India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [110]
Expensive
The Gordon House Hotel Set among a rash of rather ordinary old-fashioned hotels, Colaba’s most exuberantly styled hotel is perfect for those raring to have a good time. Unfortunately, it’s no longer the good deal it was when it opened, and a stay here means you’d better be prepared to put up with a lot of noise until very late at night. On the other hand, the themed guest rooms can be kind of fun: Best are the no-nonsense Scandinavian rooms (smart, contemporary units with parquet floors and sleek Ikea-style furniture, timber blinds, and black-and-white photographs). Mediterranean rooms are less severe (with bright blues and yellows, tiled floors, cane chairs, and cool aqua-toned bathrooms). But the feminine Country Floor is strictly for fans of pastels, floral, and patchwork designs. Be warned, too, that accommodations are small (if well proportioned), and bathrooms tiny. Trouble is, the nonstop thumping from the in-house nightclub tends to prevent you from getting a proper night’s sleep.
5 Battery St., Apollo Bunder, Colaba, Mumbai 400 039. 022/2289-4400. Fax 022/2289-4444. www.ghhotel.com. 29 units. $325 double; $525 Versailles Suite; $50 extra bed. Rates include breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; nightclub; airport transfers (Rs 2,000); free CD and DVD library; concierge; health club privileges; room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, CD, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 140/hr.; Rs 600/day).
Taj President A far-reaching overhaul of just about the entire hotel has rendered many of the rooms at this fine business hotel among the smartest in the city. Coupled with a range of features designed to make your stay that much more comfortable and ergonomic (from the lobby’s island-style check-in desk, to the sleek room layout), it may have been built for corporate types, but the great dining venues, superb Wink bar (see “Mumbai After Dark”), and an especially beautiful spa, mean that you can also have fun, relax and really kick back here. Besides which, the redesign of the deluxe premium rooms has rendered them among the most inspired-looking spaces in the city—fabulously cosseting rooms with beautiful parquet floors, textured wallpaper, raw silk blinds, rough granite bathrooms, and clever detailing, complemented by all-modern features, including a fab surround sound system; step into these rooms and you feel like you’re in a space that was created especially for you.
90 Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005. 022/6665-0808. Fax 022/6665-0365. www.tajhotels.com. president.mumbai@tajhotels.com. 292 units. Rs 16,000 executive double; Rs 18,000 deluxe double; Rs 20,000 deluxe premium; Rs 23,000 executive suite; Rs 27,000 deluxe suite; Rs 30,000 deluxe premium suite. Deluxe rooms and executive suites include breakfast. Rates exclude 10% tax. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: 3 restaurants including Thai Pavilion (see review) and Konkan Café (see review); pastry shop; bar; airport transfers (Rs 2,500); babysitting; concierge; health club and spa; large outdoor pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, fax (on request), hair dryer, minibar, MP3-compatible surround sound system (deluxe premium rooms), Wi-Fi (Rs 150/1⁄2hr.; Rs 650/day).
Moderate
Ascot Hotel Extensive refurbishment has transformed this vintage hotel (on a road lined with decaying vintage facades) into one of Mumbai’s best deals. Rooms here are not just comfortable and sleek, but far more spacious than you’ll find elsewhere in this part of town—even at twice the price. Styled in