India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [116]
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.
Sahar Airport Rd., Mumbai 400 099. 022/5696-1234. Fax 022/5696-1235. www.hyatt.com. 401 units. The hotel operates a rate of the day pricing policy; the following are indicative: Rs 7,500 Hyatt room double; Rs 10,500 Regency Club double; Rs 14,500 junior suite; Rs 17,500. Regency Club and suite rates include breakfast, airport transfers, and Internet access. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: 3 restaurants, lounge, pastry shop, bar and wine cellar; airport transfers (free for Regency Club rooms and suites, otherwise Rs 1,000); health club and spa; large outdoor pool; room service; squash courts; lighted tennis courts. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (free for Regency Club rooms and suites, otherwise Rs 550/2 hr.; Rs 1,100/day).
The Leela Kempinski After driving up a long, tree-lined driveway, you enter a vast incense-filled marble lobby—there’s flowing water, stone-carved