With its rental prices among the highest in the country, Mumbai comes with several challenges to consider when deciding to rent a property. House hunting in the city often seems like a vague trade-off, where people have to contend between living close to their workplaces in a cell-sized room and a spacious flat that’s hours away. Perhaps this is why a hybrid employee chose to live in hotels instead of renting a room in Mumbai.
Neil Borate, who works as the Editor of Personal Finance at LiveMint, in his latest LinkedIn post shared why he decided to stay in hotels and Airbnbs whenever he visits the city. Borate also shared a list of his personal favourites, explaining the conveniences. “Each week, I divide my time between Pune (my home) and Mumbai (for work). After some struggles, I’ve given up on renting in Mumbai. I go for Airbnbs and hotels instead," he wrote.
He went on to mention the hotels he prefers, including The Sea Green Hotel on Marine Drive, The Strand near Radio Club and The Westend Hotel near Churchgate. Borate specifically highlighted the key features of the hotels and their locations. “If you book these, don’t come with expectations of modern hotels. You will generally get metal keys instead of key cards. There won’t be gyms, pools, or any other fancy amenities. Instead, enjoy the great location and history all around you," he concluded.
The post reached out to many people who took to the comment section and shared their own views. While some were unsure about the idea of spending Rs 5,000 per night to be affordable, others opened up about their experiences during hotel stays.
A user said, “I must be out of touch with reality or have a long way to go because ~5k per night sounds far from affordable to me," while another commented, “So you spending a lakh per month on hotels? Like someone above, I am also wondering about the cleanliness, staff behaviour and quality of food. I feel they have plummeted in budget hotels."
Explaining to one of them, Borate wrote, “I spend about 2 nights a week in Mumbai. Not always in hotels. Sometimes Airbnbs at half the price. So no, I don’t spend a lakh a month on hotels. Probably 40k, which is close to a 1 BHK rental anyway. "
Another user added, “Loved this, Neil. I spent about 2 months in the Westend Hotel when I first came to Bombay (as it was then)."
One noted, “A typical and authentic Puneite will always prefer environmentally friendly surroundings and will choose comfort over luxury, and these traditional hotels that meet the basic concepts of comfort will be the ones to go for."
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