The Great Eastern Hotel, an iconic landmark of Kolkata , will reopen next year as the 171-year-old hotel is in an advanced stage of restoration.

Except for the façade, the heritage building is being rebuilt. Now a property of Lalit Suri group, the hotel has been rechristened Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata.

Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson and MD of Group, said here on Monday that the hotel is expected to reopen by next year. Spread across 2.3 acres in the heart of the city, the hotel, in its new avatar, will have 244 rooms and suites, an all-day dining facility and two specialty restaurants including the famous Maxim’s bakery.

The original building — the heritage block — would retain the architectural charm of the British era. The new wing, however, has been designed to sport a modern look by a Singapore-based designer. The new wing “will incorporate contemporary international hospitality trends, enhanced by local Bengali art, craft and culture”, according to a company release.