JW Marriott; Hyatt Regency; Air France b777-300

Mumbai Juhu

BACKGROUND There are nine JW Marriott hotels in India, with two in Mumbai itself. JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu opened in January 2002 and since then has been one of the most iconic venues of the city.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? It’s a structure you can’t miss if you’re passing through the suburb of Juhu. My Uber drove through a winding pathway lined with greenery and dropped me at the Àve Áoor property’s entrance. Its basement is dedicated to its ballroom. A quick security check followed and I walked into the roomy lobby that has a lot of lounging space spread across. The sound of the playing piano Àlled my ears as I Ànished the check in procedure and walked towards the elevators on the left. Bombay Baking &ompany, its coͿee shop, is on the right along with a few other F&B outlets while straight and then down the spiral stairs is its all day dining restaurant ³ /otus Café. The recently renovated lobby looks rich with golden hues and marble Áooring.

WHERE IS IT? By Juhu Beach, on Juhu Tara Road. There’s a Starbucks right across the road along with a number of restaurants and bars. The international airport is half an hour away without tra΀c.

ROOM FACILITIES I was staying in a Grand Ocean suite (71 sqm) that opened to a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea from its French windows that sprawl across the living room, bedroom and the bathroom. On the left of the living room is a dining table and a separate toilet. The lounge area faces the television ( 1 inch) and the desk that’s beside the window. The minibar is camouÁaged beside the television. I used the power sockets here to charge my devices and also to play music through an iPod doc. Closets are placed on the pathway to the bedroom. There is also a Bose radio and sound system in the bedroom. Four phones are placed in the suite and the wiÀ is free. It was nice to sit by the window early morning and enMoy coͿee with an uninterrupted view of the sea. The white marble bathroom e[empliÀes lu[ury with its bathtub beside the window and a separate shower area. Since I was staying in this level of accommodation, I could access the ([ecutive lounge that oͿers complimentary evening cocktails and canapés, non alcoholic beverages and chargeable business services. Some of the other accommodation categories are Deluxe room, Deluxe Ocean View room, Premier Club room, Executive Juhu Beach suite and the Royal /otus suite.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS A full range breakfast is served at /otus Café however I chose to experience its recently launched breakfast menu at Bombay Baking Company. I devoured their blueberry pancake along with freshly squeezed orange juice and a double shot espresso. My lunch was a light kati roll at /otus Café as dinner was supposed to be quite lavish at Dashanzi, its pan Asian restaurant. The restaurant boasts of an expansive beverages menu with speciality gins from around the world. For dinner, we started with edamame and tru΁e, mushroom crystal and ka΀r lime pesto and shiitake mushroom and lotus root dim sum. The Hamachi and Shake sashimi was impeccable. I also had dinner the previous night at its Italian restaurant ³ Mezzo Mezzo ³ where I relished the home made potato gnocchi with black tru΁e with the /ittle James Basket Press (French red wine) by Saint Cosme. MEETING FACILITIES There are 13 event rooms that sprawl across 1,790 sqm. The Grand Sangam Ballroom can accommodate 1,000 people while Ganga, <amuna and Saraswati can Àt 200 delegates each. LEISURE FACILITIES There’s an outdoor inÀnity and a saltwater pool along with a children’s pool. The Àtness centre has Jacuzzi, steam and sauna facilities along with VibroGym equipment. I tried the Quan Signature Therapy at Quan Spa that deeply relaxed my muscles and joints, resulting in a peaceful night’s sleep. VERDICT It remains a classic with corporate and leisure travellers with its host of F&B, luxury and business facilities.