Taj Mahal opens palace suites two years after Mumbai attack

The historic Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai will re-open on Aug. 15, India’s Independence Day, marking another significant day in India’s history. The opening comes two years after 10 terrorists killed 166 people at the hotel.

The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, as it was formerly called, was a favorite among royalty, rock stars and celebrities from all over the world. To celebrate the opening, the Palace Wing is offering guests free nights in suites costing as much as $1,450 a night, the hotel’s website says.

The 285-room Palace wing will include 42 suites, 19 of which are themed. Grand Luxury Suites are priced at 170,000 rupees a night (approximately $3,633 a night), while the Luxury and Executive suites will cost 120,000 rupees ($2,565 USD) and 95,000 rupees ($2,030 USD) respectively, according to the hotel’s website. The Taj has spent 1.75 billion rupees (approximately $37 million) to restore the hotel, which also includes added amenities such as ergonomic furniture, home theater systems and bathrooms with Italian marble and rain shower heads in the suites. The 5,000 square foot Tata Suite, named after the owner Ratan Tata (and also the most expensive of all the suites), will reopen in September.