The Lalit Mumbai — Hotel in Mumbai

Recently stayed at The Lalit and had high hopes for a five-star experience. While there were some good aspects, a few issues left me feeling disappointed. Here’s a rundown of what happened during my stay:

Arrival and Security:

Luggage Assistance: When I arrived, no one from the security team offered to help with my luggage. This was a bit surprising and not the best first impression. They did help with my bags when I checked out, but it would have been nice to have that assistance right from the start.

Reception Issues: There was a strange situation with the security staff regarding my portable speaker. Even though it was just a small, unused speaker in my bag, the greeting staff stopped me from entering the hotel. I had to explain multiple times that I wasn’t going to use it in my room. Then they stopped me to question at the reception desk. Eventually, they let me go my way, but it felt unnecessary and a bit frustrating.

Room Cleanliness and Amenities:

Bathroom Condition: The bathroom had some mold and the grout was pretty dirty. It wasn’t what I expected from a five-star hotel.

Hygiene Concerns: The water closet didn’t seem properly cleaned or sanitized, as it didn’t have the usual paper seal indicating it had been cleaned. And if management is going to say they don't do paper seals as a standard then it's just a huge letdown, because even basic boutique hotels out there are doing it.

Shower and Water Temperature: The shower amenities weren’t great, and the water wasn’t hot enough in the tub, the shower enclosure, or the sink taps, which was extremely disappointing.

Room Cleanliness: The room itself had some dust and water spots on the hardwood floors. It just didn’t feel thoroughly cleaned. Saw a cockroach or two going around the corners of my room and the condition of the mattress in my room once I'd removed the quilts basically made me want to throw up in my mouth. Also, the hardwood kept creaking on this one particular for some reason.

Towels and Shower Enclosure: The towels weren’t properly laundered and the set was incomplete. I actually ended up getting acne all over my face shortly after using one of their musty towels. Plus, the shower enclosure was really small and cramped. A toddler couldn't shower in there in peace.

Minibar: The minibar wasn’t properly stocked, which was a letdown. On top of that the popcorn they had in there was moldy and stuck-together.

Service and Staff:

Early Check-in: I had asked for an early check-in, and while they did accommodate my request (which I am thankful for), I had to wait for about two hours to get it done, which also wasn't a problem. My only problem was the staff did not proactively tell me when it was ready, and by the time I'd gone to the reception (almost two hours later) it seemed like the room had been ready for a while by then. A little proactiveness would've saved me a lot of time.

Greeting Staff and Entrance: The greeting staff seemed a bit inexperienced, and honestly it was off-putting to see service lorries using the same entrance as the main guests.

Dining Experience:

Breakfast Quality: Breakfast was really disappointing. The food was bland, not properly heated, and lacked flavor. For what they charged, it was definitely not worth it. I didn't even bother showing up for the buffet after my first day there because it seemed like a pain to deal with.

Room Service and Restaurant: I told the front desk that I didn’t like the room service food, and they recommended another in-house restaurant. Also, who serves biryani without salan?Anyway, that restaurant was just as disappointing.

Hotel Condition and Ambiance:

Furniture: The furniture in the hotel looked old and worn out, which didn’t match the five-star vibe they were going for.

Overall, the hotel just doesn’t live up to its five-star rating. It feels more like a three-star hotel trying to be something more. The Leela is like, right next to this hotel. I stayed there the last time and my experience was brilliant.

P.S: This is not a fake review and I can provide my...

I recently stayed at The Lalit Mumbai, expecting a luxurious experience, but my stay was anything but pleasant. Despite its 5-star rating, several issues made my visit highly disappointing.

Firstly, the check-in process was incredibly slow and disorganized. I had to wait over an hour to get my room key, even though I had a prior reservation. The staff at the front desk were indifferent and unhelpful, making the entire experience frustrating from the start.

The room itself was another letdown. While it was supposed to be a deluxe suite, it felt anything but deluxe. The furniture looked worn and outdated, and there were noticeable stains on the carpet and curtains. The bed was uncomfortable, with lumpy pillows that made it difficult to get a good night's sleep.

Cleanliness was a major issue. The bathroom had mold in the shower, and the towels provided were rough and smelled musty. Housekeeping seemed to be minimal, as the room was not thoroughly cleaned during my stay. I even found a cockroach in the corner of the bathroom, which was absolutely unacceptable for a hotel of this caliber.

The amenities were equally disappointing. The swimming pool was dirty and crowded, with no staff around to maintain order or cleanliness. The fitness center had outdated equipment, some of which was broken and unusable.

Dining was another area where the hotel fell short. The breakfast buffet was underwhelming with limited options, many of which were cold or stale. The service at the hotel restaurant was slow, and the food was overpriced and mediocre at best.

To top it all off, the Wi-Fi was incredibly slow and unreliable, which made it difficult to get any work done or even relax with some online entertainment.

Overall, my experience at The Lalit Mumbai was far from the luxurious stay I anticipated. The hotel needs significant improvements in service, cleanliness, and amenities to justify its 5-star rating. I would not recommend staying here until these issues...

Worst experience at a 5-star property! If you care about your money, you'd be better off at a different 5-star. Heck, even Ibis, Holiday Inn etc are better than the Lalit.

Before check-in, I confirmed my preference of a non-smoking king bed room over phone and email.

I reached the hotel after check-in time of 2pm but was surprised that my room wasn't ready yet. Was asked to wait 5-10mins. No worries.

Checked after 15mins with the front desk and they said only smoking rooms were available. I denied and was told to wait another 5-10mins.

Went back after sometime and they said "hotel was fully booked last night so rooms aren't ready". Is that my problem? It was 3pm by this time and i was still waiting for my room.

Finally, I settled for a non-smoking twin bed room around 3:15pm as they said king rooms aren't available yet. This is almost 1.5hr after check-in time and almost 50mins after i entered the property. (While waiting, I complained about my negative experience on Twitter).

Rested a bit and ordered a Mocha and Grilled cheese sandwich thinking it's the quickest possible food. Haha I was so wrong. After 40mins of ordering, someone in an authority position from the hotel called me because they'd noticed my tweet.

I was offered an "upgrade" to a king bed room in the evening which I denied because I was getting late for an event. I then told them that I'd ordered 2 simple items but had been waiting for more than 40mins. He assured it would reach within 10mins and it did!!! So, basically you only get things if you complain at the Lalit.

And of course, I was told "sir I'll get everything fixed, please delete the tweet". They are more concerned about their public image rather than the satisfaction of guests in the hotel.

I've been to several 5-star properties across different cities and can confidently say that the Lalit was the worst among all of them and doesn't deserve...