*Sigh* there was a time where I could pull an all-nighter without so much as a hangover in the morning, now-a-days its more like a near-death experience. This does not however stop me from trying and I was all set to watch the sunrise at Aer, the swanky new rooftop bar & lounge at the Four Seasons, Worli on Saturday and was therefore avoiding every other vodka shot that came my way. I did not however account for all the standing around in high-heels for 6 hours which was my eventual downfall (but still better than the actual falling down which I have also done in the past!) I can still proudly profess that I made it to 5:00am (and was witness to a lot of the rich and restless making their fourth stop for the night around 3:00am (probably still buzzing from Friday’s Bombay Times party at the Taj aka Prom.)
Spotted: Nethra Raghuraman, Reshma Bombaywala (looking smoking hot and all set to ring wedding bells in Goa in the new year!), Atul Kasbekar, Ravi Shastri, Gregory Roberts & Princess Francoise Sturdza, Aki Narula, Gayatri Khanna, newly weds Timmy Narang & Ishaa Kopikar, Parizad Kolah, Shehnaaz Tresurywala, Simone Singh, Celina Wadia, Prerna Goel, Ash Chandler, Abhishek Kapoor, Arjun Bhasin, Alex Kuruvilla, Ness Wadia, Nikhil & Natasha Chib, Sophie Chowdhury, Anaita Adajani Shroff, Ravi Krishnan & Bandana Tewari, Adam Bedi & Nisha and Nisha JamVwal.
I’ve already told you how much I like this place and apart from a slightly frazzled feline handling the list at the door (she must be new) the wonderful thing about the Four Seasons is that they’ve got customer service down to an art form (maybe we can send Ms. Badlani over for a crash course?) Being 34 floors above the closest thing we get to “winter” in Mumbai was quite a treat paired up with Aer’s panoramic view of the city and the sea. The highlight of my night though was the music. OMG, I mean I’ve known Shaan Bhavnani for almost a decade (after meeting him at Ghetto over a game of pool) but he is quite possibly the city’s best kept secret when it comes to a groovy lounge DJ that can hit (and stay at) that sweet spot for hours on end. Impressive! Overall I’m 100% in agreement with the manager Shaijo Rajan, “With the launch of Aer, Mumbai has got itself a new place to get away from the madding crowds.” (…and that too in celebrity style.)
And now for some gossip & highlights – selective as my memory 😉
- Ness Wadia refused to be photographed, but how can you blame the boy? In his case Bigg Boss is mummy dearest and I’m told she’s keeping a close watch on his nocturnal activities.
- Much of Mumbai’s glitterati were on a party hop across town. The brat pack touched down at Puro, Bandra (Mamta
from Papa Pancho’s birthday party) and Rita & Raja Dhody’s daughter Aneesa’s pre-wedding bash in Worli before making their way to Aer.
- Another affluent gentlemen was first clicked with one PYT and later with two, he made it a point to return and practically beg the photogs to delete the evidence citing “girlfriend issues”. Juicy!
- The hilarious Anubhav Pal came bounding up to me to share a funny story, apparently he was introduced to a not-so-bright beauty who asked him what he did, when he replied that he was a writer, she chimed back, “on your own or family business?” Lol.
- You could hear a glass breaking almost every 5 minutes. I’m not sure if this was unintentionally or we had some very superstitious Greek tourists in the house, but by the time I left the terrace was definitely crunchy.
- I finally got to meet my Twitter-buddy @hinghanghong who set up my sneak preview, thank you doll face 🙂
- I also finally told the “comedy pimp” Quill Potter to stop being such a pompous ass all the time and just be himself, (or perhaps a nicer version). Hopefully he took it well 🙂
Aer will be open from 6.00pm – 1.30am daily with a maximum seating capacity of 65 from 11th December 2009 onwards. For advance group reservations (minimum 10 guests), please contact (022) 2481 8900. So I’ll see you there this weekend?
P.S. While a Mumbai’s getting new nightlife all the time some of the old are getting makeovers. Both Rock Bottom at Ramee Guestline, Juhu and Polly Esthers at Gordon House, Colaba relaunched last weekend. From what I could tell no real physical changes but they’re working on crowd control!
Psst! Celina Wadia and Prerna Goel appear to be cut from the same cloth and posed rather willingly at the launch of Aer leaving me mystified. Was it a coincidence? A stunt for the paparazzi? A weird BFF thing? HHC please tell me what’s going down here?! But I’ve got the scoop on what is trending in tinsel-town; based on the BT bash belles hot pink and zero accessories appear to be the flavor of the month!
Mumbai, 5 December 2009 – Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai launched Mumbai’s newest ‘place-to-be and be-seen’, ‘Aer’ – a breath-taking, open-air, classic-contemporary Bar & Lounge located on its 34th floor.
Covering the entire rooftop, AER’s panoramic city and sea views and endless ceiling of sky and stars created an atmosphere that redefined the notion of freedom. An evening of relaxation, the exclusive celebration saw distinguished guests such as Nethra Raghuraman, Reshma Bombaywala, Atul Kasbekar, Ravi Shastri, Gregory Roberts, Aki Narula, Gayatri Khanna,Timmy Narang,Ishaa Kopikar, Parizad Kolah, Shehnaz Tresurywala, Simone Singh, Celina Wadia, Prerna Goel, Ash Chandler, Abhishek Kapoor, Arjun Bhasin, Alex Kuruvilla and many more indulging in some delectable Lebanese & Mediterranean tapas paired with a fine selection of wines & champagnes.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Vincent Hoogewijs, General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai said, “It’s a real privilege to have the highest rooftop bar in India at Four Seasons Mumbai. We are delighted to present ‘Aer’ which truly reflects the city’s character of being ‘free spirited’. It’s a place that lets you experience and appreciate both, old and new Mumbai.”
The high energy lounge was kept abuzz by DJ Shaan, who dished out nightly sets of modern lounge music. Whether one was seen lounging at the two extended bars or raised lounge areas, phenomenal city views accompanied with indulgent rounds of champagne cocktails and an eclectic menu of wines, kept spirits high. Aer’s contemporary and minimalistic interiors, accentuated with an abundance of mirrors and glass lit by an ever-changing array of multi-coloured lights had guests mesmerized.
Adds Mr. Shaijo Rajan, Manager – Aer, Four Seasons Hotel, “With the launch of Aer, Mumbai has got itself a new place to get away from the madding crowds.”
Aer will be open from 18.00hrs – 01.30hrs daily with a maximum seating capacity of 65 from 11th December 2009 onwards. For advance group reservations (minimum 10 guests), please contact (022) 2481 8900.