Taj Boston brings over 100 years of worldwide commitment to elegant accommodations, and unrivaled service.

At noon today, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, with 76 luxury hotels worldwide, unfurled its distinctive white-and- gold flag over the 15 Arlington Street entrance to the 80-year-old classic Beaux Arts hotel facing the Boston Public Garden.

The 273-room hotel officially became the Taj Boston at the ceremonial handover. Attending were Taj Hotels CEO Raymond Bickson, General Manager David Gibbons, numerous business, hospitality and neighborhood representatives, and a large contingent of the hotel's employees [see attached photo].

Acquired for $170 million last November from Millennium Partners in New York, the landmark property is Taj Hotels' second U.S. hotel and is part of the India-based company's highly selective global expansion plan. In 2005, Taj Hotels entered into a lease agreement to operate and manage The Pierre, the luxurious landmark hotel on New York's Fifth Avenue.

"We believe this is New England's finest hotel and Boston's premier social address, and we are honored to continue its 80-year tradition of unrivalled hospitality with Taj's 100-year-plus commitment to elegant hotels and quintessential service," said Raymond Bickson, Managing Director and CEO, Indian Hotels Company Ltd, which operates Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces.

Mr. Gibbons said that apart from new signage, new employee uniforms, and various esthetic Taj touches, guests will immediately notice the legendary Taj service and style. The hotel underwent a $60 million restoration in 2002.

"This is a very exciting time to be entering the luxury hotel market in Boston," he noted. "The city is experiencing a strong economic resurgence and is attracting new business and leisure travelers. We look forward to providing a tradition of international hospitality and pampering that discerning travelers expect and deserve."

Pat Moscaritolo, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, attended the noon flagging event and welcomed Taj to Boston.

"It is a great benefit for Boston and Massachusetts to have a company as renowned as Taj to be the new stewards of this legendary building. Taj runs some of the most magnificent properties in the world. I can't think of a better fit for the city and state," Moscaritolo said.

In addition to the noon flagging ceremony, Mr. Bickson hosted an evening reception for over 200 guests at the Taj Boston Dining Room.

With a legacy dating back to the launch of its landmark hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Mumbai, in 1903, the Taj portfolio worldwide today encompasses luxury and business hotels, and distinctive leisure resorts, including the award winning Taj Exotica Resort & Spa at Mauritius and the Maldives, 51 Buckingham Gate in London, and Blue, Woolloomooloo Bay in Sydney, amongst others.

Taj Hotels also manages a portfolio of some of the finest authentic palace hotels in the world. These include the magnificent Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, recipient of the World Monuments Fund's 2006 Hadrian Award for architectural restoration, and selected by the editors of Robb Report Luxury Hotels 2006 as one of the world's 100 most exceptional hotels, The Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur was rated 10th in The Top 100 Travel+Leisure's annual Readers' Poll - World's Best Awards 2006, and the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, rated among the Top 50 in Asia.

In 2006, Taj Hotels announced the launch of four new luxury projects: The Taj Exotica Golf Resort & Spa (Opening 2008) in Doha, Qatar; the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa (Opening 2008) on the Palm Jumeirah Crescent in Dubai; the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa (Opening 2009) in Phuket, Thailand and a Taj Luxury Hotel (Opening 2008) in Cape Town, South Africa.