Page 132 - Hospitality Horizon Oct-Nov 2025_FLIP FINAL ISSUE

“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.”

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 from December to April visually appearing like cherry
techniques (embroidery, pearl inlay, metal repoussé, blossom trees and thus giving Mumbai its own cherry
marble inlay, wood blocks) and are an ode to traditional blossom season!
Indian crafts. If Madeleine de Proust is delightful by day, post-sunset
From this focal point, the lobby stretches symmetrically one may step into The Hedonist, symmetrically at the
– with the design elements on the walls, the reception opposite end of the lobby. The Hedonist, a bar designed in
desks, a circular mirror on the side walls at both ends and deep, dark colours, draws from the verve of Mumbai’s jazz
sofa seating along the opposite side – echoing on either side. era in its décor, choice of jazz music and plush sofa seating.
At one end of the lobby is Madeleine de Proust, a lovely The bar’s style references the jazz era that flourished in
light-filled tea lounge serving Indo-French cuisine and a Mumbai from the 1930s to the 1960s, with the music genre
selection of teas. Its décor is imagined as a winter garden later being integrated into the Hindi film music and leading
with large lookalike cherry blossom trees, their branches to the emergence of Indo-jazz. In a nook, with a partial view
dotted with white blossoms; artwork of botanicals; and of the airport that is particularly striking by night, is a cigar
crockery with floral motifs, all making it an ideal space to lounge that offers a quiet spot for cigar aficionados.
spend a couple of hours at any time of the day. The One may pause for a few minutes to take in the beauty of
inspiration for the trees derives from pink trumpet trees the artwork titled Kaleidoscope, a shimmering hexagram of
(lining a section of the Eastern Expressway) that blossom a kaleidoscopic vision of Mumbai’s Art Deco heritage and

132 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2025 hospitality horizon www.hospitality-horizon.com