ABODE BOMBAY in Mumbai - Hotel Review with Photos

India › Mumbai Hotels › Abode Bombay Review
Updated: January 13, 2022

Essentials
• Location: Colaba, in a small lane behind Regal Cinema.
• Hotel website: abodeboutiquehotels.com
• Hotel phone: +91 808 0234 066
• Check prices for Abode Bombay

Review of Abode Bombay hotel in Mumbai, India.

Located close to the iconic Gateway of India, Abode Bombay is a charming old-style boutique hotel.

Abode Bombay – Adorable, old-style guesthouse offering convenience and personality.

The eco-friendly and community-minded Abode is a pure delight, and so much nicer than the charmless motel-style options nearby. The Luxury Rooms are particularly spacious and feature sitting areas (and bathtubs) alongside broad windows providing so much space, light, and views. Rooms also come with prints of old India, funky furniture, and personal touches like the use of a local mobile/cell phone, eyeshades, and earplugs – not that the latter are needed because the area is comparatively quiet. (Other rooms share a bathroom, but are equally lovable.) All rooms branch out from a charming café-cum-lobby in the atrium, where a hearty breakfast is served to all. What’s more, the management is extremely helpful, and it’s only a short walk from the esplanade and iconic Gateway of India monument.

Abode Bombay – The Location

Address: On the first floor of the small (and easy-to-miss) Lansdowne House building on M.B. Marg (road). Nearest and easiest landmark is the Regal Cinema (100m). Facing that building, head right and take the first left.
Area: In a fabulous southern section of the city called Apollo Bunder. Packed with places to eat, drink, and shop. About 400m from the sea.
How to Get There: From the airport, get a taxi at a pre-paid counter (30 km; 1-hour drive, longer during peak times). The iconic CSMT train station is 15 minutes (3 km) away.
Handy to: Gateway of India. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

Abode Bombay – The Basics

Guests: Independent and budget-minded travelers of all ages who appreciate the rates, convenience, and helpful staff.
Views: Most rooms face the streets which are comparatively quiet, although some general noise is inevitable.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Certainly not expected (or provided) at this sort of inner-city guesthouse.
Extras: Mobile phone for each room. It can be used for any local number.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +91 808 0234 066
Email: enquiries@abodeboutiquehotels.com
Website: abodeboutiquehotels.com

Abode Bombay – Amenities

Pool: Not expected (or provided).
Spa: Small room where a range of massages can be booked, including those provided by a local association of blind people.
Fitness Center: None on-site, but ask the management about using a public gym within a few minutes’ walk.
Other Facilities: Library. Laundry. Local tours. DVDs. Business services. Money-changing. Souvenirs.

Abode Bombay – Food and Drink

Restaurants: Petite café in the atrium, which also serves as a reception and guest lounge. Provides breakfast as well as drinks and light meals from 11 am to 11 pm.
Breakfast: Substantial and freshly-cooked breakfast included in all rates. Available until mid-day.
Room Service: Drinks and light meals from 11 am to 11 pm.

Abode Bombay – Rooms

Room Types: Abode Basic Rooms • Abode Simple Rooms • Abode Luxury Rooms • Abode Superior Luxury Rooms • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: No smoking on the premises.
Best Room: The Abode Superior Luxury Rooms are in a corner, offering twice the space, light, and views. Spacious sitting area and standalone bathtub outside the bathroom.
For Families: Rooms are not really designed for extra single beds. Best to book 2 adjoining rooms, but they don’t have connecting doors.

Abode Bombay – Local Transport

Walking: Fascinating area for walking, with so many cafés, bars, and shops nearby – often upmarket and in colonial-era buildings. Comparatively quiet and shady streets, and extended sidewalk along the esplanade less than 400m away.
Public Transport: Nothing of any use to tourists. The Mumbai Metro probably won’t reach this far for a couple of years.
Taxis & Auto-rickshaws: Plenty of taxis. Use the black-and-yellow ones and insist on using the meter. Rides can also be booked using Uber and Ola apps. No auto-rickshaws in this area.

Abode Bombay – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

Le15 Café – Light meals (mostly Western) and world-class coffee and pastries.
Bademiya – Always popular for tasty Indian food at local prices in a simple setting. Non-vegetarian options available. From the guesthouse, walk over the road, past the namesake kebab stand (open evenings), and turn right.
The Table – Award-winning and very swish, with extended communal tables on the ground floor and more intimate seating upstairs. Haute cuisine and no curries.
Indigo Delicatessen – Chic bistro with wooden tables. Ever-changing menu includes sandwiches, ribs, and pizzas, as well as take-away breads and cheeses. One block northeast of the guesthouse. Just past The Table.
Leopold Café +91 (0)22 2282 8185 – 150-year-old institution featuring adorable décor, fascinating photos, and clunky fans. Very popular, but slightly overpriced. Entrance easy to miss among market stalls along the main road. Walk past Bademiya and turn left at the main road.
Pizza Express +91 (0)22 6656 2633 – Opposite Indigo Delicatessen. Renowned across the city, so it’s always busy. Lovely setting on two levels.

Nearby Shops & Markets

As a popular tourist area, there are plenty of shops in the neighborhood. The best range is along the backstreet behind and inside the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel. Tailors and jewelers are a specialty. Just around the corner from the guesthouse, along Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, the sidewalks are full of market stalls. Especially busy around Leopold Café (see above).

Nearby Attractions

The majestic Gateway of India was built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of the English king. More iconic than interesting, there’s little to see, but the harborside setting is pleasant and the people-watching, fascinating. Boat tours also available. Free entry, and open 24/7. Just head down the road towards the sea. (400m).

Abode Bombay – The Hotel

Abode Bombay is located in a quiet neighborhood.

In a quietish area of the southern suburbs, Abode Bombay guesthouse is housed in a small building that is easy to miss.

The Abode is located on the first floor of the building.

The hotel is on the first floor, accessible along dark-wooden stairs.

Breakfast is served in the lobby-cum-café area.

The lobby-cum-café area is very inviting. This is where breakfast is served to all guests.

The lobby-cum-café is a great place to meet and greet.

The lobby/café is a terrific place to hang out and meet other guests.

Locally-made souvenirs for sale at the guesthouse.

The guesthouse sells locally-made souvenirs, mostly by disadvantaged people.

The Luxury Rooms feature bathtubs outside the bathrooms.

Luxury Rooms are so spacious and bright, and the windows provide extensive views.

Prints of old India are hung in all rooms.

Each room is individually decorated and features prints of old India.

Sitting areas in the Luxury Rooms offer great street views.

Luxury Rooms also have sizeable sitting areas, perfect for watching the streets below.

the neighborhood is quiet and interesting.

Views from the rooms are of the streets, but the area is reasonably quiet and always interesting.

Le15 Café at the entrance of Abode Bombay.

At the entrance to the guesthouse, Le15 Café is an appealing place for a coffee, cake, or light meal.

Bademiya close by serves excellent Indian food.

Hugely popular for tasty Indian food at local prices, Bademiya is the finest of several restaurants along the nearby streets. Within a 3-minute walk of the guesthouse.

Old-fashioned Leopold Café Bar is very popular.

An institution that’s as popular with locals as foreigners, Leopold Café is lovingly old-fashioned. It also serves takeaway sweets and cakes. Along the main road, a short stroll from the Abode.

The Table has unusual seating arrangements.

Also near the guesthouse, The Table is a bustling bistro with unusual seating – ideal for chatting with fellow guests.

Indigo Delicatessen is a chic café nearby.

Just down the street from The Table, Indigo Delicatessen is a chic café popular among trendy locals and canny expats.

Pizza Express serves delicious Italian food.

Opposite Indigo Delicatessen, Pizza Express is renowned across the city.

Streets around the guesthouse are comparatively clean and shady, and traffic is limited.

As a popular tourist area, there are plenty of shops lined along the nearby streets.

Just around the corner from the Abode, along Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, the footpaths are crammed with market stalls.

Metered black-and-yellow taxis are common in the city.

Always use the black-and-yellow taxis because they have meters, and drivers will usually use them.

Regal Cinema is a useful landmark nearby.

A useful landmark is the Regal Cinema, at a roundabout approximately 100m from the guesthouse.

Gateway of India is an iconic monument nearby.

The iconic Gateway of India monument boasts a superb setting along the esplanade and opposite the luxurious Taj Mahal Palace hotel.

Watching people at the Gateway of India is always interesting.

There isn’t much to see at the Gateway of India, but watching people (overwhelmingly Indians) is always fascinating. Check rates and availability: Abode Bombay

Abode Bombay Hotel in Mumbai, India

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