Hospitality Central

Bhisham Mansukhani checks out The ITC Grand Central Sheraton and Towers, Mumbai.

Central Mumbai's skyline has very quickly undergone a metamorphosis from being a melee of chimneys to a mushroom of high rise constructions. Yet there isn't a more endearing motif of transition of the musty mill territory to India's biggest real estate story in the making than the ITC Grand Central Sheraton and Towers. Though Standing above the din of a locality still in flux, the 35-storey five-star business hotel is the only one of its category for many miles either side. Drawing inspiration from the area's colonial past, in design and semantic, the tower-like exterior, combines bricks and stones, crowned with a canopy which pays homage to the Bombay Secretariat Building. A portico with a wrought iron archway leads into a cobbled courtyard, centered by a fountain called ‘Millsquare’.

Walking in the lobby can be tricky business however, as there are, well, two of them, separate for room guests and walk-ins patronising the restaurants and banquets. Unique to the Grand Central is its division into two zones - Sky and Celebration separated by the Millsquare. The latter is self-explanatory and houses the restaurants, bar, banqueting space of 4,900 square feet and a terrace garden. The Sky Zone - a sanctuary of peace is the private space of hotel guests and has three food and beverage outlets.

The heart of the hotel however, is the room. The 242 rooms of the hotel are spread across three categories - Executive Club, Sheraton Towers and ITC One, along with the Presidential Suite' and Queen's Suite. Warm colours complement the omnipresent wooden panels and lush upholstery. Many rooms also have a ‘Luxury Lounger,’ an alcove ledge window with a sweeping view. The beds boast two mattresses instead of one and the double bed incorporates a technology wherein two people sleeping together are undisturbed by each other's movement. The hotel also features an ITC hotel trump, the 'Eva Floors' which is dedicated for women travellers.

The hotel's restaurants split between the two zones include the notable WG's Kebab's and Kurries, an Indian specialty restaurant that plucks out some of the finest dishes from ITC hotel's signature restaurants Peshawar and Dakshin while its interiors capture the rustic, indigenous charm of a North Indian fort. Hornby’s Pavilion, the hotel’s complimentary all day diner is exclusive for hotel guests and overlooks the Millsquare. Frederick's Lounge, an extension of the Millsquare showcases colonial décor with lounge chairs and is glass topped. The ultimate highlight of the hotel however, is Point of View located at the rooftop. Billed as the very definition of up-scale luxury, the multi-level retreat gives a view of the entire city. Sitting quite literally above the city, sipping a woody red wine, perspective seems to take on surreal proportions. Replete with caviar and champagne behind a sunken bar, Point of View is accessible only to Sheraton Tower and ITC One guests who can dispense with their check-ins, contemplating a tube of bubbly. Despite appearing locked by its surroundings, the hotel is a mere seven kilometers from South Mumbai while the North is also easily accessible.