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Le Sutra at Khar, Mumbai.
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BACKGROUND: Located in Mumbai’s Khar suburb, the three-storied hotel offers 16 rooms themed on characters such as Ravan, Ashok, Buddh and characteristics such as sensuality, love and purification. Its Sattvic floor, level 3, opened in early 2010 and the Rajas floor, level 2, in April 2010.

THE ARRIVAL: The hotel is 7km from the international airport and 4km from the domestic airport. Upon arrival you encounter the wall mural done by film director Baz Luhrmann and artist Vincent Fantauzzo, inspired by various dance forms.

The first look at the reception, based on the concept of Kundalini, establishes Le Sutra as an art hotel. As you take the elevator to reach one of the residential floors another mural, based on the seven charkas, accompanies you linking one floor to the next.

THE ACCOMMODATION: Each of the 16 rooms is different, with the chair chronicling the theme. Each piece of art on the floor or the walls, and the furniture is commissioned for the theme and each room is unique when seen in isolation.

Prakriti

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on level 3 is about nature. The painting of steps leading to enlightenment is symbolic, as is the wooden sculpture
outside the window.

Done up in characteristic white and wood, the room is individualistic and comfortable, far, far away from cookie-cutter style hotel rooms. While the city beckons, this is never a room you mind coming back to. All rooms feature a comfortably-sized bathroom, built in cupboards, a wide screen television and complementary WiFi.

THE F&B: Le Sutra is home to restaurant brands – Out of the Blue which serves sizzlers and fondue, amongst other things; Olive Bar & Kitchen, the Mediterranean lounge bar and restaurant; and Deliciae, the dessert café. The room rates include breakfast.

EXTRAS: Le Sutra has an online concierge with information on movies, shopping, apparel and jewellery. Services such as tour around Mumbai or India, sending flowers or cheese can be organised on request. If informed in advance, business meetings can be held at a portion of the gallery.

PRICES: Prices start from $250 (Rs11,071.25 approx). Le Sutra is pleased to work with travel agents with commissions beginning at 10%.

BOOKING IT: Phone: +91 22 26492995/97, 3251 1447. Email: info@lesutra.in. Or visit www.lesutra.com.

EDITOR’S VERDICT
Le Sutra, the new avatar of the Pali Hotel at Union Park, Bandra, could well put off prospective clients with the intellectual overdose that its staff dishes out by way of an introduction.

But if you go beyond the hype about “India’s first art hotel”, you will be pleasantly surprised to discover that you do not really need to understand how the gunas have been translated into the design.

That is indeed the “sutra” (thread) running through, and so the rooms on the Sattvic floor have been visualised as celestial and ethereal. Each room has a feature that is aesthetically remarkable, such as a chair or a pattern inlaid into the flooring. Thankfully, they are not overdone – but simply minimalistic with tones of white and beige that lend an expansive and soothing feel to the space.

However, the quality of art fluctuates from room to room. In the newly-opened Rajsik floor, for instance, the Shringar room has a painting rich in detail, whereas the one in the Karna room seems quite amateur.

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