THE OBEROI in Mumbai - Hotel Review with Photos

India › Mumbai Hotels › Oberoi Review
Updated: January 13, 2022

Essentials
• Location: End of Marine Drive.
• Hotel website: oberoihotels.com
• Hotel phone: +91 (0)22 6632 5757
• Check prices for The Oberoi

Review of the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai, India.

The luxurious Oberoi offers excellent family-friendly facilities in a superb seaside location.

Oberoi – Sumptuous, seaside, and family-friendly, it’s one of the city’s finest.

Along the quieter end of the inner-city esplanade, The Oberoi is extremely luxurious. The layout is instantly appealing: all categories of accommodations face outwards, and most offer extensive views of the sea or streets. The décor throughout the rooms and suites is likeably contemporary (e.g. modern art and stand-alone bathtub), and there is optimum use of floor-to-ceiling windows. The Oberoi is actually attached to the Trident hotel (which shares the same owners), so guests can also enjoy the facilities there, which include a playground on a lawn and a more impressive pool. And the amenities for families at both the hotels are far better than at almost all rival hotels. The Oberoi faces the sea and is surrounded by terrific places to eat, drink, and shop, walkable via shady sidewalks, including a mall.

Oberoi – The Location

Address: At Nariman Point, on the southern end of Marine Drive, the inner-city esplanade. Physically attached to the Trident hotel next door, with direct walkways between the two lobbies and pools.
Area: Fabulous area alongside the sea, so there are breezes, sunsets (haze permitting), and plenty of places to eat and drink nearby. As the esplanade becomes a dead-end only 200m past the hotel, traffic is minimal and the area, far quieter than the northern part of Marine Drive.
How to Get There: From the airport, get a taxi at a pre-paid counter – although some rates include airport transfers (25 km; 1-hour drive, longer during peak times). The Mumbai Central train station and nearby central bus depot are 25 minutes (6 km) away, and the CSMT station is a 15-minute drive (3 km).

Oberoi – The Basics

Guests: Caters mostly for those on holidays, including families.
Views: Rooms and suites to the front offer broad ocean views. Those to one side face the side street (but with no angled views of the sea), while those to the other side directly face the (almost) adjoining Trident hotel. Rooms at the back overlook the city streets.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Perhaps surprisingly, there are none, but almost no other hotel in Mumbai provides these either.
Extras: All rooms and suites have access to a 24-hour butler service.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +91 (0)22 6632 5757
Email: reservations@oberoigroup.com
Website: oberoihotels.com

Oberoi – Amenities

Pool: Plenty of brightly-colored sunbeds, but the pool at the adjoining Trident hotel is larger and offers more impressive views. Both can be very breezy because they’re on high floors. Guests can walk between the two pools, which are on the same level, through a black gate.
Spa: The Oberoi Spa offers a notable array of massages and facials. Open 24 hours.
Fitness Center: Well-equipped and very spacious.
For Families: Activities for families include separate cooking classes for adults and children. Playground at the attached Trident hotel.
Other Facilities: Express laundry. Boutiques. Business services. Money-changing. Travel desk. Guided local tours.

Oberoi – Food and Drink

Restaurants & Bars: Ziya – Contemporary Indian cuisine from a menu created by a Michelin-starred chef. • Vetro and Enoteca – Italian cuisine and chic décor. Famous for its extensive wine collection, best savored at the attached Enoteca lounge. Dress up. • Fenix – Dishes from across India and Asia, with particular focus on Japanese. Attached bar specializes in imported whiskeys. • Eau Bar – Sea views and all sorts of cocktails and imported wines and spirits. Live soothing music on most nights. • The Champagne Lounge – Casual meeting spot at the lobby. Also coffee, sandwiches, and scones. • The Oberoi Patisserie & Delicatessen – Almost lost on a basement level, it’s popular for home-baked pastries, as well as imported cheeses, meats, and wines.
Breakfast: May be included depending on the room and how it was booked, but not normally part of the rates.
Room Service: Available 24/7.

Oberoi – Rooms

Room Types: Deluxe Rooms • Luxury Rooms • Premier Bay View Rooms • Premier Ocean View Rooms • Oberoi Executive Suites (some with Ocean Views) • Deluxe Suites • Premier Suites • Golcanda Presidential Suite (1-only) • Kohinoor Presidential Suite (1-only) • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: Some rooms allow smoking.
Best Room: About 6 times larger than the Deluxe Rooms, the 1-only Kohinoor Presidential Suite features unrivaled luxury and views from corner windows. Also, a separate living/dining area, powder room, personal butler service, and private gym facilities.
For Families: All rooms and suites can fit in one extra single bed. Some of the lower category rooms have connecting doors. The management is happy to discuss how to accommodate families.

Oberoi – Local Transport

Walking & Cycling: One of the finest areas in Mumbai for walking. With wide and shady sidewalks the entire length of the esplanade, why not join the hundreds of locals for an early morning stroll?
Public Transport: Nothing of any use to tourists. The Mumbai Metro probably won’t reach this far for a while.
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.

Oberoi – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

Eleven Kitchens – Upmarket food court with 11 fabulous options, including a Subway.
Jamie’s Pizzeria – Part of the international chain under the auspices of British celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver. Spacious and family-friendly.
McDonald’s – Usual fare, but also fab street views.
Also worth trying are the bistros and bars at the attached Trident hotel, which is accessible along an indoor walkway between the two hotel lobbies. The Trident offers: The Verandah (spacious and cheerful coffee shop), India Jones (stylish bistro for Asian dishes), and Opium Den (classy bar/lounge).

Nearby Shops

CR2 – Small mall just past the side entrance to the hotel (i.e. away from the sea). A few shops, but most of the space is occupied by bistros, fast-food outlets, and a cinema complex. (500m).

Oberoi – The Hotel

The Oberoi is along a less frenetic section of Marine Drive, the esplanade through the inner city.

The Oberoi is next to its sister property, Trident Hotel.

Normally, a hotel of this size would dominate the area, but The Oberoi is actually dwarfed by buildings on either side: one being the co-owned and attached Trident hotel.

The layout of The Oberoi is instantly likeable. All rooms and suites face outwards and are accessible along corridors within an atrium.

On the ground floor of the atrium is the expansive lobby area.

Fenix restaurant serves pan-Asian dishes.

Across the lobby area from the reception desks, the Fenix restaurant offers a range of meals from across Asia.

Vetro restaurant offers an Italian menu.

Also at the lobby level is the Italian restaurant, Vetro.

Enoteca lounge bar is great to enjoy a glass of wine.

One attraction of eating at the Vetro is the extensive wine list. Wines can also be enjoyed in the attached Enoteca lounge bar.

On a higher level within The Oberoi, Ziya offers intimate dining and sea views.

Bright blue swimming pool at The Oberoi.

The pool at The Oberoi is bright-blue, but the water can be surprisingly choppy because of the strong sea breezes on the high floor.

Colorful sunbeds on the pool deck of The Oberoi.

The colorful sunbeds provide some shade and views across the ocean.

Larger swimming pool at the adjoining Trident hotel.

Larger, and offering more impressive views, is the pool at the associated – and attached – Trident hotel. Guests can easily walk to the Trident pool through the gates by the Oberoi pool.

Playground at the adjoining Trident hotel.

Alongside the pool at the Trident hotel (and accessible from within The Oberoi) is the playground.

Large lawn at the adjoining Trident hotel.

The playground at the Trident hotel faces a sizeable lawn. Both are alongside the pool on the 11th floor of the Trident.

Walkway connecting the lobbies of The Oberoi and Trident.

Another way for guests at The Oberoi to reach the Trident hotel (and vice versa) is along a walkway between both lobbies.

Large fitness center with excellent views.

The L-shaped fitness center at The Oberoi is larger than expected.

The suites at The Oberoi have sizeable living areas.

Modern and comfortable Deluxe Room at The Oberoi.

Deluxe Rooms feature the sort of layout, standards, and décor expected of the high-end Oberoi chain.

Stand-alone bathtubs are in all accommodations.

One standout feature of most rooms and suites are the stand-alone bathtubs.

All rooms are spacious and have full-length windows.

Even the lower category rooms are spacious and feature floor-to-ceiling windows.

Views from the rooms and suites to the front extend across the other side of the harbor.

Funky furniture and contemporary art in rooms.

Most rooms and suites also contain some funky furniture and contemporary art.

Front-facing rooms have optimum window space.

All rooms and suites facing the front offer the maximum possible full-length windows.

India Jones restaurant at the adjoining Trident hotel.

Attached to The Oberoi is the associated Trident hotel. The latter offers several places to eat and drink, including India Jones on a lower ground level.

The Verandah coffee shop in the Trident lobby.

In the lobby area of the adjoining Trident hotel is The Verandah coffee shop.

Just past the side entrance to the Trident hotel (which adjoins The Oberoi) is the CR2 mall. It is home to several bistros and shops, and a cinema complex.

Eleven Kitchens food court in the CR2 mall is very popular.

On the first level of the CR2 mall is the excellent Eleven Kitchens food court.

Backstreets behind The Oberoi are dotted with stalls selling street food and fruit juices.

The sidewalks around The Oberoi are clean, shady, and wide.

Unlike most parts of Mumbai, the area behind The Oberoi has footpaths – and they are wide, shady, and mostly unobstructed.

The local bus (and train) services are of little use to tourists, and the metro doesn’t reach this far.

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

With no auto-rickshaws in the area either, the only option for long distances are taxis.

The esplanade is very popular for its views and breezes.

The sidewalk alongside the esplanade is usually busy with joggers and walkers enjoying the views and breezes.

MyByk rents bikes on the esplanade opposite the Trident hotel, Mumbai.

An agency along the esplanade opposite The Oberoi offers bicycle rentals. These are pleasant for exploring the esplanade as far as Chowpatty beach and a few backstreets, but nowhere else.

Chowpatty beach is about 3.5km from The Oberoi hotel.

The prime inner-city beach, Chowpatty, is at the northern end of Marine Drive, about 3.5km from the hotel. It can also be reached by bicycle along the sidewalk.

Marine Drive is very popular during sunset.

Hundreds of locals flock to Marine Drive each evening to watch the sun set. Check rates and availability: The Oberoi

The Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai, India

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