India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (60 page)

Balraj Sahani Marg, Juhu Beach, Mumbai 400 049.
022/6693-4444.
Fax 022/66934455.
www.novotel.com
. [email protected]. 203 units, all with shower only. Rs 7,500 standard double; Rs 8,500 premium double; Rs 18,000–Rs 25,000 suite. Rates include breakfast and airport transfers; 10% tax extra. AE, DC MC, V.
Amenities:
4 restaurants, lounge, bar; free airport transfers; children’s play area; concierge; health club and spa; large outdoor pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV with media hub, hair dryer, minibar, MP3-docking station (in premium rooms), Wi-Fi (free in premium rooms; otherwise Rs 400/hr.).

Inexpensive

Without suggesting a major lifestyle change, an excellent choice for bargain-hunters is Juhu’s
ISKCON Ashram
(Hare Krishna Land, Juhu;
022/2620-6860;
www.iskconmumbai.com
; [email protected]), which has simple, clean rooms in the guesthouse attached to the very popular Hare Krishna temple. It’s definitely the cheap (Rs 2,995 for an air-conditioned double, including tax) and cheerful (rooms are spacious, clean, and have balconies) nonhotel alternative for visitors open to a bit of a cultural experience (although you won’t be asked to join the Krisna Consciousness movement, you can watch the crowds thronging to the temple), and you have the added incentive of laying claim to the fabulous vegetarian meals served at the adjoining restaurant, Govinda’s (see review).

NEAR THE AIRPORTS

The reasons for staying here are obvious, but it seems a pity to hole up in these cocoons when The Taj Mahal Palace, Four Seasons, and Oberoi beckon from the south.

Expensive

The Gordon House Suites
This quirky (and in many respects, gimmicky and kitsch) hotel near the international airport will come as a shock to anyone expecting straight-laced business-geared luxury. Here, the designer was clearly given free reign to play and experiment; so, like the original Gordon House in Colaba, rooms are themed and there’s substantial drama in just about every choice of color, texture, furniture and fitting—they’re far and away the most fun rooms in Mumbai. The most exciting units are probably the red “Fire” rooms, which evoke warmth and passion, the ice-cool “Glacier” rooms, and the “Marine” rooms with their aquamarine ceilings and white marble floors—other units suffer from baroque overkill. Apart from the loud colors in some units, rooms are quiet, and very comfortable, with fat mattresses and gorgeous white linens; we love the glass-wall showers, too. Although at press time there are still encroaching slums (which apparently are being cleared to make way for more high-rise luxury), the hotel itself features landscaped gardens with fountains, waterfalls and pools. At least you won’t be bored while you recover from your flight.

Off International Airport Approach Rd., Marol, Andheri (E), Mumbai 400 059.
022/4090-6633.
Fax 022/4090-6632.
www.ghhotel.com
. 102 units. Rs 18,000 double; Rs 29,000 suite; Rs 1,500 extra person. Rates include breakfast; 10% tax extra. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
3 restaurants, lounge, bar; free airport transfers; concierge; country club and spa with gym, outdoor Jacuzzi, Olympic-size pool, sauna, and tennis courts (club access Rs 2,000 per room); DVD library; room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, hair dryer, heated towel rack, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 150/hr.; Rs 600/day).

Grand Hyatt Mumbai
This happens to be one of Mumbai’s vibiest accommodation choices, practically always abuzz with a diverse crowd. Somehow, though, the enormously scaled interiors mean that you never feel overwhelmed by guest numbers, and the high staff-to-guest ratio means that there’s just about always someone taking care of you. We especially appreciate the smiling faces in the fabulous Celini restaurant where breakfast is served. Guestrooms are smart, sleek, utterly comfortable, and the entire hotel is done out like a Modern art gallery—plenty of quirky and appealing pieces by contemporary Indian artists, and staff even conduct tours of the exhibition. Finally, because it’s so close to the city’s main arterial highway, access to the city (or the suburbs) is not nearly as cumbersome as it is if you’re based right at the international airport; when first built a few years back, it was thought that the hotel stood in the middle of nowhere—now the area is transforming into an important, planned business hub, with this very grand hotel at its heart.

Off Western Express Hwy., Santa Cruz (East), Mumbai 400 055.
022/6676-1234.
Fax 022/6676-1235.
www.mumbai.grand.hyatt.com
. Rs 14,000 Grand double; Rs 15,500 Club double; Rs 18,500–Rs 80,000 suite. Rates include breakfast; no extra taxes.
Amenities:
4 restaurants, bar, poolside bar (seasonal), gourmet store, lounge; airport transfers (Rs 1,200–Rs 1,500); art tours (of in-house collection and changing exhibitions); ATM; concierge; executive level floors with butler service; health club and spa with jogging track, 2 pools, basketball, beach volleyball, yoga, tennis court, whirlpool bath, and saunas; room service; spa. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, Internet (broadband; Rs 500/hr.; Rs 1,100/day), minibar.

Hyatt Regency
As is the case with most any airport hotel, the only reason to book here is as a transit passenger, and as such the Hyatt comes up trumps. You will be picked up from the airport, and swept away for the 5-minute drive to the hotel. You arrive to a huge space almost always abuzz with arriving and departing travelers, including scores of airline staff. The sleek (and most important, silent) guest rooms deliver every comfort, with a judicious use of space, imaginative lighting, and smart fittings. One entire wall is a mirror, floors are Malaysian teakwood, desks are swivel-top slabs of glass, and the televisions are flatscreen. White-marble bathrooms offer a choice between large rain showers or separate step-down bathtubs—a welcome treat after a long plane journey. The
Club Prana spa
is a popular pre- and postflight venue.