Le Sutra hotel was a bit of a gem I discovered en route to Hyderabad from New York a while ago when I stopped in Mumbai to tie up a few loose ends and needed a place to stay that was away from the hustle and bustle of things. Located in calm and relaxing Pali Hill, the boutique space fuses art and philosophy with luxury. The self-proclaimed Indian art hotel blends a mix of paintings, sculptures and designs on three uniquely distinctive floors that “threads” on the ideology of the three qualities of nature known as gunas: Tamas, Rajas and Sattva.

The decor of each room is designed and decorated to reflect aspects of our gunas. The nirvan room on the sattva floor might inspire your enlightenment, or if you are a connoisseur  of the soul-healing effects of music, you might consider the taal room on the rajas floor, while the vaasna room on the tamas floor might instill in you a sense of balance and sensuality. The rooms and the hotel itself is about tapping into your mood and creativity to enable you to have a relaxing and creative experience. If your mood of the moment is feeling as though you would like to be a king for the day, then a room on the rajas floor might be perfect for you. Keep in mind that there is a price for being a king, and the cost of the rooms are based on which floor your nature or mood desires. There is also a state of the art spa available to further tap into your guna within.

One of my favorite perks about the hotel is that it’s within the Khar (W) neighborhood, which I love. In Khar you’ll find decent cafes and restaurants to have a good dining experience. Unfortunately, I arrived on what is referred to as a dry day (no alcoholic beverages served publicly), so I had to wait to consume a good pint after a long flight. One doesn’t really have to wait at all if one knows who to know and where to go, though. On Le Sutra’s premises is a restaurant by the name of Out of The Blue, which serves an array of cuisine catering to the westernized palate, and also a patisserie that serves up some delectable treats. The added bonus, for me, was being able to locate a great restaurant close by where I was able to indulge in my favorite kind of grub, very spicy Indian food.

Nearby is the famous Linking Road where you can get some shopping done while at the same time fool yourself into believing that you are actually mastering your bargaining skills. Mumbai Jadoo at its best while strolling along the Carter Road promenade at sunset with views of the Arabian Sea and passers-by consistently stopping me to inquire about where I’m from. Two of my favorite inquires were: “Are you a cricketer” and “Were you in that American flim (film)”. I am unintentionally quite conspicuous at times in India.

I have to note that the staff at Le Sutra is what made my stay a commendable personal experience. I remember having to run a few errands in the city and a staff member by the name of Gautam made it his duty to become my personal guide for a few hours, although I insisted that he didn’t have to. Such acts of generosity are rare in New York. That’s the great thing about Mumbai, sometimes you are lucky enough to find people that act upon the concept of Atithi Devo Bhava which means: the guest is God.

Upon checking out to fly to Hyderabad days later, I was given a small gift for being a welcomed guest -wooden Paduka sandals. Paduka translates to footprint or feet of the divine being. Hence, at Le Sutra…Atithi Devo Bhava.

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