Given our budget, we expected this to be an average, clean hotel.

The hotel lobby and atrium are in need of a makeover---quite dark and unappealing.

Mainly, I rate this is hotel as 'terrible' based on two things:

1) the first room we received had mould on half the bathroom celing as well as along two of the walls, with mildew and stained grout in most of the shower stall. When we notified the front desk, the staff who arrived inspected the ceiling and announced to us that this was not mould, but rather, peeling paint.

2) The restaurant service is akin to a Keystone Cops movie. Not being able to get coffee from staff, I went up to get a coffee pot from the server area. There was syrupy goo caked on to the lips of both the coffee pots, and clearly they had not been cleaned (on the outside anyway) for a long time.

Of the 12 hotels we stayed at in our 3 week whirlwind tour of India (which was life-changing in the affirmative), this stands out as the worst element of the trip.

Based on international standards, this is a 3-star but for a developing country, you could call it a 4-star. Pricing-wise too, for Mumbai, where 5-star hotels are $400+, we got an executive club room and a suite for $200 each. Obviously this is overpriced based on international standards, but for Mumbai it was okay.

The positives are the staff, the cleanliness, the location (if you're a tourist... shopping, restaurants are walking distance, and malls like CR2, Nariman Point, Atria Mall, High Street Phoenix are under half an hour away (that's good, for a city where a normal journey is 1-2 hours!) Room service is also prompt, as is housekeeping, laundry etc. Newspapers are delivered early (two, one business and one normal) and at night a chocolate was left on the bed. Free mineral water bottles are available, and rooms have basic minibars for those who want to indulge. Digital channels are available on TV as well.

If you're there for business, might be better to avoid it as it took us nearly 1.5 hours daily commute to various company offices that are at and around the airport area. But for tourists, it's a good location, as Gateway to India is walking distance. Some people say that a location near or on Marine Drive is better, which might be true as well. But I was satisfied here and wouldn't mind staying here again.

We stayed at this hotel during a conference. Having compared experiences with other conference-goers I feel confident I made the right choice!

The rooms are small, but ours was never less than impeccably clean. Newspapers were brought to the room every morning and chocolate every evening. All our calls to reception were handled immediately and the staff responded positively to requests for more bottled water, more soap and paracetamol. They also dealt with the unpleasant travel agent who booked our stay and was trying to claim we had not already paid and trying to get us to give him cash in hand (he was not affiliated with Fariyas). The guard at the front door was especially helpful in arranging taxis and negotiating fares.

On the second day of our week stay the toilet broke. We were moved to an adjacent room for the hour it took to fix the toilet. The response time was swift and all worked well afterward.

Being located where it is, the noise is something to get used to. Request a room on a higher floor if you have trouble sleeping. Also, the business suite is only open from 8 am to 8 pm, not much use if you are conferencing all day.

We didn't go to the club but friends of ours did, and it was still going strong past 11 on a Saturday night.

The rooms are small, but the bed was comfortable. Same with the pool (more for a quick splash than swimming laps) and gym... small, but sufficient to needs. The poolside deck is pleasant and the Indian white wines offered are particularly nice (an Indian friend of ours, in fact, recommended them!). The prices are Western prices, but the breakfast, which was included with the room tariff, was ample and delicious. There are a number of clean, friendly, cheap restaurants within walking distance so no need to pay hotel prices for an evening meal.

In short, you could only really step up from Fariyas to the Taj when staying in Colaba. If you have that sort of money to spend, go for it! Otherwise, Fariyas is a very good choice.

Both myself and my wife stayed here in early October.

Check in was efficient and the guys on reception were very couteous and friendly.

We were then escorted to our room with "A Sea View". The room was very dissapointing as it smelled of damp and plaster was crumbling off the walls. Having said that it was large and had all the usuals fittings eg. TV, mini - bar, safe, hair dryer etc.

The location of this hotel is great, approximately a ten minute walk to the "Gate Way to India".

Both the service and the food in restaurant were good, we ate outside.

However after paying nearly 100 Euro for the night, I felt it was overpriced for the standard of the hotel, which is 2 star at best.