I talked to one of the Crew member and my hubby’s friend who was from the UK. He was asking me, - “Enjoying your stay here?” I said – “It has been Ok.” “This hotel is just Ok, you know. What do you say?” ,he asked me. “Yeah, I expected more”, was my reply. Here was this guy, who has travelled around most parts of the world and stayed in various luxury hotels and still feels that The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is just OK! Here, I am, ‘zero’ experience in travelling around the world or staying at 5 star hotels and yet I felt the same! So, one should not have necessarily had the same experiences to feel something. I am not wrong. Cool.
So, how did I land up at the Taj again, when my first experience was not very impressive? Well, my hubby made me an offer too good to pass. Before you all get any ideas about what it might have been….let me assure you, it wasn’t anything naughty. But, a guided tour of the hotel including the ‘Heritage’ part of it, organized by the hotel management itself, an offer too good to refuse. So, we packed our bags for an overnight stay and arrived at the hotel.
The tour started from near the swimming pool, which originally was the entrance of the hotel when it was built between the years 1900 and 1903 AD. Most of this information (which I knew from my previous visit) is available on the TV in each of the rooms- the documentary about the Taj is being continuously played in one of the channels.
Next, we walked through the ‘old’ reception area and the lobby that was. There is this “Grand Staircase” from where all the dignitaries staying at the Taj have walked down- customary-again. The ‘Palace Lounge’ is in the ground floor and so are the restaurants serving Indian, Chinese and the Japanese cuisines. Grand. The first elevator of Bombay, to have been imported from Germany is still in use in this hotel.
The first level consists of The Banquet Hall and other conference rooms. We could not see the Banquet Hall as a Big Fat Indian Wedding was underway there. We couldn’t see the ‘Sea' Lounge (sea view) as it was taken over by the guests attending the wedding. We couldn’t see the other conference rooms and halls as all of them were booked for various meetings and conferences. All we were shown was a couple of long corridors and the ‘Grand Staircase”! Come on, give me a break! Is this a tour??? I fell for this hook, line and sinker!
We were back in the new lobby, renovated after 26/11. The guide showed us an art work done on the tile of the floor- Pietra dura, an ancient Mughal art where real Pearls and precious stones are embedded. And they have only four of these in the four corners of the sitting area of the lobby! The tour ended near a memorial built for those dignitaries and the staff died during the attack on 26/11. This foreigner who was with us for the tour asked the guide as to how many of the staff had died in the attacks? She was like- “Maybe around 30 to 35.” She was not sure. I am glad it was over.
The ground floor of the hotel has many shops of International brands- Louis Vitton, Mont Blanc, Dior. My point is – Why would people from abroad come here to buy the brands which is already available in their country and probably at prices lower than these? I haven’t seen many Indians buying anything there either.
M.F. HUSSAIN'S PAINTING BEHIND THE RECEPTION DESK
Jasmine, the Production Manager of the IMG Media is an Australian and I met her a fortnight back during my first visit, and she was laden with shopping bags. She had shopped off the streets of Colaba. We met again this time. I asked her if she would join us for breakfast. No, she said, she was off to shopping. “Aren’t you done yet?” I asked. “I will never have enough of this shopping experience”, she replied. Hotel management guys, take a hint.
Post dinner, we walked around the streets of Colaba. I can now well understand why South Bombaites are proud of living here. Mornings are full of people, traffic and mayhem here. Evenings the quite opposite. Minimal traffic, few people, wide roads with wider footpaths, cool sea breeze paved with old Victorian buildings. A befitting end to the day. Next day we bid adieu to the Taj, more disappointed than before.
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