To Aer is Human…just don’t pick on my shoes!
Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai
Neil, Junelia, MissMalini, Ash & Marclelus
I have been meaning to tell you about this for days now but my monster week at work just grew another head! Anyhoo, as you may have gathered from all my tweets I practically spent my entire weekend at Aer, The Four Seasons – which I love because its breezy, bright and DJ Shaan spins some beautiful mixes, plus I recently discovered their salmon bruschetta and home grown chocolate ice cream which is unbelievably yummy. This is why, after Sammeer & Palak Sheth’s brunch on Sunday (when we wanted to keep on drinking cocktails) I suggested we hit up their sunset champagne happy hour. Thrilled, our party of 6 bopped our way over – MissMalini, my friend Neil, Ash Chandler, Junelia Aguiar and Marcellus Baptista (who is FYI a fellow journo and always at everything!) This is when our fantastic Sunday came to a screeching, pretentious, halt.
the sandals
Apparently Aer has a policy on open footwear for men. Fair enough, but hello discretion? I took a picture of Ash’s sandals just for you to tell me what you think. I can barely see skin, can you? To his credit Ash didn’t kick up a fuss… But really? At 5:30 in the afternoon if you should decide to pop into the Four Seasons for a sunset drink at their rooftop open-air bar, which is at that point practically empty – should “the guy in charge” a.) make a judgment call that people obviously dressed up for a Page 3 Sunday brunch aren’t really looking shabby enough to turn away or b.) ask said crew to “step out of the elevator please, I cannot let you upstairs in those shoes” as if we were all in plastic flip flops. I mean look at us, I feel like we were fairly well turned out, but their man on point decided to get ballsy and go with option 2. Now in his defense these are probably rules set by higher authorities to prevent hotel guests from shuffling in at night, wearing nothing but boxers and furry bathroom slippers but I’d seriously recommend upper management put someone with an iota of customer service skill on the job. When I requested that he please page the manager he simply said, “oh we don’t do that here. You can call from your phone, but I cannot give you his number.” Yes, that makes perfect sense Dheeraj, thanks!
So eventually I call the PR lady I know (in hopes of some better “public relations”) and we finally get upstairs to that gorgeous sunset on a breezy afternoon. We’re just about getting over the whole episode and decide to shift tables so we can watch the sunset and are once again greeted with the kind of look that says, *oh, um THAT’S not going to happen, you didn’t make a reservation for a party of 15.* So mildly mystified about why this would be a problem at 5:30 in the evening, I’m starting to wonder *Am I just not able to see all the invisible people who are occupying the entirely empty sofas or did Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts somehow get to make the rules at this place? They want to see the view? Off with their heads!* Also since the last time I checked, Aer doesn’t actually take reservations (not officially anyway) how does one pull this off? Anyway, eventually they caved and we enjoyed our sunset and left, at one point a waiter even came over and mumbled the question “do you want a free shot or something?” which I’m guessing was their way of saying sorry? But I’m just going to go ahead and say this out loud anyway…
“People of the Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai. Whoever you are, that are making these rules, stop taking yourselves so seriously. Its a total buzz kill!”
P.S. Ash, this is SO going in your next stand up act isn’t it?!
Recent Entries
- Call for Entries: Wedding Photographer of the Year!
- Will Angelina Jolie Give Brad Pitt his Oscar?
- Priyanka Chopra: That’s What She Said (About Marriage)!
- MissMalini’s Hottie of the Day – Phil Younghusband
- MissMalini’s Valentine’s Day Goodies, Contest #8 – Surprise Her With a Dinner at Escobar!
- MissMalini’s Fashion Poll: Lindsay Lohan’s New Photoshoot – Hot or Not?
- The Domestically Challenged Desi Bride – MissMalini’s Beach Wedding Survival Kit Part 5
- Chapter 26: The Domestically Challenged Desi Bride: Refreshing Your Face for Your Big Day (and Dragging Your Fiance Along!) – Facials at Sakasti
- Raveena Tandon and Rahul Bose at the Launch of Raymond’s 650th Flagship Store
- MissMalini’s Fashion Poll: Beyonce’s Post-Baby Body – Hot or Not?
April 15th, 2010 at 10:55 am
I totally feel you sistah! Hate these damn club rules!! And worst is when they relax their “rules” for goras! Dang!! And I’ve seen this happen ALL OVER!!! Why oh why isnt God making smarter people?!
April 15th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Hi..I am the owner of FOUR seasons….I hate you…dont come back…
April 16th, 2010 at 1:00 am
Re: sandals- the male/female double standard is stupid to begin with. (I’d much rather see folks in tasteful sandals than ridiculous crocs or even the highest end flip flops.) They might be able to get away with saying it’s a “safety” issue if they banned sandals altogether, but good luck with that at a Four Seasons.
And tPs is right- the firang factor exposes how hypocritical and essentially self-loathing/bigoted these establishments are. Coincidentally, the comments on Sharell’s lastest blog entry line up with this sort of conduct at stylish Mumbai establishments.
Sadly, this is not unique to Mumbai. Amsterdam, London, and NYC clubs do the same thing. I had one friend out of a group of 4 turned away at a A’dam club a few years back because of his shoes; which happened to look a lot like the ones the rest were wearing…he just happened to be kinda fat. We all left on the spot, which was for the best because the e was killer.
(Also, pongo is funny.)
April 16th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
WOW!PONGO needs a lesson or two in CLIENT SERVICING!!! AND He/SHe’s in the hospitality business and HE/SHE reads YOUR BLOG!!!! SCORE!!!
April 16th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Sorry I’m being exceptionally dimwitted today! Damn! Sarcasm jus flew over my head! Sorry PONGO!! Now i GET the joke! Hardy har har!
June 25th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Hej Malini I do agree with you wrt. the judgement call, these people should make, but as kaviani said it happens everywhere, I’ve experienced it in atlanta, london, paris (Buddha Bar), its like they kinda make portray themself as swish, and high stinking self-indulgent weinners………Its the same in delhi also………Kind a have to live with it………
Got through with some of your write-ups interesting………
Love&Peace, Mayank
September 16th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
OOOh!! how did I miss this one until today?!! brilliant piece on how these “guy in charge” types can be such a pain in the a**!! reminds me of your other post about Escobar was it? that was hilarious, I only have to look at “see-through shirt guy”‘s pics when I need a good laugh!
Also, I was at Four Seasons once when there was a “filmi” party at Aer and the things people were trying to pass of clothes, leave alone shoes was a sight for sore eyes! lets just say it left a lot to be desired ;)
I hope “Dheeraj” reads this one and goes “Damn! if only I hadn’t!!”
XO
September 16th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Avneeeee so true hahaha OMG “Uncle Escobar” as I like to call him still totally cracks me up too! :)
September 8th, 2011 at 11:31 am
Im glad I to be found this web, I could not get any information and facts on this subject matter before. I also operate a site and if you’re serious in performing a little bit of visitor posting for me if achievable feel free to let me know, i am usually look for persons to check out my web-site. Please stop and leave any a comment sometime!
September 14th, 2011 at 11:10 am
hawaii vacations
September 14th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your blog? My website is in the exact same niche as yours and my visitors would certainly benefit from a lot of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this alright with you. Regards!