A war for 5-star status seems to be on among hotels in this city, which has for long boasted of good infrastructure but never a hotel with the top status.

Having enjoyed a complete monopoly for many years, the semi-government Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) now faces direct competition from the city's first 5-star hotel, Taj GVK, being completed in the commercial hub of Sector 17.

There have been hurdles in the Taj hotel's way. The formal opening of the hotel - that was scheduled for the last week of March - was delayed after objections from various departments about "violations" in the building construction.

CITCO officials, however, denied any role in the delay in clearance for the Taj hotel.

Taj officials are reportedly trying to remove the things objected to by administration officials. The hotel conforms to all 5-star standards and would qualify to be one once its operations start, they say.

"We did a trial run of some facilities recently and were waiting for clearances for a formal beginning," a Taj official said.

The coming of Taj GVK seems to have sent alarm bells ringing in CITCO, which is now trying to get 5-star status for one of its properties.

Sitting pretty with its monopoly in the hotel market here with three hotels
- Mountview, Shivalikview and Parkview - CITCO officials woke up only last month to secure 5-star status officially for its flagship hotel, Mountview.

For the last two decades, CITCO was marketing Mountview hotel, the only one to have a huge complex in this city and sprawling gardens in the posh Sector 10, claiming that it had 5-star facilities.

CICTO managing director Jasbir Singh Bir, who took over just a week ago, told IANS that special stress would be laid in hotel Mountview on the quality of service - which so far has been far below of what is expected of a 5-star status - improving internal ambience and having a customer friendly approach to ward off competition.

CITCO officials had to face a major embarrassment this week when in the presence of several dignitaries - including Punjab Governor S.F. Rodrigues - lights in the hotel went off and the back-up did not materialise for nearly 10 minutes when an important function was being held.

"We are trying to provide a back-up system," a senior Mountview official said.

All this may not impress central tourism department officials when they come here to inspect facilities to grant 5-star status on Mountview.

Chandigarh - the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana and the tourism gateway to the north, especially Himachal Pradesh - attracts a large number of tourists and visitors. The over 100 big and small hotels generally show full occupancy even though most of them do not have the official star status.

-Indo-Asian News Service