I was in Bombay for a week in September. The Four Seasons property in Worli hosted me for two nights from the 4th to the 6th. I had a great suite on the 29th floor with scintillating views of the city and the Mumbai skyline at night. The interiors were warm and inviting and my bed was so comfortable – I didn’t get out of it unless it was actually necessary. The room had all the amenities including a French press for caffeine addicts like me. The bathtub was massive and overlooked ‘maximum city’ and I spent a lot of my time soaking in a bath and watching my stress melt away.
I would order in from the all day dining restaurant and enjoy a leisurely breakfast every morning. Café Prato is the all day dining restaurant that boasts one of the best breakfast buffets in the city. The restaurant focuses on modern European and Indian cuisine and the chefs’ keep in mind your dietary preferences and allergies. I would have my eggs every morning with all the trimmings, fruit, fresh fruit juice and coffee although I wish I had worked up a larger appetite because the spread looks absolutely divine. They have plenty of ham, cold cuts and meat, noodle bowls and decadent French toast and waffles for those of you who like something sweet with your morning cuppa.
I had lunch with Rishika Moghe, one of the newest members of the PR and marketing team at the Four Seasons at San Qi. Famous for its dim sums, sushi, San Qi also boasts an incredible repertoire of seafood specialties. Both Rishika and I love sushi so we dug into California rolls, tuna and salmon maki- all incredibly fresh and delicious. We were pretty full but decided to try the raw papaya salad and the chicken larb gai (Thai minced salad). I told the chef I was gluten-free and he was kind enough to bring some dimsums in rice flour but we were pretty full so I promised I’d try them the next time I visited. The restaurants can easily accommodate 180 people or so and has a private dining venue for 30 people for those of you who want something more intimate. Designed by Super Potato, the restaurant has several stations for sushi, dimsum, Asian stir-fries and delicious Asian desserts prepared in-house.
I wasn’t drinking and didn’t get enough time to walk up to Aer for drinks at sunset because I had my workouts scheduled for the evenings. This place looks incredibly inviting at night and Bilkey Llinas Design has made every attempt to make this venue stand out from other outdoor venues in the city. Aer has fabulous views of the city and hosts some of the best Dj’s in town.
The highlight of my visit though was undoubtedly the gymnasium and the spa. Deckelmann Wellness is responsible for the plush interiors at the spa. The hotel also houses Mumbai’s only Rossano Ferretti Salon to tame those tresses. The spa manager Som was extremely ebullient and helpful and gave me a guided tour of the facilities at the spa. I loved the relaxation area where you could lounge around, have some herbal tea and catch up on your reading while you wait for your spa treatments or rest post your workout. The treatments at the spa range from Ayurveda; western and eastern with Thai style massages and Balinese treatments. They have experience showers like the one at Four Seasons Paris, crystal steam, vitality pool to melt your stresses away and an ice fountain.
I decided to go in for a session with the personal trainer on both days. The first day was circuit training that focused on strength, agility and flexibility. We didn’t use any machines but I had worked up a real sweat before I was halfway through. We did a serious of lunges, burpees, squats, push-ups and core exercises along with some progressive relaxation and some stretching afterwards. The second day, I chose to work on the TRX and some kickboxing with some trainer. We focused on the lower body on the second day because my arms, shoulders and core were very sore. The boxing was exhilarating to say the least but I was too exhausted by the end of the session. I opted for the Sva almond milk shakes post the session and grabbed an apple on the way out. The hotel has a nice outdoor pool and I would spend a few minutes cooling off before my spa treatment.
They also have the option for a midnight spa open to guests from 10pm to 4 am. Weary travellers, business executives and night owls can choose from their range of signature treatments and try any ritual at night. I didn’t have time in the evenings or I would’ve definitely opted for a midnight ritual.
I woke up early on Saturday, the 5th for a morning yoga session with Anita and meditation session with Veechi. The hotel was kind enough to give me a sneak peek into the curated wellness experience called Halo for hotel guests and members.
About HALO
HALO is a wellness curation platform that creates beautiful wellness experiences with international yoga & wellness teachers for corporates, spas, hotels, private workshops, Escapes & private individuals.
My morning started off beautifully in a gorgeous yoga studio on the spa floor. Anita sat us down and spoke to us for a few minutes before she started the ‘Loveshanti yoga’ sequence. I couldn’t think of a better way to start the weekend with gentle restorative yoga, a round of sun salutations before we proceeded towards standing postures. My hamstrings, legs and arms were extremely sore from the personal training session the night before and I remember I was so stiff that I could barely walk. Anita helped stretch my body out to alleviate some of the discomfort and soreness and enable quicker recovery. We worked on balance, flexibility, posture, agility and core strength. Unlike other classes where you skim through the postures, Anita’s class focused on holding each posture until you started to feel the burn. I highly recommend this to Mumbai residents as it grounds you,centers you and helps you deal with daily life stresses better. When the hour was up and we had to lie on the mat in ‘shravasana’- I was so relaxed that I fell asleep and had to be woken up when everybody was wrapping up.
I cozied up to a cup of hot masala tea with Veechi’s almond milk that she makes at home to avoid all the preservatives and nasty chemicals. Next up was the ‘body mind meditation’ with Veechi Shahi- an intrinsic part of the HALO programme at the hotel. Veechi decided to teach people how to relax, unwind and deal with the stressors of life . Everyone should spend 10-15 minutes of their day in silence and try and practice the ability to let go and meditate. The wellness blogosphere waxes eloquently on the many physiological, mental and emotional benefits of a regular meditation practice. When done correctly, it creates a state of inner relaxation through deep healing, and enables you to start afresh every day. I wish I had spent more time to chat with both Anita and Veechi post the session about ways to sustain a regular yoga and meditation practice and meditation for mindfullness. I wish them all the very best on the wellness experiences at the Four Seasons Mumbai and hope to visit the property again very soon. For all of you staying in Mumbai, I highly recommend the classes with Anita and Veechi as they teach you how to stay calm and centered and leave your stresses of hectic city life behind.
Special thanks to Rishika Moghe, Niharika Tandon and Som (Spa operations) for making sure my visit to the Four Seasons was a memorable one.
VEECHI SHAHI LIFE COACH & MEDITATION FACILITATOR
Blessed with a deep natural inclination to heal and an inherent ability to connect with people, Veechi Shahi has been practicing and perfecting her Integrated healing techniques for over 12 years now. She has her own platform of wellness called A NEW LEAF. Veechi has earned an MBA from Pune University and is a certified doctorate hypnotherapist from the California Institute of Hypnosis. She has been associated with OSHO multiversity and has the experience of working with an international set of people throughout her career and education. Veechi is a life coach, mediation facilitator and a certified Health & Nutrition expert.
Veechi Shahi currently lives in Bombay and conducts workshops at schools, corporations and to private groups and Four Seasons Mumbai. She offers private sessions and is particularly passionate about women’s health. She loves trekking, singing, traveling and visiting her Guru in the Himalayas.
ANITA VASWANI ENTREPREUNER & YOGA TEACHER
Anita made the move from New York City to Mumbai with the vision of building a yoga & wellness highway between her two favourite cities. An avid yoga student and teacher, Anita has been on the path of yoga for 15 years. Anita has studied with various yoga teachers all over the world and reached a peak of yoga studies in the Motherland of India. She has learnt meditation techniques at various ashrams and is a certified Quantum Yoga Alliance teacher. She has taught yoga to children, parents & teachers at The American School in Bombay; she has taught at the Yoga House, has private clients and is currently teaching at FS Mumbai. Anita supports the cause of teaching yoga to the children at an incredible NGO called http://www.dharavidiary.com/ Her passion for wellness & peace of mind in our ‘full-on urban lifestyle’ is the driving force behind her conception of HALO.
About Four Seasons Mumbai- the hotel opened about 7 years ago in May 2008. Situated on Worli Seaface, this hotel is predominantly a business hotel but attracts couples, families and party animals over the weekend for the F&B, sundowner at Aer.
Quick notes-
1/136
Dr E Moses Road
Worli
Mumbai
Maharasthra
www.fourseasons.com/Mumbai
https://www.facebook.com/FourSeasonsHotelMumbai/
Tariff- 12000++ inclusive of breakfast
P.S- the Four Seasons app is a brilliant tool that allows you to key in your preferences, book spa appointments and check in with the click of a button. Available for all Four Seasons properties worldwide, this app makes checking in a breeze and you can also call a taxi, ask for breakfast in bed and change your lunch reservation if you are running late.
