kingrat
Jun 24, 07, 4:34 am
Mumbai The Grand InterContinental Hotel Report & Review
Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/kwells/MumbaiICTheGrand
I arrived here last Saturday and it started off very well. A driver was waiting for me at the airport and whisked me off to the hotel. I don't know know if you have been to Mumbai but traffic sucks here, even at 11:00pm at night. It took about 45 minutes to go to the hotel and the hotel is about 7KM away :(
Once I entered the hotel, I am a Platinum RA and someone met me at the door and took me right to my room, no check in or anything and at my room I signed the paper and was alone. The girl who introduced herself said she wanted to meet me and was there to help me out and was waiting for me so she could go home for the night. First issue, I haven't seen here once in 9 days that I have been here. At the IC in Delhi the long stay coordinator I met several times, always wanted to know if I needed something and said hi to me in the lounge and in the elevator several times. Lets make that -1 point for the IC Mumbai.
The stay started off well, I was upgraded to a suite on the 7th floor. I assume all the suites are on this floor, since the elevator said Suites! but some suites look huge, special doors with stain glass windows, etc... Presidential suites I suppose.
Anyway my rate was 10,000 INR or $245 for a deluxe room corporate rate if that makes a difference for anyone. Breakfast included. I was here for a 14 night stay... yes big bucks..
The room is quite nice, 2 doors, flat screen tv's on the wall, two bathrooms, etc. Several channels on the TV in English, etc.
Room: only the one side of the room is cooled it appears or the other side is really cold. The bedroom side is 21 Celcuis and the living room is about 17 Celcius. If you lower the living room then the bedroom gets hot. You need AC here in Mumbai because the humidity is just awful and very hot. If you have a blanket then the living room is perfect. The windows don't open without a key and if the wind if strong you can hear it howl all night long and not sure if you want them open. The windows that you can't open, don't seal properly so you can watch the curtains move from the wind that is coming in, no wonder the bedroom is warm. One bathroom light, the most important one was burned out over the mirror to use to shave with, and it still hasn't been replaced yet. I have left a note about it in the room but I guess the staff doesn't READ English either.
Breakfast: Food is normal for a hotel, buffet and eggs are made to order along with Indian food and pancakes, etc. The pancakes are exceptional +1 for the IC. Service is slow, instead of asking what you want to drink when they sit you down you have to wait or if they do ask you then they tell someone but they don't bring it. You have to ask a second time but you eventually don't get it. I never could find the water at breakfast, maybe it is something that you must ask for, but most hotels have water sitting out to drink. After the first day I brought my own water with me.
I walked around the hotel and most people were nice. I mean most because lots of employees didn't say anything. I was on the elevator with the girl that waited for me to check in to greet me and she didn't even know me, acknowledge me or say hi! I guess that I make a good impression or service just sucks in this hotel.
Room Service: I had room service, the menu was limited, Indian and Chinese and US/British menu. No pork on the menu like other hotels in India but this is India, nothing is constant. Food came more or less quickly and was hot most of the time. Nothing special about the food and easily forgotten. A few times I ordered a diet pepsi that was warm and no ice. I don't understand the point in that. I put it in the fridge and had it later. I did order ice cream once with dinner and they brought all the food and said they will bring the ice cream back when I told them so it would be not melted. Not sure if that is good or bad. Other times they brought ice cream but no spoon.
Mini bar: Photos are located here that show the mini bar, snacks and room along with the flood I had. Selection really never changed and I looked at the dates and most of it was pretty fresh but I only had a few beers and some sodas and chips. It did have alcohol in it, unlike the IC in Argentina. Sometimes they replaced it and sometimes not. No consistency.
Maid Service: Room was clean and generally put back in shape. I always gave a tip and my things that I left on the floor were either laid on a chair and my toiletries were all aligned next to the sink and in order. I dropped a US dollar and kicked it under the bed and I found it later on the night stand. +1 point for honestly! I used the Iron everyday and I always found it out back which is a nice touch except the one day I forget to tip. Maybe that $1 is worth it. Newspapers always put back and organized on the table and they leave the air conditioning on. Bed is turned down everynight but this is the first IC I found that no chocolate in laid on the pillow. The breakfast menu is, every night but nothing else.
Club Room: Awful - no alcohol sitting out, no beer or wine or food. At least when I went. I will go tonight around happy hour time to see if there is some then. I went 3 times and not once has someone greeted me even as people are working there. The room was hot and not air conditioned and was just awful to sit in there. I did notice a PC was there to use but never used it.
The Slums next door: All around the hotel, in front, outside my windows is a slum area or town. Huts built from anything and multiple people living in. In fact the walls that surround the hotel are part of the walls of the shanty town. I have a photo in the last photo that I have. This town is nasty, trash everywhere and other fun things. Anyway, Sunday night and on Saturday night when they have weddings in India they have music and loud music. So loud I could hear it quite clear on the 7th floor. I was going to bed around 10:30 and yes, there was LOUD music still. Indian music and some US music mixed in. Luckily I bring earplugs with me and I used them but I was worried if I would hear the alarm clock or not.
The Flood: Here in Mumbai this time of year, the monsoons come. Monsoon season isn't really here yet but it is raining off and on. Well it rained one night and I noticed a big puddle of water, I mean a big one that was coming in from the windows that don't seal. The living room was so bad that it found the rug and it was soaked. No wonder I don't spend time in the living room here. The bed room was the same way so I placed some towels to stop the water. The next day I saw the cleaning staff take out several rugs to dry on my floor, so I guess this is the norm here and the hotel just deals with it. I places several photos of the water in the link above. I left one towel so I can take a shower.
Hotel Itself the hotel on the outside is very nice, seems clean but surrounded by a slam town. The only pool is outside. doesn't make sense since it rains 4 months of the year. Lobby is touted at the largest in Asia, should have been touted at the hottest. No matter what the lobby is sweaty if you are on a floor above 3.
Overall I would not stay here again. Even with a suite it is not worth it when there are many hotels in the area around the hotel, I think that next time I will stay somewhere new.
UPDATE: I ended up checking out early just to get out of the hotel. I couldn't deal with it much longer and went to the airport and then took another taxi to a new hotel that I was quite happy with. Checkout was screwed up, first they told me that I had to pay the entire 14 days and then finally they said no but I had to pay that night since it was 11pm when I was checking out. Which was ok, since I have to do that before. Next I had minibar charges on my bill which being a RA I shouldn't have and internet ch rages as well and they told me that only RA get that free. I guess the computer doesn't say my status and I had to pull my card out and show that I was an RA and then they released the charges. It was a perfect ending to a hotel that I will never stay at again.
Advice to others: Stay some where else - not here!
If you go to the Intercontinental in Delhi - Nehru place. That is a place that gives service.
Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/kwells/MumbaiICTheGrand
I arrived here last Saturday and it started off very well. A driver was waiting for me at the airport and whisked me off to the hotel. I don't know know if you have been to Mumbai but traffic sucks here, even at 11:00pm at night. It took about 45 minutes to go to the hotel and the hotel is about 7KM away :(
Once I entered the hotel, I am a Platinum RA and someone met me at the door and took me right to my room, no check in or anything and at my room I signed the paper and was alone. The girl who introduced herself said she wanted to meet me and was there to help me out and was waiting for me so she could go home for the night. First issue, I haven't seen here once in 9 days that I have been here. At the IC in Delhi the long stay coordinator I met several times, always wanted to know if I needed something and said hi to me in the lounge and in the elevator several times. Lets make that -1 point for the IC Mumbai.
The stay started off well, I was upgraded to a suite on the 7th floor. I assume all the suites are on this floor, since the elevator said Suites! but some suites look huge, special doors with stain glass windows, etc... Presidential suites I suppose.
Anyway my rate was 10,000 INR or $245 for a deluxe room corporate rate if that makes a difference for anyone. Breakfast included. I was here for a 14 night stay... yes big bucks..
The room is quite nice, 2 doors, flat screen tv's on the wall, two bathrooms, etc. Several channels on the TV in English, etc.
Room: only the one side of the room is cooled it appears or the other side is really cold. The bedroom side is 21 Celcuis and the living room is about 17 Celcius. If you lower the living room then the bedroom gets hot. You need AC here in Mumbai because the humidity is just awful and very hot. If you have a blanket then the living room is perfect. The windows don't open without a key and if the wind if strong you can hear it howl all night long and not sure if you want them open. The windows that you can't open, don't seal properly so you can watch the curtains move from the wind that is coming in, no wonder the bedroom is warm. One bathroom light, the most important one was burned out over the mirror to use to shave with, and it still hasn't been replaced yet. I have left a note about it in the room but I guess the staff doesn't READ English either.
Breakfast: Food is normal for a hotel, buffet and eggs are made to order along with Indian food and pancakes, etc. The pancakes are exceptional +1 for the IC. Service is slow, instead of asking what you want to drink when they sit you down you have to wait or if they do ask you then they tell someone but they don't bring it. You have to ask a second time but you eventually don't get it. I never could find the water at breakfast, maybe it is something that you must ask for, but most hotels have water sitting out to drink. After the first day I brought my own water with me.
I walked around the hotel and most people were nice. I mean most because lots of employees didn't say anything. I was on the elevator with the girl that waited for me to check in to greet me and she didn't even know me, acknowledge me or say hi! I guess that I make a good impression or service just sucks in this hotel.
Room Service: I had room service, the menu was limited, Indian and Chinese and US/British menu. No pork on the menu like other hotels in India but this is India, nothing is constant. Food came more or less quickly and was hot most of the time. Nothing special about the food and easily forgotten. A few times I ordered a diet pepsi that was warm and no ice. I don't understand the point in that. I put it in the fridge and had it later. I did order ice cream once with dinner and they brought all the food and said they will bring the ice cream back when I told them so it would be not melted. Not sure if that is good or bad. Other times they brought ice cream but no spoon.
Mini bar: Photos are located here that show the mini bar, snacks and room along with the flood I had. Selection really never changed and I looked at the dates and most of it was pretty fresh but I only had a few beers and some sodas and chips. It did have alcohol in it, unlike the IC in Argentina. Sometimes they replaced it and sometimes not. No consistency.
Maid Service: Room was clean and generally put back in shape. I always gave a tip and my things that I left on the floor were either laid on a chair and my toiletries were all aligned next to the sink and in order. I dropped a US dollar and kicked it under the bed and I found it later on the night stand. +1 point for honestly! I used the Iron everyday and I always found it out back which is a nice touch except the one day I forget to tip. Maybe that $1 is worth it. Newspapers always put back and organized on the table and they leave the air conditioning on. Bed is turned down everynight but this is the first IC I found that no chocolate in laid on the pillow. The breakfast menu is, every night but nothing else.
Club Room: Awful - no alcohol sitting out, no beer or wine or food. At least when I went. I will go tonight around happy hour time to see if there is some then. I went 3 times and not once has someone greeted me even as people are working there. The room was hot and not air conditioned and was just awful to sit in there. I did notice a PC was there to use but never used it.
The Slums next door: All around the hotel, in front, outside my windows is a slum area or town. Huts built from anything and multiple people living in. In fact the walls that surround the hotel are part of the walls of the shanty town. I have a photo in the last photo that I have. This town is nasty, trash everywhere and other fun things. Anyway, Sunday night and on Saturday night when they have weddings in India they have music and loud music. So loud I could hear it quite clear on the 7th floor. I was going to bed around 10:30 and yes, there was LOUD music still. Indian music and some US music mixed in. Luckily I bring earplugs with me and I used them but I was worried if I would hear the alarm clock or not.
The Flood: Here in Mumbai this time of year, the monsoons come. Monsoon season isn't really here yet but it is raining off and on. Well it rained one night and I noticed a big puddle of water, I mean a big one that was coming in from the windows that don't seal. The living room was so bad that it found the rug and it was soaked. No wonder I don't spend time in the living room here. The bed room was the same way so I placed some towels to stop the water. The next day I saw the cleaning staff take out several rugs to dry on my floor, so I guess this is the norm here and the hotel just deals with it. I places several photos of the water in the link above. I left one towel so I can take a shower.
Hotel Itself the hotel on the outside is very nice, seems clean but surrounded by a slam town. The only pool is outside. doesn't make sense since it rains 4 months of the year. Lobby is touted at the largest in Asia, should have been touted at the hottest. No matter what the lobby is sweaty if you are on a floor above 3.
Overall I would not stay here again. Even with a suite it is not worth it when there are many hotels in the area around the hotel, I think that next time I will stay somewhere new.
UPDATE: I ended up checking out early just to get out of the hotel. I couldn't deal with it much longer and went to the airport and then took another taxi to a new hotel that I was quite happy with. Checkout was screwed up, first they told me that I had to pay the entire 14 days and then finally they said no but I had to pay that night since it was 11pm when I was checking out. Which was ok, since I have to do that before. Next I had minibar charges on my bill which being a RA I shouldn't have and internet ch rages as well and they told me that only RA get that free. I guess the computer doesn't say my status and I had to pull my card out and show that I was an RA and then they released the charges. It was a perfect ending to a hotel that I will never stay at again.
Advice to others: Stay some where else - not here!
If you go to the Intercontinental in Delhi - Nehru place. That is a place that gives service.