A SOFT LANDING IN THE HEART OF MUMBAI'S BKC

Ibis Mumbai BKC, part of next-gen ibis rollouts, is rewriting the rules of budget hospitality-one sweet bed at a time.

- DEEPALI NANDWANI

Six storeys below, the city traffic is a relentless stream of horns, flashy taillights, and a never-ending wait for the road to clear.

Here, above the street chaos, lying on my 'Sweet Bed' mattress, I hear none of the cacophony, although ibis Mumbai BKC stands on the road next to a highway (I can see the cars moving in an assembly line).

If you are looking at a hotel which is next to all the action, ibis's newest opening in Mumbai is the perfect bolthole-the offices and business district of BKC, the art, theatre and dining hub at the Nita Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), the luxury shopping at Jio World, one of the biggest convention centres in India, not to mention the diners, cafés, and bars that dot this mixed-used neighbourhood, are all at walking distance-if you like to walk that is. BKC's broad roads afford you the luxury of walking, which is denied to you in most parts of a city that's home to 16 million people.

It is also within a short driving distance from Lower Parel, another commercial and retail hub in central Mumbai, and a one-hour drive to 'town' (the older parts of Colaba, Churchgate, and VT-now known as CST). Set along the bustling LBS Road, right across from 247 Corporate Park, the hotel enjoys a strategic perch with quick access to Powai, Ghatkopar, and Vikhroli. The airport is just a 30-minute drive away, making it a well-placed hub for both business and transit travellers. ibis isn't particularly selling 'serenity' as one of its strong points.

But I believe it should, given the busy axis on which it stands and the sprawling city around it. That you can accomplish a modicum of that on your ibis-trademarked Sweet Bed as the city marches, runs, and drives around you is some sort of an achievement.