WHAT'S IT LIKE? Part of the Oberoi Group, this property was previously run under the name Hilton Towers as part of an alliance that saw Hilton manage seven Trident hotels in India. This came to an end last year, with Oberoi taking the properties back under its wing with the branding Trident Hotels. Located on Nariman Point, overlooking the Arabian Sea, the hotel is situated next to the Oberoi Mumbai, which is closed for renovations following the terrorist attacks late last year. Security has been stepped up at all of Mumbai’s hotels so it was no surprise that I had to go through a series of checks when entering the building.
WHERE IS IT? At the southern end of Marine Drive, also known as the Queen’s Necklace. If you are arriving from the airport, about an hour to the north, the hotel is just past the Air India Building and is about 2km from the Gateway of India monument.
ROOM FACILITIES Oberoi has recently refurbished more than 300 of the 550 rooms and added four floors of Club rooms. The remainder have benefited from a soft refurbishment, with the hotel planning to complete the work gradually, floor by floor. The refurbished rooms are split between Trident Club and Premier categories, the difference being that Club rooms have access to the Trident Club lounge and are located on the 28th-31st floors, providing superb views of the sea or bay area. Guests in these rooms also get butler service and airport transfers. The refurbished rooms feel bright and spacious, one of the main reasons being the glass-walled bathrooms, which create an illusion of extra space and allow guests to view the wall-mounted flatscreen TV while getting ready. The large workdesk has a table lamp and a compartment with various international power sockets, and there is wired and wifi internet access in all rooms (charged at Rs 20/27p per minute, up to a maximum of Rs 800/£10.50 for 24 hours). Blackout blinds are operated by a switch by the bedside. Bathrooms in Club rooms have a separate bath and shower, while in Premier rooms these are combined.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS The hotel has four options, located on the lobby and lower-lobby levels. The fine-dining restaurant, India Jones, is open for lunch and dinner and has more than 100 dishes spanning Japanese, Malaysian, Thai, Chinese and Indonesian cuisines. The all-day diner, Frangipani, offers a mixture of à la carte and buffet dishes as well as a wood-fired pizza oven. Opium Den is a stylish cocktail bar and Verandah is open 24 hours for light snacks.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The refurbishments have added meeting space on the top floor of the hotel, with nine rooms accommodating between six and 14 people and offering fantastic views of the bay, city and harbour. Other function rooms on this level include the Roof Top, capable of holding 175 people theatre-style or 200 for a reception. On the lower-lobby level is the Regal room, which takes up to 600 theatre-style or 700 for a reception. There are three other function spaces on this floor and several on the pool level.
LEISURE FACILITIES The pool, which overlooks the sea, is located on a plateau on the floor above the lobby. There are plenty of loungers around it. A set of stairs takes guests down from here to the Shanti spa and fitness centre, which has a relaxation area, a large gym with 27 pieces of equipment, a 50-inch flatscreen TV, and five treatment rooms.
VERDICT A modern hotel with comprehensive business and leisure facilities and a great location on Marine Drive.
HOW MANY ROOMS? There are 550, of which 148 are Superior, 94 are Deluxe Sea View, 59 are Premier, 116 are Premier Sea View, 93 are Trident Club rooms and 40 are suites.
ROOM HIGHLIGHTS The glass-walled bathrooms and the views of the Queen’s Necklace from some of the rooms.
PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in June started from Rs 9,350 (£127) for a Superior room.
CONTACT Trident Nariman Point; tel +91 22 6632 4343; tridenthotels.com
Mark Caswell
