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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.
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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 new facility at Navi Mumbai or New Bombay. 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.
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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. It costs Rs350 for a rattling small Fiat, or Rs450 (US$10, US$1=Rs46) for a non-rattling smaller aircon 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.
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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.
Around the domestic and international airports, 30 minutes apart, hotels have sprouted like mushrooms. The 547-room Grand Hyatt is the latest addition. The Hyatt Regency, ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton and 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. There is little nightlife, and no place of tourist interest. Expect no scenic view from the hotel. The only visual relief is at the Leela and the 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 Hilton, The Oberoi, the InterContinental, the Ambassador and Hotel Marine Plaza are located here. A short distance away, overlooking the Gateway of India, is the characterful old world Taj Mahal Palace and Tower (the Tower providing the newer modern highrise next to the historic heritage wing). Also run by Taj Hotels is the President at Cuffe Parade, the Taj Land's End in Bandra, and the new executive apartment Taj Wellington Mews where the penthouse costs a staggering Rs1 million per month.
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| Chic Koyla restaurant in Colaba |
Most hotels along Marine Drive (also known as Queen's Necklace for the night-time 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.
The area around the Gateway of India, near Taj Mahal Palace, is bursting with British colonial buildings, as is the adjacent Kala Ghoda art district, which houses the city's museum, library and art galleries. 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 occasional rounds of this circuit.
The most prominent new hotel in Mumbai is the ITC Towers in Worli. The structure is being 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 the Maharashtra state's debt burden, which stands at over US$2 billion.
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| Some of the road hazards around |
When it comes to hotel gripes, the common charge has been poor customer service and exorbitant prices. Service, however, is improving. And so are amenities. Take the InterContinental, for instance - eight different types of pillows to choose from, touch-pad lights, laptop-friendly safes with charging sockets, and free wireless Internet service. 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. A portion of the 22-year-old Leela Kempinski is under renovation, the Sun 'n' Sand has upgraded and the Holiday Inn is considerably spruced up. Solid and successful brands like Taj and the Oberoi hum along efficiently with attentive service and discreet touches.
If you have time to kill, pick the fortnightly Time Out for Rs25, 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.
Getting around Mumbai
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| Mumbai University |
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 times around 9am or 9pm are sardine time. In the midst of this scrum, tailors, vegetable sellers, button-wallahs , and fisherwomen hawk their wares. 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 Rs320, one way.
Airconditioned 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 civilised 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 Taj Mahal Palace in the south, to Bandra in the north, will set you back around Rs250-Rs300.
Business hotels (International Airport)
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| Leela Mumbai pool |
The properties surveyed here are just a 15-minute taxi ride from the airport and an airconditioned cab will cost about Rs130. The Hyatt Regency is one of the finest. Its rooms are contemporary - with oval glass sidetables 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.
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 complimentary Internet access for the first hour (charged at US$7 per hour beyond that) are some of the inducements. The ITC however, is more famous for its restaurants - seven at this property, that offer everything from Lebanese food with a belly dance to pan Asian, Indian and Continental.
The Royal Meridien, the third in this cluster, is shoe-horned in and shares a boundary wall with the Hyatt Regency. The feel is English, the interiors replicating a British palace. At US$370, 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 in case you lack company for the night.
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| Historic Gateway of India |
The InterContinental The Grand does have a grand atrium lobby with two capsule lifts. Occupancy was hovering at 50 percent when we looked in and the shopping area was yet to open. A deluxe room costs around US$300, but is negotiable to "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 . It continues till the wee hours of morning. There is also a midnight buffet, but the main course menu is limited.
The 11-acre 423-room The Leela Kempinski is undergoing partial renovation. Its shopping area is the largest around here, with everything from carpets and an art gallery, to jewellery and barbershop. Its spacious rooms are in need of overhaul. Privilege club guests are offered complimentary butler service and Zaha, the lounge bar, is a popular draw.
The Renaissance , set on 15 acres of prime turf, nestles behind the scenic Powai lake and the Borivali National Park . The hotel is largely used for conventions - it has the capacity to hold 1,750 seated, and at a pinch can manage 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 up to an hour-and-a-half reaching there. This is also the only hotel where guests pay no taxes - the hotel enjoys a tax holiday from the government.
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| Grand Hyatt Exec Suite/ photo: Hyatt |
Business hotels (Domestic Airport)
The Grand Hyatt 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 business-like atmosphere. Both the Hyatts are top-end five-stars. The Grand Hyatt also offers executive apartments. The good news is both are among a handful of hotels that have inroom 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 hotel choices with a great location near the airports.
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 airconditioners below, thus saving energy. A central waterfall in the lobby brings down water from the airconditioners. 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 have to be asked for - to avoid wastage. The hotel provides no safes in its rooms.
Mumbai Business hotels, Juhu
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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 Holiday Inn on the other hand has, a plain glass door entrance - nothing grand. Superior deluxe rooms cost upwards of US$200. The hotel is Wi-fi enabled and charges about Rs150 per hour. Apart from regular features, the minibar stocks cognac and champagne.
The JW Marriott is among the popular choices in Mumbai. Occupancy on a bad day is around 75 percent. 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 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 limited set of chocolates, is very limited indeed. A regular room costs about US$131, but on slow day is "negotiable by 25 percent". The Deluxe suite is priced at $228. The suite is large, and gives you access to a DVD player. Storage space is neatly concealed behind a sliding glass door, and the bathtub has a Jacuzzi attached.
Business hotels Mumbai, south
The south is where most of the action still is. The best hotels in this area are the Taj, The Oberoi, The Hilton and the InterContinental. A ride from the international airport till here costs about Rs450 by airconditioned cab.
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| Taj Mahal Palace: Old World charms |
The Taj Mahal Palace is over 100 years old. Together with the Towers , it offers about 546 rooms. The hotel recently spent millions to preserve the heritage wing's 100-year-old chandeliers. The high-ceiling rooms are arranged around a grand staircase, and charged depending on view (sea facing rooms are the costliest). The attractive refurbished top-line rooms feature a large plasma flat-screen TV (that doubles as a screen for a wireless Internet-enabled keyboard), a DVD player, a Compact Flash and SD card reader (a nifty device to get at your computer files in an instant - and on wide screen), a large bright toilet with rain shower and a quiet aircon whose the temperature controls actually work. Rooms have fax machines and the hotel is WiFi equipped. A wireless card for your laptop can be supplied. A classy and useful touch is the complimentary aqua - two LARGE bottles of mineral water each day. Ask for more if you need to. An airport pick-up costs about US$35 from domestic and around $40 from the international airport. The fifth and sixth floors are for Taj Club members, and these offer a fabulous sea view.
The Oberoi with 337 rooms and The Hilton (also managed by Oberoi under franchise) with its 547, stand at the far end of Marine Drive. The rooms are divided into sea facing, city facing and harbour facing. The Hilton minibar is extensive, with two foreign beers, two Indian, two mineral water bottles, four soft-drinks, whiskey and scotch bottles and a digestive. Rooms are provided with Herbline bath accessories, and aromatherapy soap. can cost anywhere from US$403 (executive) and $511 (deluxe), to $652 (special). Internet charges are about $7 per hour. Its Frangipani restaurant is famous for Italian cuisine and India Jones serves Oriental - including Cambodian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
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| Art is all around at the Grand Hyatt |
The eight-floor InterContinental is small with 59 rooms and suites, but its services are excellent. Rooms reek of German technology with sensor locks, touch-pad lights, remote controlled blinds, and fax machines. Broadband access is available and wireless Internet is free. All rooms sport Bose speakers, a music system and a DVD player - apart from free access to a library of movies. Each room has eight different types of pillows to choose from. The minibar 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 Tsar Bar, a trendy watering hole.
The over 30-year-old Taj President with 300 rooms, is located in Cuffe Parade. The lady executive suite costs US$153 with bath accessories from Biotique including cleansing milk, a honey gel, conditioner and foam bath. Lady guests are attended to by lady staff and can check out visitors at the door on a videophone. Pink bath robes and slippers complete the array. The executive rooms are large and prices start from $207. 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. There will also be spa services and an outdoor pool. Need cell phones and digital cameras? No problem. Head to the business centre.
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| Boutique choice, Gordon House/ photo: hotel |
The Ambassador is 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 priced at US$120. Bathrobes are available on request and the minibar stocks no hard alcohol. The health centre is small and limited.
At Hotel Marine Plaza , the view from the executive suite is sea facing. The minibar stocks Swiss chocolates and a bottle of Smirnoff among others. Guests are offered a glass of fresh juice on checking in, cookies and some chocolates. Some rooms however show signs of wear and tear and furniture is in need of overhaul.
Mumbai Guesthouses
There are many guesthouses around Colaba - in fact, every third building offers some kind of accommodation. The best budget places to explore would be at the Sea Green Hotel or Chateau Windsor along Marine Drive . At around US$44 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 unless you develop a hankering for those pink bath slippers and five kinds of gel.
Nightlife in Mumbai
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.
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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 - the menu card here is reasonably priced. For a fun alfresco experience not far from the Taj, wander up a few floors to the trendy rooftop Koyla (tel: 6636-9999), 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. A half-hour pull on a fruit-flavoured hookah will set you back just around Rs200. No worries, the nicotine content is a healthy 0.5 percent.
Try out Mumbai’s very own Hard Rock Café situated in Worli. Check out their "special" nights with a live band 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. Want to experience fine dining to the sound of waves, and the spray of salt? Try out Salt Water Grill, (tel: 2368-5485) on Marine Drive. Expect mouth-watering Euro-style grilled food, but you will need to reserve in advance. Dome (tel: 3987-9999) is an open-air cocktail lounge at the InterContinental hotel, Marine Drive. After a heavy meal get your dancing shoes out and drop into Czar at the lobby level of the hotel. Recently opened 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).
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) 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), or the enduring streetside 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). Mikano's (tel: 5660-6933), the discotheque at Lower Parel , has wide-open spaces, wooden floors and purple lights.
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| Taj Mahal Palace staircase |
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 while Zenzi Bar (tel: 5643-0670) also in Bandra has a glass-panelled, wood-floored lounge that serves French, Thai, Japanese and Indonesian cuisine. Another Bandra hot spot is Seijo & The Soul Dish (tel : 2640-5555) a restaurant-bar known for its southeast Asian cuisine. Do try their steaks. Rain (tel: 2623-9524) the restaurant-lounge bar is popular in Juhu, and serves New World cuisine. 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.
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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