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By Root 2147 0

neutral shades with lots of blonde wood (bordering on that insipid Scandinavian look), rooms have gleaming marble floors, large comfy beds, and good granite showers; definitely worth the extra $10 are the deluxe units, which are positively huge and they have wonderful bay windows from where you get to watch the scene below (although these rooms also get a bit more noise)—the higher up you go, the more of the neighborhood you see. Don’t get too excited—there’s no pool, and the receptionists can be a bit ditsy (or rude, depending on their mood)—but the location and the relative luxury compared to the sucky dregs down the road (we’re referring to the Godwin and Garden, chief offenders hereabouts), make this a winner; it’s also a better bet than overpriced Gordon House.

38 Garden Rd., Colaba, Mumbai 400 039. 022/6638-5566. Fax 022/6638-5555. www.ascothotel.com. 25 units. Rs 6,000 superior double, Rs 6,500 deluxe double; Rs 8,000 suite. Rates include breakfast; 10% tax extra. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; airport transfers (Rs 900); room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, fridge, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).

Inexpensive

If you can’t get a room at Suba Palace (reviewed below), and you really want to be in Colaba, you may want to consider one more incredibly cheap, decent option worth noting is Bentley’s Hotel (17 Oliver Rd., Colaba; 022/2284-1474 or -1733; www.bentleyshotel.com; bentleyshotel@hotmail.com), which has old, threadbare accommodations with enough character and antique furniture to make them livable. You can get a room with wooden floors, a balcony, air-conditioning, and an attached bathroom for Rs 2,360; be warned that at least several days’ advance reservation might be necessary.

Hotel Suba Palace What a difference good management can make. Here’s an example of a small, excellent value place that’s really improved over the years, steadily enhancing the quality of the rooms and the services offered—without disproportionately hiking its prices. Despite being a rather nondescript hotel with a side-street location and total absence of views, it’s close to all the Colaba action, and very close to the Gateway of India and Taj Mahal palace hotel. Rooms are neat as a pin, and have undergone a refreshing makeover leaving them looking very smart and businesslike (gleaming floors, thick mattresses, plasma TVs, and a fresh coat of paint), despite being quite compact; they also benefit from double-glazed windows. It may not offer character, but this is a top choice for the astute budget-conscious traveler—there’s even free Wi-Fi, and you can hire a laptop if you didn’t bring your own. A great little secret.

Near Gateway of India, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai 400 039. 022/2202-0636 or 022/2288-5444. Fax 022/2202-0812. www.hotelsubapalace.com. info@hotelsubapalace.com. 49 units. Rs 3,700 double; Rs 600 extra person. Rates include breakfast; 10% tax and 10% service charge extra. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; airport transfers (Rs 1,000); room service. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer (on request), minibar (with soft drinks), Wi-Fi (free).

CHURCHGATE

Technically incorporating the southern portion of Marine Drive, Churchgate is a narrow stretch of prime real estate stretching between the vast Oval and Cross maidans (parklands) and Back Bay. Found here are several cricket stadia, including world famous Wankhede, and the southernmost terminal of the Western Railway, Churchgate station.

Moderate

Just a few minutes’ drive from both Colaba and Marine Drive is West End Hotel (45 New Marine Lines, next to Bombay Hospital; 022/2203-9121; www.westendhotelmumbai.com; Rs 4,300 double), a good midrange option with a retro ’70s ambience that’s entirely unironic (in fact, the hotel is much older than you’d think). Most of the rooms (which are large and spotlessly clean) have renovated bathrooms, and it’s the old-fashioned furniture and decor that makes this such a quaint, charming place to stay. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the staff can be so very obliging. If you don’t mind the sometimes hectic daytime noise drifting up from bustling New Marine