Some places are like family. We feel a special connection to them that intensifies through time. No matter how near or far, we keep coming back for more because we know in our hearts that our destinies are intertwined.
This is what India is to me.
India is a contradiction, a dichotomy of sorts, where the richest and the poorest, the ridiculous and the sublime, the profane and the profound exist not alternately but simultaneously. When you visit Mumbai, a megapolis on the Arabian Sea and India’s epicenter of business and entertainment, you will be baffled and enamored of its mind-bending extremes. Yes, Mumbai connotes seriousness and respectability, frivolity and glamour.
This city that recently captured the world’s attention as the setting of Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire is the biggest, wealthiest and fastest-growing city in India. Often compared to New York City for its vitality, this 437-square-km. island city has the finest restaurants, hotels, retail stores, shopping havens, contemporary art and culture, antique bazaars and historic landmarks to boast of.
The Bollywood whirl and capers of the commercial tycoons create the most vibrant culture. The center of filmmaking and most glamorous city in India, Mumbai is home to the country’s most beautiful celebrities such as Aishwarya Rai and her husband Abhishek Bachchan. Incidentally, it was at the Cannes Filmfest three years ago that I first watched films starring Abhishek’s father and Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and I have been a die-hard fan of his films since then. I also watched the science fiction film Krrish starring the handsome Hrithik Roshan. I could hardly believe my eyes when I actually saw this demigod walk into the San-Qi (meaning three energies) restaurant at the luxurious Four Seasons in Worli Mumbai, where my sister Jaqui, dear friend Mel and I were having a sumptuous lunch. It was like time stood still as Hrithik moved over to the table behind us where he met with the editor in chief of Vogue India. Huddled at our table were Four Seasons Mumbai GM Armando Kraenzlin, PR manager Varun Ahuja, and our giggly trio.
Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai is a stunning 33-story, 202-bedroom hotel with a gleaming glass tower that enlivens the city’s skyline and serves as an iconic reference to the spirit of “new” India. “It’s a real privilege to be planting the Four Seasons flag in India,” said Kraenzlin. “ It sets new standards in the city for hospitality and service and we look forward to introducing international guests to what modern India has to offer.”
Besides San Qi, the hotel has another fabulous outlet called Café Prato & Bar, which serves Italian cuisine in a stylish setting with a spacious al fresco terrace overlooking the hotel’s lawn and gardens. It has a fleet of 20 Series 7 BMWs, a well-versed concierge staff, and the only sushi guru licensed to cut blowfish.
The hotel is replete with spacious accommodation with picture-perfect views of the Arabian Sea and unparalleled service. In this business hotel, you can work, wine and dine or find rejuvenation in its ayurvedic spa. Simply put, the hotel anticipates your every need.
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai is a delightful sanctuary of calm and rejuvenation, where Indian philosophies are heightened and infused with Western modalities. Indulge in one of the hotel’s eight fabulous treatment rooms, including two spacious suites — Natrajasana and Vajrasana — that function as private spas, allowing for unforgettable moments of sensational bliss. Succumb to the restorative power of aromatic and medicinal herbs, spices and flowers as the magical touch of skilful therapists heals your weary body and soul.
The hotel has made every effort to remain sensitive to the unique cultural, social and economic needs of the local community. It has launched the Hospitality Apprenticeship Programme — a two-year vocational training course to help equip young people from the local neighborhood with the skills and knowledge necessary to be competitive in the hospitality industry.
“We want to ensure that the hotel has a positive impact, not only on its guests and the local business community but also on those communities in its immediate vicinity,” explained Kraenzlin. “Mumbai is a complex city in many ways and we are determined to make our arrival here significant for all the right reasons.”
Why do so many tourists travel to this place of contradictions? Are they romanticizing the east in search of bliss? Whatever it is, one visits and revisits India because it is like returning to one’s old home, to one’s family, where hearts and minds are full of loving memories.
This is India to me and this is what it will always be.
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For more information about Four Seasons Mumbai call +91222481-8000 or log on to www.fourseasons.com/mumbai.
Thai Airways flies to Mumbai via Bangkok; call Malu Duenas at 812-4744.
E-mail the author at miladay. jewels@gmail.com.