Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) is busy giving its hotels a facelift. Hotel Tathagath Vihar and Hotel Gautam Vihar in Rajgir, Hotel Siddharth Vihar in Bodh Gaya, Lichchavi Vihar in Muzaffarpur and Kaimur Vihar in Mohania have been revamped. The corporation has spent Rs two crore to upgrade these hotels. Plans are afoot to give a new look to other hotels also. Government of Bihar has decided to upgrade a number of government-owned hotels following a surge in the number of tourists in the state over the past five years.

Hotel Gautam Vihar can now match the standards of four-star hotels. The rest can be categorised as three-star hotels. A BSTDC official said that the number of rooms has been increased and a conference hall has been added to each of the hotels. We have also changed the furniture, upholstery and the interior design of the rooms. He said, “We have also altered the crockery. Care is being taken to provide the best facilities to our customers.”

Another facility introduced in each of the five hotels is a suite, which meets the standard of a five-star hotel. This has been done to provide the best facility to any national or international tourists. Trained managers and personnel have been appointed to provide the best service to guests at these hotels. All the managers and employees have been appointed on the basis of their experience. Only those who have worked in well-known hotels in the past have been appointed.

The official mentioned that BSTDC had submitted the inspection fee to Ministry of Tourism for acquiring the star tag for the hotels. The inspection team is likely to visit Bihar after the Assembly elections are over. If any deficiency is found, the corporation is ready to rectify it immediately.