Handpicked Hotel Staff to look after Obama

New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) ITC Maurya has hand-picked a team of 50 expert staff who will look after US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle during their three-day stay at the super luxury hotel here.

“We have over 70 specialised staff to take care of the US president and his wife. But we have chosen a team of 50 and the remaining 20 will remain on standby,“ a hotel source told IANS, refusing to be identified because of stringent security restrictions.

The staff, who have been cleared by Indian and American security, will look after the needs of the US president and his wife -- from serving food, water, answering their rings, ushering them, and remain on their toes to follow any command.

The team will be headed by seniors of the hotel management who have previous experience in dealing with such high profile dignitaries.

The staff who attended to Obama during his 2010 visit when he stayed at the hotel have been asked to remain on attendance.

The team has been put through extensive background checks by the Delhi Police.

They will remain put in the hotel during the presidential visit that begins Jan 25 early morning.

The attire of the staff will also be put through thorough checking before they can begin serving the US president, said the sources.