In its architecture, design and experiences, Fairmont Mumbai seamlessly brings together the ethos of Art Deco. These elements entwine in varied ways giving spaces a common thread even as each showcases a distinct flair
BY BRINDA GILL
From its inception in 1907 with the opening of Fairmont San Francisco in the luxury precincts of Nob Hill, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has steadily opened hotels at prime locations in leading destinations across the world. Among the latest Fairmont hotels is Fairmont Mumbai that launched in January 2025 with its architecture, interiors and experiences designed in keeping with Fairmont’s ethos of connecting with local culture, heritage and timeless elegance. Strategically located next to Terminal 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the hotel is new-built. In fact, so seemingly unobtrusive was its construction over five years that its appearance – in an area marked by luxury hotels – surprised many travellers!
Across the globe, Fairmont hotels are noted for their iconic facades, and Fairmont Mumbai effectively achieves this brand USP. Its sleek stone façade – highlighted by vertical lines, natural light by day and accent lights by nights, and surmounted with the word Fairmont in a graceful flowing font – exudes an understated Art Deco style.
As sunlight varies in intensity – during the day and seasons – the stone façade also reflects subtle changes in colour tones. A.L.V.A. Architects, based in New Delhi, developed the project vision and the hotel’s architecture with its focus on a striking façade inspired by Art Deco.
All these features were the result of in-depth research, commitment and effort to create a landmark. “Fairmont Mumbai represents a bold vision brought to life – a landmark project that reflects artistry, thoughtful design, and our commitment to shaping world-class hospitality experiences in India. With a partner of Fairmont’s global pedigree and nuanced understanding of luxury, we are confident this hotel will redefine benchmarks across the Indian hospitality landscape,” says Nitan Chhatwal, Chairman & Managing Director, Shrem Group. Fairmont Mumbai has been developed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in partnership with Shrem Airport Hotels.
The efforts of creating a distinct experience spans architecture and design, built structure and lived hospitality. Post a quick security check and a warm welcome, one is ushered into The Grand Lobby that, true to its name, impresses with its dazzling and symmetrical design, brightly-lit space and double-height ceiling. Its design speaks of the fine aesthetics of P49 Deesign, the award-inning interior design company specialising in hospitality projects worldwide that has designed the interiors of Fairmont Mumbai.
Designed as an ode to the Art Deco heritage of Mumbai going back to the 1920s and 1930s (as seen in the stretch of Art Deco buildings lining the curve of Marine Drive, overlooking The Oval Maidan and in other heritage precincts of the city), The Grand Lobby unveils a stylish play of monochrome with gold accents that accentuate its design. Flooring of contrasting black and white of triangular and diamond marble tiles; a vast backlit stained glass ceiling with Art Deco-style geometric patterns; neat reception desks; subtle metallic design elements; marble cladding; and an eye-catching centre piece-titled Walk in the Garden on the facing wall make the lobby a statement in style. This artwork was especially commissioned by art consultant Venu Juneja; she curated the hotel’s distinctive art collection with a discerning eye and commissioned unique artworks, of different mediums yet rooted in the hotel’s design theme.
Walk in the Garden draws inspiration from the very popular Hanging Gardens of Mumbai, laid out in 1881, whose terraced gardens have been visited by generations of residents as well as travellers to the city. In the heart of the artwork – that captures an aerial view of the gardens – is a stylised motif of the rising sun, casting its golden rays. This golden orb is surrounded by square and rectangular panels with motifs alluding to different varieties of flowers, plants and trees one may see while strolling through the gardens. The panels are created with different art and craft techniques (embroidery, pearl inlay, metal repoussé, marble inlay, wood blocks) and are an ode to traditional Indian crafts.
From this focal point, the lobby stretches symmetrically – with the design elements on the walls, the reception desks, a circular mirror on the side walls at both ends and sofa seating along the opposite side – echoing on either side.
At one end of the lobby is Madeleine de Proust, a lovely light-filled tea lounge serving Indo-French cuisine and a selection of teas. Its décor is imagined as a winter garden with large lookalike cherry blossom trees, their branches dotted with white blossoms; artwork of botanicals; and crockery with floral motifs, all making it an ideal space to spend a couple of hours at any time of the day. The inspiration for the trees derives from pink trumpet trees (lining a section of the Eastern Expressway) that blossom from December to April visually appearing like cherry blossom trees and thus giving Mumbai its own cherry blossom season!
If Madeleine de Proust is delightful by day, post-sunset one may step into The Hedonist, symmetrically at the opposite end of the lobby. The Hedonist, a bar designed in deep, dark colours, draws from the verve of Mumbai’s jazz era in its décor, choice of jazz music and plush sofa seating. The bar’s style references the jazz era that flourished in Mumbai from the 1930s to the 1960s, with the music genre later being integrated into the Hindi film music and leading to the emergence of Indo-jazz. In a nook, with a partial view of the airport that is particularly striking by night, is a cigar lounge that offers a quiet spot for cigar aficionados.
One may pause for a few minutes to take in the beauty of the artwork titled Kaleidoscope, a shimmering hexagram of a kaleidoscopic vision of Mumbai’s Art Deco heritage and landmarks, in the lobby before heading to the restaurants. Elevators and a flight of broad white marble steps lit by clusters of Art Deco style pendant lamps lead the way to the upper level (FB) dedicated only to dining with two restaurants – The Merchants and Oryn.
As the name suggests, The Merchants, alludes to trade that – over millennia – conveyed spices, goods, culture and ideas, across vast regions. Artwork on the passage outside the restaurant and within it reference Mumbai’s tradespersons; the city’s legendary dabbawalas (a lunchbox or tiffin delivery and return system in Mumbai whose origins go back to the 1890s; there are currently over 5,000 dabbawalas in Mumbai delivering over 200,000 lunch boxes each day!); and stories of spices. The restaurant is spacious; it has 306 covers with two private dining rooms; in keeping with its theme serves a choice of global cuisine or tiffins and has six theatre kitchens.
Oryn, meaning golden, is a gorgeous Chinese speciality restaurant. Inspired by the bioscope culture of Shanghai in the 1920s, the restaurant is designed with deep, saturated colours; rich drapes; The Golden Dragon, a majestic motif of a dragon across the main wall; a bioscope with circular openings that offer a glimpse of different colours; round mirrors on the ceiling that echo the circles of a bioscope; artefacts from the Far East; and an eye-catching bar.
The food menu features Cantonese and Sichuan specialties that are a contemporary homage to heritage. The drinks menu offers a choice of spirits, while the cocktails menu, inspired by Wu Xing (the ancient Chinese philosophy of the five elements wood, fire, earth, metal and water) features a choice of 10 drinks evocative of these elements. Edging the restaurant is a lovely glasshouse, aptly called Beyond Oryn, designed for private celebrations; it overlooks the runaway, is particularly stunning by night, and offers an elevated dining experience.
Travel and urban life can bring its share of stress and exhaustion, and a quiet retreat in the form of Fairmont Spa & Longevity is just a floor away! Located on level two, Fairmont Spa & Longevity, designed with elements reminiscent of the Mumbai monsoons – a season of plentiful rainfall, abundant greenery and renewal, offers a range of spa experiences. It has seven luxurious suites with post-treatment areas such as sauna, steam and a relaxation space.
Its main focus is Blu Xone, showcased as India’s first longevity-focused wellness space in a luxury hotel that offers five advanced, non-invasive, science-based therapies namely Cryotherapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Red-Light Therapy, Intermittent Vacuum Therapy and Intermittent Hypoxic Therapy.
Next to Fairmont Spa & Longevity, is a salon and a well-equipped fitness studio where exercise classes are streamed on a large screen. The infinity and kids pools, with poolside seating (that will soon transform into an al-fresco restaurant), Tiny Town, a play area for kids, all located on level three, offer recreational options.
Also on level two, with a view of the airport, is Fairmont Gold an executive lounge for Fairmont Gold Club members, VIP guests and guests staying in the suites. Inspired by the Juhu aerodrome (founded in 1928, it was India’s first civil aviation airport) it features an array of art across the lounge from photographs of aircrafts with women dressed in traditional attire (with Art Deco patterns/motifs digitally imprinted in parts of the photographs) to paper artworks showing wind patterns and an artwork depicting an airplane propeller conveying that aesthetics and site-specific art are integral to the hotel.
Fairmont Gold has two individual working spaces (akin an office for the day); a meeting room; and a choice of seating. Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) as well as beverages and evening cocktails are served making it a convenient space to work, host clients and have business meetings. The washroom has a shower area making it easy to freshen up. These facilities are in keeping with Fairmont’s concept of ‘a hotel within a hotel’. Thus, if Fairmont Gold members are in between flights they do not need to check into the hotel – they can simply check into the Gold Lounge and freshen-up, rest, have a meal and beverages, and attend/host meetings. In other words, they have access to all the facilities of a hotel without having to check into a room/suite.
The floors above have rooms and suites, 446 in all, flanking long carpeted corridors with subtle Art Deco elements such as moulding and fluting. Once again the colour palette is monochrome with touches of metallic accents keeping the look sparkling and crisp. The walls are graced with artwork, digitally created, featuring women in local attire and settings, both imprinted with Art Deco motifs. The rooms and suites extend this design idiom in the upholstery, linen, artwork, storage and fittings. They are well-equipped with amenities including a steam iron. Interestingly, the powder room (with a compact sink and water closet) is separate from the bath.
While the dining, spa, recreation areas, rooms and suites, and public spaces are located on the lobby level and above it, the banqueting and events spaces are away from the public eye that together make up a total of 75,000 square feet across the four venues! The choice of venues is in keeping with the larger ethos of Fairmont Mumbai – of hosting celebrations of all scales, and offering venues for every requirement.
The Grand Terminus, the business centre, is located beyond the far left on the lobby level, and has a separate entrance. Two large banqueting venues – The Infinity Ballroom of 21,000 square feet and The Eon Ballroom of 8,500 square feet are on the ground level, each with a separate entrance. And The Vantage, an open-to-sky venue on the rooftop, level 11, is being launched in Q4.
The entrance to The Grand Terminus is heralded with an artwork titled 1920s Railway Ticket Replica, crafted as an evocative homage to journeys of the past. This installation, crafted in brass, reimagines an authentic 1920s Mumbai train ticket to capture the patina of time and the romance woven into train travel. The Grand Terminus has eleven meeting rooms; different combinations of spaces (made possible with collapsible partitions); fixed and movable furniture; and a counter with food and beverages. The centre’s central spine has informal working and seating spaces that function as working as well as socialising/co-working spaces. These features make it possible to use the centre for work, to have meetings and host guests.
The Infinity Ballroom, the largest venue with a seating capacity of 2,200 (and dancing capacity of 4,000!) boasting eight metres height, can be divided into two spaces, each flowing and pillar-less space. It has three types of lights (warm, ambient and white) and is equipped to take care of all electrical requirements (generators are not required).
Its USP is that it is equipped with 120 rigging points, each of which can bear a load of one ton; it is credited as being the first hotel in the country to have this facility. This weight-bearing capacity means that events such as products launches can have displays such as suspended cars, and functions such as weddings and receptions can have heavy decorations including chandeliers, and performances such as aerial acts can be hosted.
A C-shaped pre-function area of 17,000 square feet with two theatre kitchen adjoins The Infinity Ballroom and is available for guests reserving both banquet halls. If guests are reserving one of the banquet halls, a part of the pre-function area is given (The Infinity Ballroom and L-shaped pre-function area which includes the theatre kitchens). In that case the entry for both banquets becomes different; this organises guest movement and flows making crowd management organised for the guests and hotel.
The state-of-the-art features of the banquet halls along with the indulgent offerings of the F&B team, and the proximity of the hotel to the airport, have already made Fairmont Mumbai a choice for destination events, conferences and weddings, and the future looks promising for the young hotel.
“Fairmont Mumbai will undoubtedly set new standards of luxury and service, ushering in a new era of hospitality and solidifying the growing presence of Fairmont in India as a hallmark of excellence. The hotel promises to offer unmatched experiences, where luxury is in every detail – whether it’s in the thoughtful design, exceptional service, or the curated amenities. With a dedicated team committed to making special happen, Fairmont Mumbai is focused on ‘turning moments into special memories,’ ensuring every guest’s journey is extraordinary,” vouches Rajiv Kapoor, General Manager of Fairmont Mumbai.
One may visit Fairmont Mumbai for a meal or stay a day or more. Yet, even a fleeting visit leaves an impression of a hotel that has been thoughtfully conceptualised and its plan well-executed. Perhaps as you leave you visualise the thoughts of the sculpture of a woman in the installation Between Lines: A Pause in Motion in the lobby – seated on her suitcase and gazing at the suburban railway map of Mumbai. Perhaps she is savouring memories of an unforgettable holiday before she sets off. Perhaps that thought is yours!
