Shillong, Oct 14: Vivanta ( Crowborough Hotel) was inaugurated by the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Friday.
The development comes 36 years after a move was made to start a hotel on the same premises.
The government claimed that Vivanta is state’s first five-star hotel.
Conrad said the work for the hotel had been going on since 1986 and could be completed after decades. He congratulated and thanked all the stakeholders for completing the project despite the Covid-induced disruptions.
“The Vivanta Meghalaya is another example of the determination to not give up and continue doing things even when faced with a number of challenges and this hotel can be a story of the state of perseverance, commitment and dedication,” he said.
He added that the state faces a shortage of high-quality rooms and the presence of five-star hotels in Shillong would allow the government to attract high end tourists, host national and international music and sports events, and other seminars and conferences.
“The Vivanta Meghalaya, Shillong would herald an era of luxury tourism in the state and will go a long way in fulfilling the aspirations of the residents of the State,” he said.
With a built-up area of about 8,800 sq m, the hotel has 101 rooms and other facilities including a speciality restaurant, coffee shops, bar, retail shops, and a banquet hall.
It is owned by the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and has been leased out for a period of 33 years on a PPP mode to be operated by the IHCL.
The chief minister said based on the lease agreement, the MTDC is expecting to get more than Rs 100 crore revenue in the next 30 years.
This money will be more or less enough to make MTDC financially stable, he said.
“We also expect to get revenue to the tune of Rs 500 crore in terms of GST taxes only from this hotel alone”, he said.
Moreover, 80-90 percent employment is being given to local people.
Tourism Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar, Chairman, MTDC, Saleng Sangma and Chief Secretary, D P Wahlang among others were present on the occasion.
