Class Rooms.

Byline: Preeti Khicha

Check out the newly renovated Club rooms at Mumbai's Taj Lands End. By Preeti Khicha

As the wooden door clicks shut on my new room, I find myself looking out on Mumbai from the 24th floor of a striking highrise, watching tiny toy cars whizzing along the latest addition to Mumbai's skyline--the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. I am at Taj Lands End, enjoying a brief stay at the lavish Club Rooms, recently renovated to make all 107 more sleek and contemporary.

The excess almost leaves you guilty. The huge marble bathroom has a plasma scree above the tub, a temperature-controlled toilet seat and the shower cubicle is fitted with a cascading rain shower to invigorate tired muscles. The primped guest quarters, as one would expect, are adorned with elegant furnishings and comes with oodles of high-tech extras: touch temperature, lighting controls and wi-fi.

For the afternoon, I reserve an abhyanga treatment at the spa. Meenakshi, my happy hostess escorts to a dimly lit room, heavy with the fragrance of herbs and oil. A cup of green tea and a pair of soft flip-flops induce me to shed everything, including my worries. I stretch myself flat on the wooden table while the masseuse gets down to business with three bottles of fragrant oil. Her nimble fingers work their magic across the entire log. My skin absorbs the goodness of the oils in no time and I complete the languorous ritual with a cold shower.

As evening beckons I amble to the Atrium Lounge, where celebrities and local hipsters gather to enjoy exquisite varieties of cognac.

I hit the hay past midnight, and thankfully make it to brunch at Vista the next morning. Here, diners gaze out at the sweeping views of the sea, while nibbling at gourmet cheese and sipping wine. The Sunday brunch with its pizza station, Asian wok, and dessert rack is an over-the-top experience. Like a kid in a toy store, I set up camp at the dessert bar, trying out innovative flavourings that infuse the basics--goat cheese praline, olive oil truffle, baked blue cheese and chocolate cake.

The indulgence continues through the evening as a bath butler arrives and prepares a milk bath scented with rose petals. I immerse myself in the tub, and, after 30 minutes, my skin definitely feels happy.

My weekend ends with a light meal at the Asian restaurant, Ming Wang. Eclectic starters such as Water Chestnut tossed with Chilli Garlic Butter and Crispy Cashew Nuts garnished with Sesame Seeds paves the way for the main course. At Ming Wang, the magic is all about the authentic sauces. I hoped in vain that Master Chef Shi Xi Lin would bottle these tasty binding agents which are combined with veggies and meat to create the exotic Asian fare I feast on.

With the end of the meal, I head to the front entrance where my car waits. As the youthful doorman bids adieu, I am certain about one thing--I would definitely miss the staff which gives Taj Lands End its soul.

Taj Lands End, Band Stand, Bandra (West), Mumbai; tel: [phone]; www.tajhotels.com

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company