My favourite Mumbai 'STAYCATION' hotels

I have been born and brought up in Mumbai and I love this city, but sometimes this city gets to me when the schedules are super busy and I just feel like I am on the run all the time! At these times I want to escape the rut of my everyday life and go to a place where I can forget everything and just relax. The bane here is that there is hardly enough time to go anywhere out of the city, and that is when having some awesome hotels within the city of Mumbai becomes a boon, because I need to head nowhere else and just there to enjoy my STAYCATION. I'm going to give you a peek into the wonderful hotels in Mumbai that are my favourite getaways when I need my breaks.

Sofitel Mumbai BKC

The Sofitel hotels are known worldwide for their French hospitality and the Sofitel Mumbai BKC reflects a mélange of two cultures – India and France. They have a special Staycation package especially personalized for you and your sweetheart called the ‘Romance @ Sofitel’. Their luxury rooms entice you with their French in-room amenities and a chilled bottle of Champagne, and the best of service from the minute you enter the hotel until check-out. The couple is given a pre-stay form to fill-in informing the hotel of their preferences so that your stay can be totally customised. A 90-minute indulgent couple spa treatment at the signature So SPA and personal service by the hotel’s Chef for a candle-light dinner or breakfast in bed, all these just revive all the romance in your relationship again. If you are in the mood for some multi-cuisine, their all-day dinning Pondichéry Café is perfect. Check-out is taken care of in a jiffy and you can be well out on your way in no time but then who wants to leave after such a brilliant time.

Palladium Hotel

The Palladium Hotel is one of my most favourite hotels in central Mumbai and the Staycation experience at this hotel is also one of the best you will find anywhere in the country. The pampering starts right from your door step as they whisk you away in a chauffeur driven car that also drops you back. The next best part is that you are upgraded to a panoramic view room and trust me this hotel has one of the best views in this city. The meals too are well planned - Buffet Breakfast and lunches @ Seven Kitchens and Dinner for 2 @ Mekong - the Asian fine dine restaurant on level 37. You can also visit Asilo, the Hotel’s rooftop restaurant and lounge which boasts of stunning panoramic views and a gorgeous Mediterranean ambience. They continue to spoil you with the option of a 30 Minutes Spa for the couple or if you are in a fun mood you have the option of Movie Tickets or Canvas Laugh Factory tickets. If you want to make this a getaway with the kids, they offer you a 50% discount on the regular rate for an additional room for up to 2 children below the age of 12 years. When you get into the mood to put on your dancing shoes and toast a drink, head to Libai the lounge or EXO which is the city's highest two-floor nightclub on the 37th floor with breath taking views and also my favourite DJ Madoc. They offer you so much that you just don't want to come back home but it feels good to know that you can comeback to this place in less than an hour from wherever you are in the city :)

Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel

This place spells tranquility for me which is very difficult to get in a city like Mumbai. Situated on the banks of Lake Powai, it offers you the much needed break among natural surroundings like the beautiful lush gardens that it has. A beautiful view of the lake while you sip your cup of tea or lounge on the bed in your room is pure luxury. Indulge in different cuisines at it's various restaurants - Fratelli Fresh for Italian, Nawab Saheb for Indian, Emperor's Court for Chinese or Lake View Cafe for its all day dining. You can even choose to unwind at the A Bar which has a brilliant cocktail, scotch, and wine selection. Head to the spa for some more relaxation or lounge by the pool which is by the lake side, trust me you are sure to feel totally de-stressed after a break in this place. Their weekend package has all meals included and a bottle of champagne waiting for you in your room when you check in. This is one place I repeat because it totally helps me unwind.

Well these were my favourites though there are many more options tahe you can conseider like the J W Mariott at Juhu, the Novotel Hotel at Juhu or The Resort at Madh/Marve. Hotel bookings in Mumbai are very simple to do either through the various online travel websites, or directly through the hotel websites and these packages/stays can be booked in a jiffy.

Here are some outfit tips and essentials that the ladies can pack when heading for a Staycation

Have you guys every gone on a STAYCATION? Do let me know your suggestions, I would love to try them out!

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Nivea Winter Care Kit - My perfect travel companion!

Winter is my skin's worst enemy - my dry skin gets drier with the season further sapping the moisture out of my skin! Add to that travel to a cold destination during winters and you will hear my skin crying out in terror. That's exactly what happened when I planned a trip to Turkey last month. I got nightmares with my skin telling me what a horrible person I was for choosing a cold destination! And then came to my rescue, Nivea's new Winter Care Kit, thanks to an ad I saw right in time for my trip. I picked up a whole lot of stuff(it included my regular Nivea Creme that was a part of the Winter Care Kit) which would sort out all my worries and my nightmares! :)

The Winter Care Kit

Here is my experience with the kit!

Nivea Repair & Beauty Lip Balm

I started using this even before my trip started as I was already suffering from chapped lips and you got to trust me when I say this - This lip balm worked its wonders in the 5 hours of sleep I had after applying it. I woke up in the morning as if I never had chapped lips. This has to be the best lip balm I have used till date. It gives a cool tingly feeling due to the menthol present in the repair core which I love. For the whole of my trip this stayed in my pocket and I had had soft, smooth and moisturised pink lips to flaunt! :)

Nivea Creme

My earliest memories in life of a cream for the skin has been of Nivea. I still remember my dad religiously using the Nivea Creme every morning and night himself, and then while putting me to sleep, dotting my face all over with it and rubbing it into my skin till it was all absorbed. I would give it all credit for the lovely skin that I have today and it's also my dad's age defying secret which he uses till date. Even today in the toughest times for my skin when I give up on other products, the Nivea Creme comes to my rescue. Nothing has been able to beat this product for me. PS also uses this as a part of his daily skincare regime. It's for all skin types and definitely had to be a part of my travel kit.

Nivea Smooth Milk Body Lotion

Shea Butter is a highly moisturising and a naturally occurring source of vitamins A, C & E and is a must use for me to keep my skin hydrated. Hence the Nivea Smooth Milk body lotion was just what I needed, with its main content being Shea Butter. I saw that the effects lasted for 24 hours and I could manage with one application even in the really low temperatures of Turkey. I did not have to carry it around for re-application. Also it absorbed quickly into my skin and was not at all sticky. For best results apply it directly after a warm shower. The rougher portions of my skin actually smoothened up in a few days of application and my skin also felt much softer. The Nivea Smooth Milk absolutely stood up to its promise of being a winter care product :)

Nivea Creme Soft Shower Cream

I hadn't ever used a Nivea body wash in my life before, so when I was buying this I highly skeptical but since it was a part of the Winter Care Kit, I decided to give it a try. This shower cream was a total surprise - it left my skin so silky after a bath that I didn't know whether it had washed off properly or not. Initially I kept trying to wash it off because I couldn't believe that it could make your body feel so silky, but in a few washes I realised that this was the effect of the shower cream due to the Almond oil in it. Using this in combination with the Nivea Smooth Silk lotion has made my skin softer and smoother due to the high levels of moisturisation that my body has received.

The 4 products combined together took such good care of all my skincare needs on my Turkey trip, that it's a MUST for travel kits to cold destinations and I will also recommend these to everyone to include them into your regular regime!

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