Mumbai, India

Abode Bombay

Price per night from$59.98

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (INR5,000.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Style

Boho babe

Setting

Cool Colaba

Don’t be fooled by Abode Bombay’s unprepossessing entrance: a quick saunter up the stairs reveals an urban haven that’s a world away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai. Interior designer Sian Pascale has taken inspiration from the city’s rich colonial and art-deco past to kit out this shabby-chic Colaba stay. This is a boutique hotel with a soul: linger in the lounge, grab lunch from the cheerful café, and immerse yourself in the tastes and sights of South Mumbai’s most captivating ‘hood.

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An in-room bottle of wine

Facilities

Photos Abode Bombay facilities

Need to know

Rooms

20, including three suites.

Check–Out

Noon. Earliest check-in, 2pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability.

Prices

Double rooms from £47.51 (INR5,000).

More details

Rates include a breakfast of fresh breads, home-made yogurt, seasonal fruit, eggs and daily-changing Indian dishes. Tax isn't included in the rates – 12 per cent for rooms under INR7,500 a night, 18 per cent for rooms over that. Tax is paid on arrival.

Also

If one of Abode Bombay’s handpicked objet d’art catches your eye, ask about bringing it home – it may very well be for sale. Or pick a smaller memento: the hotel also stocks handmade scarves and tribal jewellery.

At the hotel

Lounge, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV, iPod dock, air-conditioning, Khadi Natural toiletries.

Our favourite rooms

Each room has its own personality and bags of bohemian charm, with eye-catching details such as candy-hued floor tiles, locally sourced vintage desks and evocative street photography on the walls. Abode Superior Luxury rooms let in plenty of light through double-height windows; their in-room roll-top bath tub is just the thing for leisurely soaks after long days of urban exploring.

Spa

Abode Bombay works with the Victoria Medical School for the Blind, a local outfit training talented massage therapists: surrender to their expert ministrations in the hotel’s bijou treatment room. If you’re aching from long walks in Mumbai’s busy streets, a Thai massage or soothing reflexology treatment will get you back to fighting form for the next day’s explorations.

Packing tips

There’s no need to overload your suitcase with reading materials: pick something inspirational from the hotel’s well-stocked library instead.

Also

If you can’t bear to pause your fitness regimen, the hotel has yoga mats and Swiss balls to borrow. Classes from Pilates to boxing are on offer at a nearby gym, and staff will happily guide you to the best running paths in town.

Children

Welcome, though Abode Bombay is more of a grown-up stay.

Sustainability efforts

Abode Bombay takes care to tread lightly: the café’s produce is locally sourced, cleaning products and toiletries are earth-friendly, and guests’ soaps are recycled by Sundara, an organisation providing hygiene education to deprived communities.

Food and Drink

Photos Abode Bombay food and drink

Top Table

At breakfast, sit at the long communal table and swap city tips with other guests.

Dress Code

Keep things cool and comfortable: cotton maxis, open-toed sandals, anything linen.

Hotel restaurant

The hotel’s just-like-home lobby also acts as a casual all-day café. Nibble on small plates to share – crunchy rice puffs with potatoes and chutney, veggie samosas, stuffed puris – or opt for a heartier sandwich. If you’re hankering for some comfort food, the classic Bombay chilli and cheese on toast can’t be beaten. 

Hotel bar

There’s no bar as such, but fresh juices, colas floats, spice-infused chai and lassis can be sipped in the lounge.

Last orders

Savour breakfast from 8am to 10am; the café serves drinks and snacks from 11am to 8pm.

Room service

The café’s menu can be served in-room 11am–8pm daily.

Location

Photos Abode Bombay location
Address
Abode Bombay
Lansdowne House, First Floor, MB Marg, near Regal Cinema, Apollo Bandar, Colaba
Mumbai
400001
India

A short walk from the Gateway of India, Abode Bombay is in the heart of Colaba, a bustling neighbourhood packed with historic sites and tempting restaurants.

Planes

An hour’s drive away, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is a major hub serving international and domestic flights. The hotel can arrange transfers with a taxi company supporting female drivers (from INR1900 for airport pick-ups and INR1400 for drop-offs).

Automobiles

Mumbai’s traffic is notoriously dense and chaotic, so driving is best left to the local pros.

Worth getting out of bed for

Tucked away in the heart of historic Colaba, Adobe Bombay is a haven from the unabashed buzz of Mumbai’s streets. Browse the stalls and boutiques at Colaba Causeway; there are bargains to be found here, from flea-market finds to Bollywood-worthy jewellery. A five-minute walk away, Khala Ghoda is South Mumbai’s hippest ‘hood: head here for on-trend cafés, indie galleries and the National Gallery of Modern Art. For the insider track, book one of the hotel’s fascinating city tours; a pre-dawn jaunt takes in bustling flower markets and fishing docks, but there are options for temple visits and foodie adventures, too. The Gateway of India’s sea-spying monumental arch should be on every visitor’s list, but make time for Hasnabad Dargah, too – off the tourist track, this delicate blue-and-white mausoleum has been hailed as Mumbai’s very own Taj Mahal. 

 

Local restaurants

Head to rooftop Dome (+91 22 6639 9999), right on the waterfront, for unbeatable sundowners and superlative bar snacks: tapenade-stuffed paneer, say, or miso cod. Masala Kraft is a refined spot for contemporary Indian fare; feast on garlic-infused spinach, Keralan crab and scrumptious biryanis. Stylish and atmospheric, Qualia rustles up inventive fusion fare for a well-heeled crowd, with eye-catching cocktails to match.

Britannia & Co Restaurant (Wakefield House, 11 Sprott Road) is a classic example of a traditional Parsi café. Stop by for nut-studded pulao, mutton chops and a Proust-worthy caramel custard. Chef Alex Sanchez brings Californian antics to The Table, a popular hangout for all manner of brunches and lunches. Pop by Bademiya for cult street food, from buttery rotis to chargrilled kebabs.

Local bars

Colaba Social takes its design cues from New York’s Meatpacking district: expect stripped walls, long communal tables and a puntastic cocktail list. 

Reviews

Photos Abode Bombay reviews
Rachel Richardson

Anonymous review

By Rachel Richardson, Connoisseur of content

They say life comes at you fast, but have they ever been to Mumbai and witnessed life at warp speed? The 24/7 horns honking on jam-packed roads, the sizzle of chaat frying for queues of hungry workers, the smell of warm cinnamon from the street-corner masala chai seller, shopkeepers hustling for sales… Mumbai feels like Manhattan on Red Bull, or possibly something stronger. While its frenetic pace is intoxicating, even the most energetic traveller needs a breather, and we found ours at boutique bed and breakfast Abode Bombay

After spending a few days exploring the beachside neighbourhood of Juhu, we headed south to Colaba – Mumbai’s most popular tourist area – to check in to our new Abode. The city’s infamous congestion turned the 15-mile journey into a sticky 90-minute slog, quickly forgotten as we exited the elevator into Abode’s tranquil white-walled reception, which doubles as a café-lounge. After signing the guest book and being offered some chilled filtered water, Abode’s charming manager Nobert introduced himself, handed us a pocket-sized map of the local area, explained the ‘house rules’, and gave us a mobile phone that connected directly to his team – we felt as though we were being welcomed into his own home. 

Then we were taken to our Superior Luxury room and found it drenched in light thanks to four large windows letting in the bright afternoon sun, and the double-height ceiling they almost reached up to. A freestanding roll-top bath tub sat at the foot of the double bed, and off to the side was a petite shower room; and, while our weary bodies appreciated the lounge area, with space for up to four to sit, it made the room feel a little cluttered and didn't allow much space for luggage. 

Abode’s spartan decor is a perfect counterbalance to Mumbai’s maximalism. The patterned and tiled floors, rattan furniture, bamboo shades and white linens make for a simple yet effective look; but you won’t miss the city’s excesses for long, as Abode is located slap bang in the middle of pretty much everywhere you might want to explore. Stroll for just a few minutes and you’ll find the Gateway of India monument, Causeway Market, Unesco-protected art deco architecture, Oval Maidan public cricket ground, Marine Drive walkway, several museums, and many of Mumbai’s best restaurants and bars. 

The cute map Nobert provided listed all the hotspots, but you’d be hard pressed to miss them given their proximity. Round the corner from Abode is one of Mumbai’s most storied hotels, the Taj Mahal Palace; and while it may be odd to recommend a hotel in a review of, erm, another hotel, you don’t need to sleep at the Taj to have fun – the opposite, in fact. Grab a cocktail in one of its elegant bars, fill your belly at their all-you-can-eat high tea or just hang in the decadent lobby and people watch. If you want to explore further afield, Abode’s team can cater to most whims, whether that’s tickets to the cricket or a Bollywood-themed tour. We took Nobert’s recommendation and booked an early-morning city tour, which was more than worth the pain of the 5am alarm call it required. After much-needed coffee, a knowledgeable local guide picked us up and took advantage of the quieter traffic to whizz us around the city, seeing pre-dawn Mumbai come to life. Starting with a sneak-peak at the hundreds of newspaper sellers who hand deliver to Mumbai homes, we then went on to see the fruit, vegetable and fish markets that feed the city, and stopped by the giant open-air laundry that services many of the local hotels. 

We were back at Abode by 8.30am and headed straight to breakfast. A mix of local and Western food is served buffet-style in the lobby lounge, with coffee, eggs and sourdough toast made to order by the friendly team. Abode doesn’t offer lunch or dinner, but, given how many incredible dining spots are close by, it’s no inconvenience. For phenomenal local food head to reliably delicious Trishna or Delhi Darbar, or try some cooked-on-the-street kebabs and curry from Bademiya just across the street from Abode’s main entrance. 

Stuffing our faces with local food was the best part of our trip. We had to-die-for meals at the Tanjore Tiffin Room, who offer a taste of their 10 curry sauces before you order a main course; Dakshinayan, who serve the finest South Indian dosas; and Pali Bhavan, a classic spot serving dishes from both the north and south. We didn’t once tire of chilli-cheese toast, masala chips, curries, dhals, and pretty much everything else; but one of our trip’s best meals was enjoyed at a Western restaurant less than a two-minute walk from Abode. It was on the pricey side, but cosmopolitan eatery the Table delivered; so much so, we agreed it was one of the best meals we’ve ever had full-stop. Should you be in the city, order the soba salad and thank me later.

We fell hard for Mumbai and absolutely found a home in Abode. And, after recently discovering that the team behind the hotel are developing a new ‘beach project’, we’ll definitely be back – I think it would be rude not to.

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Price per night from $59.98