Sophisticated and centrally-located, The St. Regis Mumbai is your family’s home base for exploring India’s most vibrant city.
The St. Regis Mumbai is a big city hotel in a really big city. With upwards of 23 million people in Mumbia, you’ll need an escape, trust me. (For perspective, New York City has a population of 8.5 million people.) The St. Regis is more centrally-located than some of the other large hotels that attract international visitors. It’s situated in the Lower Parel District next to three, high-end shopping malls. During the week, it caters to a business crowd, but on the weekends, families arrive. And during the evenings, you’ll also find locals with means – even Bollywood stars – arriving to dine at the hotel’s world-class restaurants or socialize at its popular nightclub and bars. It all gives the St. Regis Mumbai a very energetic vibe that your family will appreciate.
KidTripster Tip: The hotel is not near tourist attractions like the Gateway of India or Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus Station. But honestly, it doesn’t matter. In Mumbai – because of the heat and crowds – you’ll be taking a cab or Uber everywhere that you go.
There are a few oddities about this hotel to be aware of. The lobby, or the Great Hall as it’s called, is on the 9th floor. So when you arrive, you’ll unceremoniously walk into the lower lobby and then take an elevator to the Great Hall and front desk. After you receive your keycard, you can take a separate set of elevators from the ground floor that go directly to your room. It’s a large hotel, and the elevators are slow.
When you do arrive, you’ll be greeted by no less than three women in the lobby and then two more women when you exit the elevator who will escort you to the front desk where a separate desk clerk, or even two, will check you in. Then you’ll be ushered by your personal butler to your room. Here’s what I’m getting at – there are a lot of staff members at this hotel. But I also found that it typically takes two or three of them to execute one request. Don’t get me wrong, your needs will be met, but it’s cumbersome.
That being said, we did utilize several staff members in the last hours of our stay. My 14-year-old son got very ill just seven hours before our return flight to the USA. The staff extended our room until 9:30 p.m. without issue and without an added expense to us. They arranged for us to speak to the hotel doctor via phone and then had a concierge run out to pick up needed medications, again without cost to us. (We also had an additional conversation with a nurse practitioner at home regarding the prescriptions.) And the housekeeping staff had the unenviable task of changing bedding and bringing more linens. It was a stressful situation made manageable by The St. Regis team who did everything they could to see that my son was healthy enough to travel. From our family, we extend our many thanks!
Accommodations at The St. Regis Mumbai
The St. Regis Mumbai has 395 guest rooms including 27 suites and 39 residential suites; all the rooms have views of the impressive city skyline or the Arabian Sea or both. With a roll-away bed, we found the Deluxe, Grand Deluxe, and Premiere rooms to be too small for our family of four. If you’re traveling with at least two children, I’d recommend a suite, which includes a master bedroom, spacious double-vanity master bathroom, living room with couch and optional roll-away bed, and an extra half bath.
Each room, regardless of the type, is serviced by a personal butler. Our butler, Harsh, was very helpful and even walked me down to the neighboring mall to make sure that I was able to purchase some needed gifts. Every day, we’d return to our room with a note from Harsh and some treats, which my two teenaged sons claimed as theirs. Your butler will pack and unpack for you plus iron two garments per day, though we didn’t take advantage of those services. If you forget something while you’re out touring, you can contact your butler via email.
The prepaid, SPG member rate starts at around $193/night; otherwise rooms start at $287/night; complimentary WiFi is included.
Activities at The St. Regis Mumbai
After mornings of touring Mumbai, there’s only one place that my two teenaged sons wanted to be: the infinity-edge, rooftop pool. With umbrellas and cabanas to shield you from the hot Mumbai sun, it’s a relaxing place to spend an hour. You can return for an evening swim, as the pool is open until 10 p.m. On the same floor, you’ll find the largest hotel fitness center that I’ve ever seen complete with three personal trainers and the Iridium Spa.
KidTripster Tip: If you schedule a massage during the week (Monday through Friday) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., you’ll get 15% off.
As you walk around the hotel, pay particular attention to the impressive artwork. Better yet, just ask a concierge for a quick tour including the mural in the Drawing Room. As is the case with every St. Regis property, the mural depicts important events in the host city’s history.
KidTripster Tip: On Wednesdays and Fridays around 6 p.m., there’s a champagne sabering ceremony on the steps of the Grand Staircase. It sounds more impressive than it really is; don’t fret if you miss it.
Activities in Mumbai
I’d highly recommend booking your sightseeing tours with Reality Tours and Travel. My family and I did three tours with them – one in Delhi and two in Mumbai. Not only do they give very professional, reasonably-priced tours, they donate 80% of their after-tax profits to their own NGO, called Reality Gives, that educates kids in the slums.
While Reality has a group sightseeing tour of Mumbai, I’d actually recommend booking a private tour for around $100 for a family of four. I think most kids are like mine and lack the interest and stamina to see everything that’s on a regular tour. In about two hours, I’d recommend seeing Dhobi Ghat (the world’s largest outdoor laundry), Gateway of India (mostly as a photo op), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Train Station and site of the last dance scene in Slumdog Millionaire), and Churchgate Station just before lunchtime to learn the story of the amazing dabbawalas. I’d skip the Jain Temple, Banganga Tank, Mani Bhavan (National Gandhi Museum), and Chowpatty Beach (which is not a swimming beach). If you want to see the waterfront, you can take an evening stroll on your own.
However, if you only can do one thing in Mumbai, take Reality’s tour of Dharavi Slum. Yes, a slum tour. You may have to drag your kids “kicking and screaming,” but take them, even if they don’t realize the full impact of this tour until years from now. I don’t care how many third world countries that you have visited; this place will take your breath away… literally. Dharavi is one of the largest slums in Asia. Nearly 1.5 million people live in a space half the size of Central Park. Let that sink in for a moment. The slum gained international attention after the release of the award-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire; the movie is based on Dharavi. But there’s more to this tour that squalor. It’s a lesson on survival. Both of our guides, Nano and Raj, grew up in the slum. You’ll learn about the micro industries that operate in Dharavi. You’ll tour both the Muslim and Hindu residential areas. At one point in the tour, we turned into an area where the 2-story “houses” (which are the size of an American bedroom) were separated by an alleyway that only one person could pass at a time. I felt as if there couldn’t possibly be enough oxygen for everyone to breathe. This 2-1/2-hour tour is memorable, difficult, and important. Cost: about $13/person. I’d recommend the tour for kids 12 and up.
KidTripster Tip: Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants on the tour, as the slum is very dirty. Bring bottled water to drink. Also photos are not allowed in the slum, but you can take a photo of the area as you approach.
KidTripster Tip: Watch the movie Slumdog Millionaire with your kids before you go.
KidTripster Tip: Several companies, including Reality, offer Mumbai Street Food tours. My recommendation? Don’t take them, especially if you’re only in Mumbai for a few days. You can’t afford to get sick.
Dining at The St. Regis Mumbai
Seven Kitchens is the most family-friendly of all the restaurants at The St. Regis. It serves a global menu for lunch and dinner. You can either choose off the buffet or order off the menu. If you’re hankering for some good ‘ole French fries, you’ll find perfect ones here. This is also where breakfast is served; the buffet is huge, almost too big, as I wasn’t quite sure where to begin! In addition to continental selections, you find stations more suited to Asian or Indian palates, as well. The Champagne Brunch on Sunday is very popular.
There are several other venues in the hotel. The Drawing Room serves a traditional afternoon tea. For those wanting something a bit stronger, head to The St. Regis Bar or Kipling Bar. The Sahib Room serves Indian cuisine in a vintage setting that harkens back to the colonial era.
The St. Regis boasts two award-winning restaurants – By the Mekong, which specializes in Asian cuisine, and Yuuka, which serves Japanese entrées and fresh sushi rolls. These restaurants are more appropriate for teenaged foodies in your family.
KidTripster Tip: Make reservations well in advance, as both these restaurants book quickly.
Asilo is the rooftop restaurant and bar which feels like a couples’ spot not a family restaurant. In a separate section of the hotel, you’ll find Luna Gusta and Luna Nudo, an European themed restaurant and accompanying bar. Plus there’s EXO, an exclusive nightclub where Mumbai’s hipsters and Bollywood stars hang out. Needless to say, it’s not family-friendly.
Getting to The St. Regis Mumbai
You can arrange with The St. Regis for car service to and from the airport for about $55, one way. Or you can simply take a cab (far cheaper) or Uber (cheaper still). It’s about a 45-minute drive, depending on traffic.
KidTripster Tip: Even though it’s (currently) the country’s tallest hotel tower, cab and Uber drivers have a hard time finding The St. Regis entrance on Senapati Bapat Marg. Look for the small sign, just before the Phoenix Mall.
Headed to Udaipur? Read our review of RAAS Devigarh.
This writer received a complimentary stay for the purpose of this review. However, all opinions expressed are solely her own.
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