Background
IHG Hotels & Resorts owns brands such as Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza and Intercontinental in India. Intercontinental Marine Drive is the first Intercontinental-branded hotel in India that opened in 2002.
What’s it like?
The hotel is all about understated luxury. The driveway leads to the entrance of the hotel where the staff promptly assists you with checkin. Temperature checks and sanitisation stations later, you’re in the grand lobby area. It was raining when I checked in and I was excited to spend the next day exploring this iconic Mumbai hotel. There is Atellier, its banquet hall that can accommodate upto 100 people on the ground level. Two elevators take you to the accommodation, restaurants and other spaces.
Where is it?
Right on Marine Drive, overlooking the Arabian Sea and the Marine Drive promenade. If you’ve ever been to Mumbai, you must have definitely crossed this hotel whilst crossing South Mumbai.
Rooms
The hotel has a total of 59 rooms and suites, with a majority of them facing the panoramic sea views. IHG Clean Promise is the hotel group’s signature initiative that ensures high levels of cleanliness and sanitation during your stay.
The room categories are – Standard rooms and suites. I stayed in this lovely Bay-view suite that overlooked a dramatic view of the Queen’s Necklace, the Arabian Sea, a part of the main road and a few buildings — making it the quintessential Mumbai view in my opinion. The best part was that the view spanned the area of the living room and bedroom which have been laid out in a very distinctive L-shaped fashion, giving the feel of a more open space.
The bathroom, laid with black marble, a separate bathtub and shower area with dual sinks and a sliding door felt quite luxurious. Agraria San Francisco’s bath amenities were provided. There are minimal design details that exude the spirit of Mumbai and the bed’s headboard is quite high adding another touch of luxe to the suite. The blue-upholstered couch and living space is by the window – a perfect spot for morning coffee or breakfast.
Food and drink
I was delighted by the spectrum of F&B at this hotel. Unfortunately its Indian outlet Kebab Korner was shut during my visit however room service did offer the restaurant’s dishes in in-room dining.
After checkin, my lunch was at L&S (Long & Short) where I enjoyed some pasta (penne) in tomato and garlic paprika sauce. The flavours were quite authentic and the tang of the sauce was just right. I also had iced tea with lunch. In the evening, I headed to its rooftop lounge – Dome – known for its exceptional vistas of the sea alongside its white-themed ambience and French windows. I had a nice French Malbec and soaked in the views in front of me.
For dinner and breakfast, I chose room service. The former was a decadent spread of Indian dishes from kakori kebabs, truffle cheese kulcha, black daal and butter chicken — an absolute treat for the soul and senses. Next morning, for breakfast I indulged in avocado on toast along with some orange juice and cheese.
Meetings
Along with the aforementioned Atellier, the hotel also houses Onyx, a newly furnished banquet space that can accommodate upto 100 people and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
Leisure
The hotel only offers in-room spa facilities which were sadly closed during my visit. A choice of aromatherapy is offered to every guest on arrival. In the next level after Dome is its swimming pool which was also not operational due to Covid norms.
Verdict: Ideal for a break from the mundane or a switch in the work-from-home ambience to a very contemporary and sophisticated one.
Price: Upwards of ₹7,000
Contact: Intercontinental Marine Drive, 135, Marine Drive, Mumbai – 400020, Maharashtra, India
