Home > Ramada Plaza Palm Grove Hotel Review
by Santorini Dave • Updated: October 8, 2019
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Ramada Plaza Palm Grove – Classy, convenient, beachfront, and much better value than a downtown hotel.
Facing Mumbai’s premier beach, the Ramada Plaza is considerably more attractive than imagined from its motel-style exterior. The lobby, with fountain and grand piano, is reminiscent of a city hotel, while the pool lined with angled palms looks like it’s been transplanted from a tropical island resort. Some suites are more spacious and sumptuous than the standard rooms that cost the same in a downtown hotel, and those with full-frontal sea views are superb. (Even other types of rooms to the side offer reasonable glimpses of the bay.) What’s more, the Ramada is surrounded by inviting eateries, and is close enough to the airport to lure transit passengers – who probably wish they had stayed longer. And rates include breakfast, which is a rarity among rivals.
Ramada Plaza Palm Grove – The Location
- Address: Juhu Tara Road, the main road alongside Juhu Beach, a popular area in the northern suburbs.
- Area: Faces the city’s prime beach. Plenty of cafés and bars, and a few shops, in the immediate area.
- How to Get There: From the airport, get a taxi at a pre-paid counter (8km, about 25 minutes to either terminal). Some rooms/suites offer free airport transfers. The Andheri train station and connected metro station are 15 minutes (4km) away.
- Handy to: Juhu Beach. Domestic and international airport terminals.
Ramada Plaza Palm Grove – The Basics
- Guests: Mostly holidaymakers from across India.
- Views: Rooms to the front offer unobstructed views of the sea about 100m away. Rooms to the side still offer decent glimpses of the ocean. Others may face the main road, which is about 50m away.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Deluxe Suites feature jacuzzis.
- Extras: More expensive rooms/suites include airport transfers.
- Wi-Fi: Available free throughout for all guests.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +91 (0)22 6737 1600
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: ramadaplaza-juhu.com
Ramada Plaza Palm Grove – Amenities
- Pool: Although a little small, the pool provides a real tropical-resort vibe. Sea views and palm trees add enormously to the allure. Swimming lessons for the younger ones.
- Spa: The usual array of massages, but also a steam room and jacuzzi.
- Fitness Center: Plenty of equipment, and terrific views from a top floor.
- For Families: Cots.
- Other Facilities: Souvenir and book shop. Laundry. Money-changing. Travel desk. Beauty/hair salon. Business Center (open 24 hours).
Ramada Plaza Palm Grove – Food and Drink
- Restaurants & Bars: Tangerine Café – Bright and cheerful coffee shop offering buffets and a la carte at lunch and dinner. Also, buffet breakfasts for guests. Open 24 hours. • Oriental Bowl – Renowned for authentic Chinese and Thai cuisine. • Shooters – Sophisticated bar offering signature cocktails and imported spirits. Inviting leather chairs and intimate lights. • Pool Side Patio – Alongside the pool for exotic drinks and light meals. Sunday brunch buffets are very popular.
- Breakfast: Included in all rates, which is not common.
- Room Service: Available 24/7.
Ramada Plaza Palm Grove – Rooms
- Room Types: Deluxe Rooms • Premium Rooms • Executive Salons • Deluxe Suites
- Smoking Rooms: Smoking is allowed in some rooms and suites.
- Best Room: In a corner, the Deluxe Suites offer double the views from twice as many windows. Substantial and separate living areas are beautifully furnished. Also, a massage chair and jacuzzi in each suite.
- For Families: All types of rooms can fit in an extra single bed each, and some have connecting doors. The Deluxe Suites are more than large enough for 2 extra single beds.
Ramada Plaza Palm Grove – Local Transport
- Walking: One of the finest areas in Mumbai for strolling, especially along the extensive beach. There are some sidewalks and plenty of places to eat and shop nearby.
- Public Transport: Nothing of any use to tourists. The Mumbai Metro probably won’t reach this far until about 2025.
- Taxis & Auto-rickshaws: Plenty of black-and-yellow taxis along the road. They have meters and drivers will use them without too many arguments. Unlike the city center, auto-rickshaws operate here, and also usually use their meters. Rides can also be booked using Uber and Ola apps.
Ramada Plaza Palm Grove – What’s Nearby?
Restaurants& Bars
Almost alongside the southern fence of the hotel is a bustling food court with about 30 stalls selling street food. Might be a good time and place to try pav bhaji (spicy vegetable curry with buttery bread) or tawa pulao (traditional fried rice).
- Domino’s – Familiar pizza joint notable for the rooftop eating area with views rivaling those at 5-star resorts. Only meters south of the hotel entrance. 1-minute walk (40m).
- TAP – Trendy meeting spot on the ground floor. Focus on grills. Also, live music, DJs, and TV sports. Almost opposite the hotel. 1-minute walk (50m).
- Bora Bora – Above TAP and similar layout. More of a bar than a café, but great Italian food. Live music most nights. 1-minute walk (50m).
- Shiv Sagar – One in a city-wide chain of reliable vegetarian restaurants. Always good value and perennially popular. On the other side of the road from the hotel. 1-minute walk (150m).
- Citizen Hotel – Offers fabulous beachside options: Bay View Restaurant & Bar (sea views, impressive service, and extensive menu) and Sea Side Patio (almost on the sand, and perfect for sunsets). Less than 500m south, via the road or beach. 6-minute walk (450m).
Shops & Markets
- A must-visit is the fantastic Nature’s Basket supermarket. Packed with organic products and fruits, as well as imported cheese, wines, and other goodies. Almost hidden behind the Juhu Residency Boutique Hotel, about 500m north up the road from the Ramada. 6-minute walk (500m).
Attractions
- Juhu is the premier beach in Mumbai. Implausibly packed on public holidays and weekends, it is relatively quiet on weekdays. The beach is the sort found in Goa: extensive, scenic, reasonably clean, and usually fine for swimming. A few water sports can also be arranged at a spot in front of the Citizen Hotel, a few minutes’ stroll south via the beach. 6-minute walk (450m).
Ramada Plaza Palm Grove – The Hotel
The hotel faces Juhu beach in the northern suburbs of Mumbai.
The Ramada Plaza looks like a motel from the outside, but is considerably classier inside.
The layout and design is reminiscent of an inner-city hotel with higher rates.
A shop selling souvenirs and books is squeezed between the main door of the hotel and lobby area.
The grand piano in the lobby shows that the Ramada Plaza is much more sophisticated than the outside might suggest.
Most of the limited space within the hotel is packed with rooms and amenities, but there are a couple of patches of greenery at ground level.
The pool is a little small, but provides some shaded sitting areas on the sides.
The pool is alongside the sea, but construction blocks the views.
The palm trees alongside the hotel pool create an appealing tropical island vibe.
The main restaurant, Tangerine Café, serves buffets at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and substantial discounts are available to hotel guests.
Tangerine Café also serves a la carte meals throughout the day.
The Shooters bar/lounge is intimate.
Because of the hotel layout, none of the places to eat or drink at the hotel face the sea, but the Shooters bar/lounge is still very inviting.
Definitely worth a splurge are the Deluxe Suites that face the sea.
Views from the extensive windows in the Deluxe Suites are wonderful.
Even the standard rooms to the side of the building offer decent views of the beach and all its facilities, such as the food stalls.
The suites are spacious and excellent value compared to those in the city center.
Suites feature substantial living areas and additional full-length windows.
Almost opposite the hotel entrance, Shiv Sagar is always popular for its good-value vegetarian food.
At the same bend in the road as the hotel, Bora Bora is a trendy spot for a drink or Italian meal.
At ground level below Bora Bora, TAP is another bistro/bar offering tasty food and live music.
This familiar pizza joint offers views from its rooftop sitting area to rival the suites at the Ramada Plaza.
Alongside the southern fence of the hotel is a collection of food stalls.
These food stalls at the beach may be a good place to try some authentic street food.
The Citizen Hotel, less than 500m from the Ramada Plaza, offers two terrific places to eat and drink, including the Bay View Restaurant & Bar.
Also at the nearby Citizen Hotel, the Sea Side Patio bistro/bar is uniquely set almost on the sand.
Behind the Juhu Residency Boutique Hotel, about 500m north of the Ramada Plaza, Nature’s Basket is an excellent supermarket.
The beach in front of the hotel is wide, scenic, and reasonably clean, like those at Goa.
The sunsets are amazing along Juhu Beach.
In front of the Citizen Hotel, just south of the Ramada Plaza, some water-sports can be arranged.
Public transport around Juhu is of little use to guests, and the metro won’t reach this area until about 2025 (if at all).
The only option for longer distances is the black-and-yellow taxis. These have meters, and drivers usually use them without much fuss.
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