孟买泰姬玛哈宫殿酒店
The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
www.tajhotels.com/en-in/taj/taj-mahal-palace-mumbai/
让世界为之倾倒的传奇
时势造英雄，也造就了泰姬玛哈宫殿酒店这一孟买传奇。19世纪末，孟买的酒店需求量激增，当时的大型酒店有的面临倒闭，有的过于拥挤，很多已经不再满足潮流和时代的需求。此时，塔塔集团创始人，贾姆希德吉塔塔先生公布了一项宏伟的计划：他想要在孟买建造一个地标性的酒店，它将成为印度乃至世界酒店建筑的里程碑，让孟买跻身世界一流城市行列。它，就是泰姬玛哈宫殿酒店。
作为泰姬集团的第一家酒店，孟买“泰姬”从一开始就与众不同。塔塔先生一手创立了印度的现代纺织业，又在孟买这片充满机遇和前途的土地上大力开发市政建设，并建立了伟大的钢铁帝国。他还大胆创新，提出利用季节性降雨发电，并且早在他的那个时代，就开始计划在印度南部的班加罗尔成立科技研究中心了。但他缘何要建造这样一家大酒店？人们众说纷纭。有故事说当时孟买两家最豪华的酒店曾由于塔塔先生是印度人而拒绝他进入，他因而想建造一家印度人自己的聘请欧洲人管理的向所有人开放的超豪华酒店。
还有的说1896 年发生在孟买的大瘟疫使塔塔先生想建造一家奢华酒店来改变他所热爱的这个城市的形象。他的这一愿望引来许多质疑，甚至有朋友说他会因此破产，事业会因此终结。
塔塔先生无与伦比的前瞻性和睿智的头脑向世人证明，他的选择是正确的。1903 年雄伟庄严泰姬玛哈宫殿酒店建成开业，成为了当之无愧的地标性建筑，也成为了所有酒店中的“王子”。1905 年，著名记者马修斯（G. A. Mathews） 见到“泰姬”时不禁感概：“她是那么宏大奢华，以至于刚开始时我都有些窒息了。”20 年后，英国著名作家奥尔德斯 赫胥黎（Aldous Huxley） 依然这样评价道：“宏伟的泰姬酒店兼具了伦敦南肯辛顿建筑与印度亭台的风格，富有国际化气质。”这些赞美足以说明了孟买泰姬玛哈大酒店与生俱来的皇家风范。
The World’s Most Captivating Legend
Jamsetji Tata built The Taj Mahal Palace just in time. In the late 19th century, the hotels in Mumbai left much to be desired. In the late 1890s, Mr. Tata suddenly announced his plans to build a grand hotel that would help restore the image of Mumbai and attract visitors from around the world. One of the original grand hotels of the world, The Taj Mahal Palace,Mumbai has grown to become an integral part of the city‘ s history, and indeed, its heart.
”Taj” is different from the outset. Mr. Tata singlehandedly created India‘s modern textile industry, vigorously developed municipal buildings in Mumbai on the land of opportunities and prospects. en he established a great steel empire. With a bold innovative mind, he started making use of seasonal rainfall to generate electricity and planned to set up science and technology research centers in Bangalore in southern India. Why did he build such a large hotel People have different opinions. One story says that Mr. Tata was once refused entry to two of the most luxurious hotels in Mumbai simply because of his Indian identity. therefore, he wanted to build a super luxurious hotel owned by the indians and managed by Europeans and it would be open to everyone.
Another story says that the Great Plague that broke out in Mumbai in 1896 made Mr. Tata want to build a luxury hotel to change the image of his beloved city. is wish led to many doubts, and even his friends said that he would go bankrupt and his business would come to an unfortunate end.
With an unmatched vision and a wise mind, Mr. Tata told himself to stick with the plan. And later it proved that he made the right choice. The magnificent and stately appearance of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel has become a welldeserved landmark. The ”Taj” has become the ”Prince” among all hotels. In 1905, the famous reporter G.A. Mathews saw the ”Taj” and said, ”She is so magnificent and extravagant that for a moment I felt my breath stopped.” Twenty years later, famous British writer Aldous Huxley commented, ”The magnificent Taj Hotels possesses the style of both South Kensington architecture and Indian pavilions, and is fully internationalised.” These praises are enough to explain that the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai is certainly born with a royal style.
