The Resort Mumbai

The Resort stands on the Arabian Sea shoreline at Aksa, on the Madh-Marve road beyond Malad West, in a stretch of coconut palms and low-rise villages that feels a long way from central Mumbai despite being inside the city limits. The property is spread horizontally rather than stacked into a tower, with rooms and cottages arranged around gardens, a large outdoor pool and direct access to the beach. Sea-view rooms look straight down the sand, and the sunsets from the western terraces are the main reason most guests come. Facilities include a spa, a fitness centre, a children's play area and indoor games, which make it popular with Mumbai families driving out for a weekend rather than with business travellers. Dining covers an all-day multi-cuisine restaurant, a poolside grill and a bar, with seafood featuring heavily. Aksa Beach itself has strong currents and swimming is unsafe in places, so the pool does most of the work, but the sand is good for long walks at low tide. The drive from south Mumbai takes well over an hour, and the airport is around forty-five minutes away.