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AS YOU descend towards Mumbai you can't help but notice the slums of Dharavi below. Asia's largest slum with its tin huts and tarpaulin roofs encircles the city's dilapidated airport. Arrival, usually at an awkward hour of the night, is singularly unimpressive. Should you touch down during the riotously popular Ganapati (elephant god) festival, immigration queues will stretch longer than usual, as staff will be on leave en masse to enjoy the fun.
Yet, change is on its way to rejuvenate Mumbai (Bombay), India's financial capital and thrumming metropolis, a city of gaudy Bollywood movies, packed-to-bursting trains, stunning colonial architecture interspersed between grime and green, and that smiling, head-nodding can-do attitude that ensures things are always buzzing. Privatisation is on its way to rescue the airport and ground has been flattened for a swank new facility at Navi Mumbai or New Bombay.
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Plans are underway as well for a new-look Dharavi where hip New Age hoodlums can hang out in sanitary concrete environs, perhaps switching their attention from gambling rackets to the latest soap on Star TV. Maybe they’ll all end up Slumdog Millionaires. So there’s reason to smile.
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| Mumbai street near University Clock Tower |
Welcome to Mumbai. Toss that doomsday talk, let your hair down and plunge in. It's fun. As you clear the airport and emerge blinking into the humid hot night, grab a pre-paid coupon taxi.
From the airport it costs Rs350 for a rattling small Fiat, or Rs450 (US$9, US$1=Rs48.40) for a non-rattling smaller air-con cab often referred to as a “cool” cab. Beware of touts and head straight to your hotel. And never exchange currency with people on the street, no matter how tempting the offer.
Figuring out Mumbai hotel districts
For a good Mumbai business hotel there are three areas to explore depending on where your business appointments (or friends) are located – the airport area, beside the beach in Juhu, and in upmarket South Mumbai.
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Around the domestic and international airports, 30 minutes apart, hotels have sprouted like mushrooms. The 547-room Grand Hyatt is among the leading lights and easily among the top Mumbai business hotels. The Hyatt Regency, ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton, the InterContinental The Lalit Mumbai and Le Royal Meridien all exist happily cheek-by-jowl. The Airport Centaur (now Sahara Star), The Orchid, and The Leela Kempinski were among the first to set up shop in this area.
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| Jazz by the Bay: music and meals |
This location is a 20-minute drive from the Bandra Kurla complex, a prime business district in Mumbai. Bandra Kurla's success has been due to its proximity to the large suburban residential area and to the airport. The disadvantage of this location is that your trip will have to be limited to pure business. Here, there is little nightlife and no place of tourist interest. Expect no scenic views. The only visual relief is at The Leela and Renaissance, with greener surroundings – and at The Orchid, which serves up a teasing airport runway view.
Bandra Kurla is a recent wonder and property prices here are higher than South Mumbai's Nariman Point, which has been the focal point for business for over 20 years. If you are on a business trip that involves Nariman Point or adjoining areas like Worli and Prabhadevi, don't think twice – head south. The Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai (managed by Oberoi), The Oberoi Mumbai, the InterContinental, the Ambassador and Hotel Marine Plaza are located here. This is ideal hunting ground for the better Mumbai business hotels.
A short distance away, overlooking the Gateway of India, is the characterful old world Taj Mahal Palace and Tower (the Tower providing the modern high-rise next to the historic heritage wing). The Tower Wing reopened in late December 2008 after a brief shutdown following the Mumbai terror attacks. The old heritage wing remains closed for repair and redecoration. Also run by Taj Hotels is the Taj President at Cuffe Parade, the Taj Lands End in Bandra, and the new executive apartments Taj Wellington Mews, where the penthouse costs a staggering Rs1 million per month.
Most hotels along Marine Drive (also known as Queen's Necklace for the nighttime view with the street lights sweeping around the bay) have breathtaking complete or partial seafront views. The area is a casual evening hangout especially at sunset as the skies light up some vintage art deco buildings.
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| Chic Koyla restaurant in Colaba |
The area around the Gateway of India, behind Taj Mahal Palace, is bursting with British colonial buildings, as is the adjacent Kala Ghoda art district, which houses the city's museum, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly known as The Prince of Wales Museum of Western India (www.bombaymuseum.org), and libraries and art galleries like the National Gallery of Modern Art and the adjacent Jehangir Art Gallery. The area is teeming with shops (at Colaba Causeway), nightlife and good food.
You also get to see the 'tourist police' in yellow jeeps taking rounds of this circuit.
The ITC Grand Central at Parel is the first major international foray into central Mumbai. The structure was built from bricks imported from Malaysia, but what makes it so striking is the backdrop of derelict textile mills. This project signals change, and for the better, as a catalyst to development. Proceeds from the land being made available for commercial use will help alleviate Maharashtra state's debt burden, which stands at over US$2 billion. Parel has in fact come a long way and trendy offices are sprouting everywhere.
When it comes to hotel gripes the common charge has been poor customer service and exorbitant prices. Service however, is improving, as are amenities. Take the InterContinental for instance – eight different types of pillows to choose from touchpad lights, laptop-friendly safes with charging sockets and free wireless Internet service.
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| Some of the road hazards around |
The JW Marriott's special pool with minerals flown in all the way from the Dead Sea ensures a dip here will save you the need for a tiresome facial. The equipment at the Hyatt gyms is state-of-the-art – treadmills with televisions, air blowers and radios. Staff are a well-trained and pleasant lot.
The older hotels are playing catch-up too. The 23-year-old Leela Kempinski has renovated, the Sun-n-Sand has upgraded, and Eastern International Hotel (formerly known as Holiday Inn Mumbai) is a spruced-up Juhu Beach address that reopens mid 2009.
If you have time to kill, pick up the fortnightly Time Out, or the afternoon daily Mid-Day. Both have busy what's-on pages and with 25 films screened a day this could be your tryst with Bollywood. There are over 1,000 theatrical performances at any given time, plenty of art exhibitions and live music performances. It's hard to do it all in the "city that never sleeps", a cliché yes, but one that nevertheless rings true in Mumbai.
Taxis, trains, and getting around Mumbai
Given the extraordinary population pressure with 18 million inhabitants the city runs a pretty "efficient" railway, but this is not recommended for a visiting businessman or tourist. The heaving carriages carry six million passengers daily on a narrow but long north-south run. Peak time hours, around 9am and 9pm, are sardine time. In the midst of this scrum, tailors, vegetable sellers, button-wallahs, and fisherwomen loudly hawk their wares.
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| Mumbai University |
Need a screwdriver? No problem. This is a department store on wheels. Sweaty but effective. If you insist on plunging in, opt for a "first-class" journey that on the Western Railway costs a maximum of about Rs320 one way.
Air-conditioned coaches with automatic doors have been proposed but these are not expected anytime soon. The city has an efficient and extensive system of double and single-decker buses. Very civilized by Indian standards but most visitors will sensibly opt for cabs.
Taxis have meters, largely for decoration, as drivers, especially those hanging around outside hotels, prefer to negotiate a fixed rate. If you opt for this, a cross-town ride from say the Gateway of India in the south to Bandra in the north will set you back around Rs250-Rs300. Or opt for private taxis – try out a Meeru Cab (tel: 4422 4422 or www.merucabs.com). You can call an hour before your day starts and they’ll be there. Most Mumbaikars (as local residents are termed) use these cabs. The meter starts at Rs15.
Mumbai business hotels near the International Airport
The properties surveyed here are just a 15-minute taxi ride from the airport and an air-conditioned cab will cost about Rs130. The Hyatt Regency is one of the finest. Its rooms are contemporary – with oval glass side tables and large cushioned headboards. Expect seven down-filled pillows, and three apples by your bedside. The hotel is popular for its sunken bathrooms, pressure showers, and fancy toiletries. Try a body scrub at the health club. At around US$70 this is relatively expensive but relaxing.
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| Leela Mumbai pool |
The H-shaped ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton has popular Executive and "ITC1" rooms. Expect a "Welcome Slumber" by your bedside – a set of cotton balls and a band to cover your eyes. ITC1 rooms offer a pleasant view of the open-air swimming pool.
Silk bolsters and Internet access are some of the inducements. The ITC however, is more famous for its restaurants – seven at this property, that offer everything from pan-Asian and Indian to Continental. Do check out their Cigar & Malt Lounge.
Le Royal Meridien, the third in this cluster of high-end Mumbai business hotels, is shoehorned in and shares a boundary wall with the Hyatt Regency. The feel is English, the interiors replicating a British palace. At about US$400, its fourth-floor Royal Club offers a personal butler service and a free Mercedes pick-up. Expect a small soft toy on your bed and yellow floating plastic ducks beside the bathtub for added distraction or in case you lack company for the night.
InterContinental The Lalit Mumbai (formerly the InterContinental The Grand) has a grand atrium lobby with two capsule lifts. A deluxe room is a tad steep but is negotiable to "The Leela Kempinski prices". Expect three fluffy pillows and bath accessories from Kushmi Cosmetics. The Bollywood Lounge opens early at 7.30pm and gains momentum by 10pm, continuing into the wee hours of morning. There is also a midnight buffet but the main course menu is limited.
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| Historic Gateway of India |
The 11-acre 423-room The Leela Kempinski also has one of the largest shopping areas with everything from carpets and an art gallery, to jewellery and barbershop. Its rooms, although spacious, are in need of overhaul. Privilege Club guests are offered complimentary butler service and the Bling lounge bar is a popular draw. The rooms at The Royal Club offer a cocooned hotel-within-a-hotel environment.
Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Centre is set on 15 acres of prime turf, nestled behind the scenic Powai lake and the Borivali National Park. As is evident in the name, the place is a popular address among Mumbai conference hotels with a ballroom capacity of 1,750 seated and, at a pinch, up to 7,000 people. It is also the only significant hotel that serves the Navi Mumbai area. A fresh purple orchid greets you in the room and bath. Junior Suites get a fax machine and an ironing board with a steam iron. Its health club area includes tables for billiards and table tennis. The approach road from the city however is crazily crowded and you can spend well over an hour reaching there. On the up side, this is the only hotel where guests pay no taxes as the hotel enjoys a tax holiday from the government.
Farther on towards Navi Mumbai, more hotels are in the pipeline to cater for the up-coming Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The Park, Navi Mumbai is an urban getaway a one-hour drive from the domestic airport. Located in the Belapur CBD, rooms range from Rs10,000 to Rs19,000. All rooms have LCD TV screens and high speed wired Broadband.
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| Grand Hyatt Exec Suite/ photo: hotel |
Mumbai business hotels around the Domestic Airport
The Grand Hyatt Mumbai at Kalina is a 15-minute drive from the domestic airport. The rooms here are similar to the Hyatt Regency's, though elegant jute furniture lends it a more businesslike atmosphere. Both the Hyatts are top-end five-stars. A few cuts above, the Grand Hyatt also offers executive apartments. The good news is both are among a handful of hotels that have in-room safes large enough to accommodate a laptop.
The Grand Hyatt Mumbai is a sprawling, elegant, straight-lined, beige-stone affair. Light streams in from all directions setting off a huge collection of commissioned art that adorns walls and passageways. Much of it is pretty striking. This vibrancy carries through to the service, which is brisk and attentive. There is an elevated garden courtyard to catch the rays (if you're not running from them), an eye-catching and cooling waterfall, fountains and cosy lounging areas for business or pleasure. The Grand Hyatt Mumbai is one of the best Mumbai business hotels with a great location near the airports. Do check out China House, their bar with upbeat pumping music.
The Orchid is an eco hotel that is singularly concerned about energy waste and the environment. The swimming pool is on the terrace to cool the air-conditioners below, thus saving energy. A central waterfall in the lobby brings down water from the air-conditioners. The rooms are green in colour and a small herbal pillow is kept in each room. Flowers here aren't cut, and whole plants are kept in all nooks and crannies. Complimentary fruit has to be asked for to avoid wastage. The hotel provides no safes in its rooms.
Just at the turning to the domestic airport find the Sahara Star (formerly known as The Airport Centaur), the flagship hotel of Sahara India Pariwar. Choose from their planetary rooms where doubles start from around Rs18,000.
Mumbai business hotels in the suburbs
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| Four Seasons Mumbai in Worli/ photo: hotel |
A taxi ride to any hotel in this area from the International airport costs about Rs200. The oldest in this area is the Sun-n-Sand; its pool has featured in many '70s Bollywood films, though after extensive renovation it hardly resembles the original. About 50 percent of the rooms face the sea.
The JW Marriott Mumbai is among the popular Mumbai business hotels. Occupancy on a bad day is still in the high seventies. The staff is friendly. Enigma, the snazzy lounge bar, is a popular draw with the smart set. The rooms are small but they have an appealingly large bed. The hotel also has boasts the largest coffee shop in Mumbai. A little further is the Ramada Plaza Palm Grove, also part of the Marriott brand. Most rooms have an angular view of the sea and are comparatively large, but the minibar with just mineral water, soft drinks and a few chocolates is very limited indeed. The suite is large and provides a DVD player. Storage space is neatly concealed behind a sliding glass door and the bathtub has a Jacuzzi attached.
Moving in the general direction of Bandra, known to many as the “Queen of the Suburbs”, you have the Taj Lands End that stands tall above a bandstand next to Bandra Fort, overlooking the upcoming Bandra-Worli sea link (soon to connect the island with the suburbs and help ease traffic congestion).
Also in Bandra, on Pali Hill, is the reasonably priced Executive Enclave, good for brief not-too-demanding business trips. Rooms start from Rs5,500 and suites from Rs8,500 – astonishingly reasonable by any stretch of the imagination. Rooms are generous in size and have the usual mod-cons, if not the fancy variety, and the lights are on the dim side. It’s close to Pali Market and for a quick bite you can walk or jump into the rattling auto rickshaws down to a string of Chinese, Indian, and even Italian restaurants. Authentic crunchy Mumbai savouries like “pani puri” and “sev puri” are sold here by the cartload. Bandra is typically known for its crowded winding streets, heritage bungalows, churches and the Parsi fire-temple. Wander by Mount Mary's Basilica if you have time.
Central and South Mumbai business hotels
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| Taj Mahal Palace is closed/ photo: hotel |
In the former textile-mill area of Parel, in Central Mumbai, is the distinctive brick tower of the ITC Grand Central, Mumbai, with its 242 rooms (starting at 310sq ft). Executive Club rooms serve up large work desks, a sitting area, and access to endless cocktails and munches. ITC One rooms on the higher floors offer butlers and personalised service along with a rooftop lounge, The Point of View. To unwind, pop into the Grand Spa.
The south is where most of the business travel and entertainment action still is. The best hotels in this area are the characterful 100-year-old Taj, The Oberoi Mumbai, and the Trident Nariman Point. These hotels were at the centre of a tragic hostage drama 26-28 November 2008. All suffered extensive damage by explosives and fire and are closed for repair and rebuilding, though the Taj Tower Wing at Gateway of India resumed operation in late December along with the Trident. A ride from the international airport to South Mumbai costs upwards of Rs450 by air-conditioned cab.
The eight-floor InterContinental Marine Drive, Mumbai, is small with just 59 rooms and suites, but its services are excellent. Rooms reek of German technology with sensor locks, touchpad lights, remote-controlled blinds, and fax machines. Broadband access is available and wireless Internet is free. All rooms sport Bose speakers, music system and DVD player – apart from free access to a library of movies. Each room has eight different types of pillows to choose from. The mini-bar sports everything from Brut, wines and Red Bull to Bacardi, Pringles chips and savoury local snacks from Haldiram’s. The hotel has access to 120 international newspapers and will download a copy on request. Three types of bath salts and an electronic weighing machine are kept in its bathroom. Corner suite guests are offered a free welcome massage too. After hours, check out the bar. It’s a trendy watering hole. Also check out the rooftop Dome restaurant and pool area, from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of Marine Drive (Queen’s Necklace). This is a quality Mumbai business hotel.
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| Boutique choice, Gordon House/ photo: hotel |
The thirty-something Taj President with 300 rooms is located in Cuffe Parade. The Lady Executive Suite has bath accessories from Biotique including cleansing milk, a honey gel, conditioner and foam bath. Ladies are attended to by female staff and can check out visitors at the door on a videophone. Pink bathrobes and slippers complete the array. Their best rates start from about US$300. Check out the newly opened high-octane bar, WINK. Doubling as a restaurant-cum–bar from 6.30pm to 1am, it offers signature specials like the Winitini (wasabi martini).
At 5 Battery Street, Apollo Bunder in Colaba, South Mumbai, you’ll find the refreshingly different Mumbai boutique hotel The Gordon House Hotel. The place is clean and bright and features room types ranging from Mediterranean in ochre, yellow and white, to stark, minimalist Scandinavian. They have digs near the International airport (and in Pune) too. All Stir Fry is their signature restaurant while Polly Esther’s is a hopping nightspot with dancing.
The Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai is well located in Worli. The hotel overlooks the sea and offers in-room DVD players, fax machines on request, hypoallergenic pillows and satellite TV. The Spa at Four Seasons dishes out all manner of Ayurveda and there’s an outdoor pool. Need cell phones and digital cameras? No problem – head to the Business Centre. The Four Seasons is setting new benchmarks among top-drawer Mumbai business hotels with a quality product and service to match.
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| Victoria Terminus |
The Ambassador has the only restaurant with a revolving restaurant in Mumbai. Called the Pearl of the Orient, it takes 90 minutes for the restaurant to complete one rotation. Executive rooms here are less pricy than some. Bathrobes are available on request, the minibar stocks no hard alcohol and the health centre is small and limited.
At Hotel Marine Plaza, the view from the executive suite is sea facing. The mini-bar stocks Swiss chocolates and a bottle of Smirnoff among others. Guests are offered a glass of fresh juice upon check-in along with cookies and chocolates. Some rooms however show signs of wear and tear and furniture is in need of overhaul.
Mumbai guesthouses and budget hotels
There are many cheap guest houses around Colaba – in fact, every third building offers some kind of accommodation. The best Mumbai budget hotels to explore would be the Sea Green Hotel or Chateau Windsor along Marine Drive. At around US$50 per day, they offer you a television with cable service, a balcony view, and at Sea Green you also get a minibar. No fancy services though, and no carpeted floors. Simple but adequate – just aircon rooms with modern bathrooms, satellite TV and electronic safes. Are you hankering after those pink bath slippers and five kinds of gel?
Mumbai nightlife for beginners
Night is when Mumbai really starts hopping. If you're in south Mumbai try Prive (tel: 2202-8700, 2285-2767) for some hip-shaking club music. Polyester (tel: 2287-1122) serves up nostalgic '80s song and dance. In South Mumbai’s Colaba, visit the pricey high-ceiling two-floor Indigo (tel: 2285-6316), voted among 60 top restaurants in the world. The restaurant serves spicy Thai and Oriental food. Try out sushi at Tetsuma (tel: 2287-6578), situated in the uptown district of Colaba behind Radio Club. The restaurant flaunts an extensive selection of sake and its wine cellar boasts over 3,000 bottles of wine from around the world. Try the Indigo Deli (tel: 6655-1010, ground floor, 5 Pheroza Building, Chattrapati Shivaji Maharishi Road, Apollo Bunder), a cheaper “Indigo” spin-off serving European cuisine.
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| Hanging out at Marine Drive |
Try Gaylords (tel: 2282-1259) at Colaba too. An established bar since 1942, it has two levels with a mezzanine-floor bar and the menu card here is reasonably priced. For a fun, alfresco experience not far from the Taj, Koyla (tel: 6636-9999), is a hookah bar and restaurant where white tents flap in the breeze amidst leafy vegetation and lots of cosy low sofas and cushioned corners. Good mix of music, mood and food. Dome (tel: 3987-9999) is an open-air cocktail lounge at the InterContinental, Marine Drive. After a heavy meal get your dancing shoes out and drop into Czar at the lobby level of the hotel.
Henry Thams, Colaba, open from 12noon to 4pm and 7pm to 12.30am is a great restaurant–bar playing house, retro or rock depending on the night.
Not Just Jazz by the Bay (tel: 2285-1876) at Marine Drive is filled with jazz memorabilia and has live music on Sunday and Monday nights. This is a trendy hangout – drop in late. There's a pizzeria just outside too. Chopsticks (Chinese tel: 2649-9009) just across the road seems to have lost some of its flavour. In the general vicinity try Jahangir Café for food and art, Khyber (Indian tel: 2648-9315), or the enduring street-side tandoori barbecue favourite Bade Miya just behind the Taj. Roll up your sleeves if you're feeling adventurous. Visit Geoffrey's (tel: 2285-1212) at Marine Plaza for an English pub experience (on weekday evenings it morphs into a bachelor pad).
Try out Mumbai’s very own Hard Rock Café (tel: 2438-2888) situated in Worli. Their popular "special" nights with a live band are every Tuesday and Thursday. Next door is Shiro (tel: 2438-3008) a restaurant lounge known for its Asian finger-foods and some of the best cocktails in the city. Spend your time at the swanky High Street Phoenix, one of the most exciting places to be – it's a shopper's paradise, a gaming zone and an eating junction. It has everything to keep you kicking the whole day. Morning or evening, you'll find this place bustling with activity.
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| Grand Hyatt: art is everywhere |
Recently opened is Salt Water Cafe at Bandra West (tel: 2643-4441/ 3271-0520) that runs all day serving Continental fare. White (tel: 6612-0009, 6513-3177) is a bar lounge and restaurant at Phoenix mills. It's pretty expensive but worth it if you’ve decided to spend all your money at one place in just one night. Also in this Lower Parel area is RA (tel: 6661-4343/ 6661-4360).
Blue Frog (tel: 4033-2300 or www.bluefrog.co.in) is a restaurant, bar and pub in the Mathuradas Mill compound on Tulsi Pipe Road, Lower Parel, Mumbai. Housed in a 6,000 square foot defunct warehouse in Lower Parel, the club blends good acoustics with lush decor offering live performances six nights a week, with international artists featured regularly. Genres of music range from jazz, blues, funk, soul and afro/latin to electronic, club, and rock.
The Olive Bar & Kitchen (tel: 2605-8228) in the busy residential suburb of Bandra serves Italian cuisine and is popular with models and Bollywood stars. Olive also has the Olive Bar & Kitchen at the Amateur Riders Club, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Gate No. 8. Zenzi Bar (tel: 5643-0670) also in Bandra, has a glass-panelled, wood-floored lounge that serves French, Thai, Japanese and Indonesian cuisine. A must-have is their Chinese Box. Penne, the restaurant-lounge bar is popular in Juhu while Aurus (tel: 6710-6666), is a restaurant-bar cum lounge in Juhu. The place enjoys nice sea views and serves up a high-priced but tasty Continental menu. Next door is the Vie Lounge and Deck (tel: 2660-3003 / 2660-9242). It has an outdoor deck and bar complete with a barbecue grill, a fine dining restaurant and an exclusive members lounge. For some thumping music to set the night afloat check out Poison Lounge (tel: 2642-3311). This is a bar-pub-nightclub on Waterfield Road, Bandra West. Closer to the Airport is China House (tel: 66761086) bar lounge at the Grand Hyatt Kalina and Hi Lounge at Sahara Star, near the domestic airport.
In Andheri West do drop in at Firangi Paani (tel: 26744144) bar-pub at Fun Republic, Level 3, opposite Laxmi Industrial Estate. Firangi Paani has been modelled on an old style British pub.
Whatever you do, however late it gets, however much your date squeals, there's just one cardinal injunction. NO ICE in your drinks. And always, always, drink mineral water.
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