Braving a budget hotel in Mumbai

Mumbai’s hotel scene offers plenty of high-end experiences. The lines of valet-parked BMWs in Colaba will attest to that. But if you don’t have the bucks to drop on a night at the Oberoi or the Taj your pickings can be pretty slim. 

Budget rooms are out there but usually in the form of privacy-free dormitories with dawn checkouts or cramped, windowless, cell-like rooms.

That’s where Hotel Kishan-Aga Begs comes in, bridging the gap between the backpackers and the blue bloods. 

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The combination of purple walls and red velour couch make this hallway in Hotel Kishan look like something from the 1970s.

The narrow hallway leading to the third floor rooms.

Beyond its best days

Hidden in the shady backstreets of Colaba on the corner of Walton and Oliver Roads, this three-story weathered example of Victorian-Era architecture is easy to pass unnoticed. 

Don’t be put off by the aging exterior. While the tea-green paint peels off in big ragged patches and the hunter green accents look worn, its stained glass flower designs on the windowed shutters hint that once upon a time this place might have been something special. When you walk into the hotel you’re greeted by green and white marble with deco style inlays and a textured wall of orange and white squares. 

The lobby is up front and to the right but if you’re not staying on the first floor you’ll have to walk up the spiral staircase to talk to the man who manages the top two levels. There’s a lift but it was out of order at the time. 

More examples of past elegance are evident on the trip up to the top floor: hanging glass lamps without bulbs in them, a cream-colored balustrade and Greek-patterned tiles, all of it tinged with a little bit of shabbiness.

There are bits and pieces of Islamic art hanging from the walls; these are usually accompanied by signs that read, “Visitors not allowed after 11 pm.”

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Get ready for a hike if your room is on the third floor. The lift was out of order at the time of our visit.

Levels of simplicity

Once you get out of the stairwell the color scheme changes from green, white and tan to washes of pastel pink and purple. The rooms are situated off of a narrow hallway. The windowless cell-like variety do exist here but a sunny double room facing the street will only set you back 650 rupees. In contrast, an air-conditioned room on the first floor with an attached bathroom will cost you 1,250 rupees. The pink paint continues into the rooms and when the sun’s setting the light that falls on the floral printed curtains diffuses in red hues that make everything look warm and comfortable. 

The accommodation is pretty simple. Two beds with fairly soft mattresses, a small mirror, a dresser with blankets in it, an old TV, a phone and some towel hooks. The only hint at any sort of luxury is the little red hotel initials stitched onto the corners of the pillowcases.

The bathroom isn’t attached but it’s only a short walk from the rooms. It too is a pretty bare-bones affair. There’s a boiler, but the water never got hot, although the pressure in the shower was fine. The hotel doesn’t provide towels so make sure you bring your own.

Everything was pretty clean. There was a little trash in the ashtray but nothing major. The only complaint I might have made regarded a large swarm of ants that decided to hangout on my windowsill. I went to take a shower and when I got back they were all gone.

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The double room is big enough for two but in reality is probably better suited for one.

A street view offers more entertainment than the basic cable on the old television.

Imperfect but accommodating

There’s always at least one member of the staff walking around at any given time, even late into the night and so the place felt pretty safe. There’s no restaurant so you’ll have to arrange for your own food but there’s a snack shop just across the street and eateries on Colaba Causeway are only a five-minute walk away. There’s also an Internet café nearby. I did see delicious looking cakes being carried out of the building but I don’t think those were for sale.

In the end Hotel Kishan isn’t perfect. The fading grandeur of the place leaves a bit to be desired and with the hotter months just around the corner a room without AC could easily become a sweatbox. But in the same vein it’s sort of wonderful in a nostalgic kind of way. Everything looks aged and worn but the glamor hasn’t completely drained, it’s just kind of dulled a bit. Softened. And on top of that it’s really cheap and safe in comparison with other Colaba area offerings.

So, stay at Kishan if you’re looking for something that’s a few rungs up from the budget dens but not so high up the ladder that it burns a hole in the zipped pocket compartment of your multi-purpose pants.

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Details like taped up windowpanes remind you that Hotel Kishan is indeed a budget offering.

Despite the promise of hot water the shower stayed closer to tepid than anything else.

A small army of ants made a debut in my room but they were all gone by the time I got back from taking a shower.

Little details suggest that Hotel Kishan might have been a kind of grand place once upon a time.

Hotel Kishan-Aga Begs: Shirin Manzil, Walton Road, Near Electric House, Colaba, Mumbai 400039; tel: +91 22 2283 3886.