le sutra, mumbai

When I am told of an “art”boutique hotel in the heart of Bandra， I am instantly intrigued. the location is so awesome that it does not take me even a minute to cancel my booking in a star hotel and head to le sutra instead.

Nestled in the union Park neighbourhood， amidst upscale eateries like Olive Bar & Kitchen， and Out of the Blue attached to it at the hip， I am to learn that this property formerly known as Hotel Pali Hills， has been a landmark for the area.

art of the matter

a cobbled， unpretentious entry leads me to a small reception area from where I am swept away in a sliver of a lift to the second floor. art， philosophy， heritage and history blend into a unique hotel room as I step onto the “Rajas” floor. I am in the Karna Room， where this much intriguing character from the Mahabharata is the focal point of a room almost curated along the lines of an art gallery！

My eyes go to a painting on the wall which shows Karna on the battlefield. the chair in the room is intriguing and the hotel staff explains that it apparently depicts Karna’s hand trying to extricate his chariot wheel when it got stuck during the epic war… there are other little installations and nuances that qualify this as the‘Karna’ room. the good thing is that it is all simple and aesthetic and not overwhelming， which could have been a very probable danger given that the Indian heritage theme， if not handled with care， can become over the top in a small property.

Room

My room overlooks the road with a tree framing the picture window with a nice cushioned seat running around it. there is tV， ample wardrobe space， a fairly spacious bath area and wi-fi. the staff is sweet and helpful. there are hiccups with the cable tV and the air-conditioning， but you do not get rattled as they are willing to dash up any time of the day and night to help.

Food

Out of the Blue is a buzzy café that hugs the hotel. the attached courtyard with art corners， wine cellar and desert café is a popular hangout and live performances， brunches， stand-up comedy acts held here are a huge draw. I meet a friend at Out of the Blue and we have a fun， happy meal in the sprinkled winter sun of Mumbai amidst gaggles of young people laughing and chatting around us. though there is a buffet breakfast laid out downstairs that comes with the room， I order in room a couple of times and the idli， dosas that come up are not the most fabulous but they pass muster especially when I am simply too lazy to step down.

the property has an art gallery and a day spa attached to it. It has the very popular and hip Olive Bar& Kitchen right opposite.

But the best， and simply the best part， is that you step out and swerve a left and you can walk into the sea！ this is really Bandra at its glorious best. It’s buzzy， heady and fun. I would give up a five star hotel anytime for this.