WHAT’S IT LIKE? An entirely new 16-storey building opened in 2008, housing the hotel’s premium accommodation and adding an extra 300 units to the previous room total of 283. The new tower is behind the existing main building and accessed through glass doors off the lobby and through a curving corridor with one side of glass and the other of purplish streaked marble, known as “Jasper Jazz”, from Madhya Pradesh. The effect is dramatic.
WHERE IS IT? The hotel is located north of the city near Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in a self-contained enclave off the main road. This helps to maintain the sense of being “away from it all”, which conference planners or those just wanting a quiet weekend will relish.
With last year’s dramatic terrorist attacks on Mumbai, the hotel, as with other city hotels, has taken extraordinary security precautions, installing retractable steel bollards on the driveway and using sniffer dogs for vehicle inspections. At the hotel entrance, a scanner, like those used at airports, is used.
ROOM FACILITIES The wide bay window of my 34sqm Deluxe Lake View Room (pictured above), facing the mirror-like expanse of water, instantly caught my eye when I entered. I was irresistibly drawn to the serene tableau of lush greenery and water – who would have expected such a blessing in congested Mumbai?
A lack of clutter and clean design made it easy for me to settle in. The spacious bathroom, also with a large window, ensured that I never missed out on the outdoor panorama. The bed was a king, but there are twins/singles as well. Beddings follow the Revive Bed standard set by Marriott, Renaissance’s mother company.
Set beside the window, with one’s back to the light (a wise move as facing the lake might prove too distracting, we think), the workdesk is fitted out with the trademark “Jackpack” connection system also patented by Marriott. Internet access – wired or Wi-Fi – is charged at INR500 (US$11) hourly or INR900 (US$19) for 24 hours.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS Fratelli Fresh, offering Italian cuisine with a twist, is new and located on the Tower’s ground floor, along with the adjacent Wine Bar with its large tasting table. Seating at Fratelli’s is for 150, while the bar takes in 58. Wine by the glass is INR500 (US$11) to INR1,200 (US$25).
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The 1,161sqm Executive Lounge on the 36th floor of the Tower is out of the ordinary. Following Marriott’s concept of the “Great Room”, it is divided into various zones – cosy meeting corners, boardrooms, a workstation area, media wall, library, central bar, terrace and even a foot reflexology room. Wi-Fi access is free. The lounge is open from 6am to midnight.
Club Floor residents are allowed to entertain a maximum of two guests at the lounge, but they will have to pay an access fee of INR500 (US$11) as well as their consumables.
Complementing the hotel is a convention centre spread across 21,160sqm of indoor and outdoor space, again facing Powai Lake. Besides the Grand Ballroom, there are an additional 15 meeting rooms to use. A business centre is located on the lower lobby level.
LEISURE FACILITIES The gym, swimming pool and spa are found in the main building.
VERDICT This is a genuine urban oasis in an extremely congested metropolis. Thanks to the large windows, nature is never far from one’s view.
FACT FILE
HOW MANY ROOMS? The Renaissance Tower consists of 280 Deluxe Rooms (including those on the Executive Floors), four Duplex Suites, 13 Premier Suites, one Executive Suite and one Renaissance Suite. Executive Floors occupy levels 31 to 35. The main wing offers 269 Superior Rooms, 12 Junior Suites, one Executive Suite, one Renaissance Suite and the Presidential Suite. Views are a choice of Powai Lake with the skyline of the Hiranandani area or hillside. Two rooms are for the physically challenged.
ROOM HIGHLIGHTS The fantastic view of a serene body of water surrounded by lush vegetation and the fact that the room is lodged in a newly created structure with innovative facilities, notably the multipurpose Executive Lounge on the 36th floor.
PRICE Internet rates for a mid-December stay started from INR9,500 (US$202) per night in an entry-level Deluxe Hill View Room in the Tower Wing.
CONTACT #2 & 3B near Chinmayanand Ashram, Powai, Mumbai 400087, tel 91 22 6692 7777, www.renaissancehotels.com
Margie T Logarta
