Opened in 2003 as InterContinental The Lalit, The LaLiT Mumbai is one of the handful of premium hotels positioned around Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The 369-room property represented Lalit Suri Hospitality’s (then known as Bharat Hotels) entry to the hospitality scene in India’s commercial heart. Following a separation from IHG in 2012, the hotel rebranded to its current name; this turned it into one of the two locally-branded upmarket hotels operating in the area, alongside The Leela Mumbai.

Booking The LaLiT

As I was planning my trip, I had not intended to stay at The LaLiT. However, in the days approaching the first flight of my trip, I realised that there was a discrepancy in the dates of hotel stays I had booked. Cue the horror in my eyes when I saw a missing night between my stay at The Leela and at The Taj Mahal Palace. When I realised my clumsy mistake, The Leela had been sold out for the missing night. As such, what had been a five-night stay in Mumbai has quickly turned into six.

As I looked for hotels nearby, the neighbouring LaLiT quickly caught my eye. In total, I paid a rate of INR 9700 (~ USD 111, GBP 86) for my one-night stay. The rate booked me into an entry-level Deluxe Room and was inclusive of breakfast. This was about 60% of the nightly rate I paid for my excellent three-night stay at The Leela.

Location

Located on Airport Road, The LaLiT occupies a prime piece of land within the direct vicinity of Terminal 2 of Mumbai’s chief airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji International. In fact, the hotel is so close that it is hypothetically within a 15-minute walking distance to Terminal 2 and its respective metro station. However, given its location in Andheri, I’ll note that there is not much else within the direct vicinity of the hotel. Taxis and autorickshaws are prevalent outside the hotel, nevertheless.

Arrival and Check-in

After going through the customary security checks at the entrance, I was led to the reception area to check-in. There, I was greeted by a fabulously friendly associate, who was both warm and welcoming. As she handled my registration, she started asking me about my trip thus far and recommended places to visit in India, next time. What a delight!

She soon assigned me a room and explained to me the hotel’s facilities. However, because I arrived an hour before the hotel’s official check-in time, she requested me to wait for a short while as the room underwent final preparations.

Sitting down on the lobby’s sofas, I marvelled at the hotel’s grand and imposing atrium. This was no mere spectacle of architecture either; the hotel’s atrium is the largest in India, and had at one point been the largest in Asia as well! However, before long, the agent approached me to hand me the keys to my room on the fifth floor. Nice!

With keys in hand, I headed up the hotel’s nifty glass capsule lifts up to my room. Up on the fifth floor, the views of the lobby only got more impressive, allowing me to appreciate the sheer scale and majesty of the space from above.

Deluxe Twin Room

As I entered the room, I was greeted by a space of warm palettes substantially adorned with wooden tones and golden hues. In spite of its entry-level category, the Deluxe Rooms feature a respectable 42.5 sqm (458 sqft) of space. This generous size is undoubtedly felt through the room’s airy and open feel.

Despite the cosy atmosphere, I couldn’t ignore how outdated the room felt. While the lighting was good, the room’s look and furnishing did look a bit past its prime despite being in relatively good condition. In any case, I think a change in upholstery for the chairs and a new coat of white paint would do a lot to freshen up the space!

Bedroom

Disregarding the outdated look, I was pretty happy with the beds, which were firm and sufficiently comfortable. Placed across the two oversized twin beds is the room’s 42-inch smart television, which was surprisingly hard to use. A sturdy marble luggage rack is placed nearby, complementing the television console.

In addition, there is also a large desk placed next to the television, conveniently completed by an array of universal power outlets. Furthermore, arranged by the window is also a single sofa chair which is complemented by a small side table and an ottoman. For one, I think the armchair could really use some new padding as it has started to feel quite worn.

Finally, by the entryway, you’ll also find the closet; this was impressively fully stocked with ironing essentials, alongside the usual provision of the in-room safe and your hotel slippers. I’ll also note that the in-room WiFi is complimentary, though its connection can be spotty at times.

Bathroom

Located by the entryway is the full marble bathroom. Unlike the bedroom, this space has aged beautifully and remains very well maintained. Impressively, the bathroom features both a walk-in shower and a separate bathtub, in addition to a single vanity and an adjacent toilet. As common in the region, the toilet is, of course, complemented by a handheld bidet.

Provided are bath amenities from Kronokare. Upon my research, the brand appears to be a local manufacturer of skin care products founded by a Frenchman and marketed mainly to hotels. In spite of the brand’s hotel-focus, I still found them to be agreeable in terms of scent and quality.

While I was impressed with the look of the bathroom, it was sadly an example of fashion over function. For one, the water temperature and pressure weren’t great and had a tendency to fluctuate when in use; this was true for both the bathtub and the shower. Furthermore, the wall-hung toilet was installed in such a way that the seat features an angle; this made its use really quite uncomfortable.

Pool

Located in the front yard next to the hotel’s porte-cochère is the outdoor pool, which was open for all seasons. The large organically-shaped pool is lined with a shallow cover of greenery, giving a tropical aura to the space.

A row of sun loungers and deck seating lines one side of the pool, leaving the rest of it to be covered by the garden’s foilage. While not as impressive as the facility at The Leela, the plants and the blue hues of the pool certainly uplift the otherwise dull and dusty ambience of Andheri.

Fitness Centre

Located on the basement level of the hotel is The LaLiT’s in-house fitness centre. While the space it occupies looked undoubtedly aged, I was surprised to find a full range of well-maintained and relatively modern equipment.

The facility is complete with all manners of TechnoGym equipment, from cardio equipment to weight machines and free weights. While the equipment wasn’t cutting edge, it was still more than adequate for a short stay. Very nice!

No Photography?

As I started casually photographing the gymnasium, I was surprised to see a member of staff who had apparently tracked me from the pool. His sudden appearance took me aback as he quickly approached me and firmly warned me that photography is forbidden. As I asked for clarification, I was told that for security reasons, the hotel does not permit photography in its public spaces.

This made me very confused – there had not been any indication or signage suggesting the existence of such a rule. Likewise, the Guest Policies page on the hotel’s website bears no such rule. In any case, how does a photo of the swimming pool and a bunch of fitness equipment pose a security threat?

Instead of giving me a strong answer, he insisted that I see the hotel’s chief of security, which I agreed to. When I met him, he maintained the position that photography is forbidden outside guest rooms – even as I reasoned with my intentions to review the hotel. Surprisingly, however, after asking me a few further general questions, he suddenly changed his mind and gave me the green light. Wait what?

I’ll have to point out, however, that the chief of security handled my inquiry in a very calm and professional manner. I definitely appreciated this contrast in tone, especially compared to the confrontational way I was initially approached. While I valued his consent, I did feel a bit uneasy taking pictures after the interaction. As such, I apologise for not including pictures of my breakfast at the 24/7 Restaurant.

Service

Disregarding the no-photography interaction, I felt that service at The LaLiT was quite average. Aside from the warm and charming check-in agents, everybody else I encountered seemed pretty unremarkable. While no one was rude, the service did feel rather impersonal and indifferent. Although this shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the hotel’s size, this contrasted heavily with the welcoming and accommodating staff at the similarly-sized Leela hotel.

Overall

So how was my stay at The LaLiT Mumbai? Well, it was quite unremarkable, to say the least. Despite the ageing look of the rooms, I still found them to be serviceable and quite comfortable. The same can be said about the hotel’s facilities, which felt old but maintained. Add in the mediocre service and you’ve got yourself a perfectly adequate and clean choice of accommodation for a short stay. As such, I wouldn’t actively seek to stay here again, though I also wouldn’t avoid The LaLiT – especially before an early morning flight or on a short layover in Mumbai.

Read more from this trip here!