Food Festival at its GAD restaurant.
“The Dire Straits concert had to be cancelled in October due to the cyclone. We will be organising the show in the beginning of next year,” Mr. Bhattacharya said.
