Till almost middle of 19^th century, there were no hotels in Bombay or rather there were no ‘good’ hotels in Bombay. Sir D. E. Wacha states : “there were several taverns that would not be termed in those days any more than thirdrate grogshops. Half a dozen were scattered in the locality of Sonarpur (Sonapur), mostly frequented by soldiers and sailors and low-class clerks and others of the same kidney. …. these taverns were the haunts of low-class folk and in many ways disreputable.”

In 1839, Miss Emma Roberts wrote how travellers bemoan the absence of hotels in Bombay and were forced to live in the tents available for hire. She goes on to say – “To those, however, who do not succeed in obtaining invitations to private houses, a tent is the only resource. It seems scarcely possible that the number of persons, who are obliged to live under canvas on the Esplanade, would not prefer apartments at a respectable hotel”. Tents referred to above were the tented accommodation available on the grounds of the vast Esplanade.

George Parbury, just a couple of years later wrote – “On the score of hotels, Bombay is as much behind Calcutta as Madras. One only need be named, the Victoria; and that should only be resorted to in cases of extremity. It is surprising such a state of things can have existed thus long in Bombay, the principal resting-place on the high road to England and every other part of India.”

However, James Douglas speaking of the above period explains that it was not uncommon in those days for a gentleman with his wife and children, numerous servants of sorts, and much cattle, to arrive unexpectedly at a friend’s house and remain for a month. It was a matter of course, and they were welcome. It had passed into a proverb that no hotel could succeed while people were so hospitable.

Murray’s Handbook of India (a travel guide) of 1859, however, mentions that there are five hotels at Bombay – “Hope Hall, in the pleasant district of Mazagaon may be well recommended. …. The other hotels are the British Hotel, Apollo-street ; Barnes’ English Hotel, Military-square ; Prince Albert’s Hotel, Esplanade; Wellesley Hotel, Chinch Bandar, and the Adelphi, recently established at Bycullah, in the house which used to be called Clair Hall.” In fact that makes it a total of six and not five.

The Gazetteer of Bombay City and Island of 1910 mentions that prior to 1845 Bombay contained no good hotel but had a large number of low-class taverns.  It states – “in the year 1837, the Hope Hall Family Hotel was opened at Mazagon, which for many years served as the principal hotel in Bombay. …. Pallonji’s Adelphi Hotel at Byculla was well patronized in 1859. In 1864 Mr. Watson purchased ground from Government at auction for Rs. 110 per square yard and built the Esplanade Hotel, which has recently been sold by auction.” Mr. Watson was a wealthy draper and won the auction bidding against the Byculla Club. Douglas mentions that a traveller familiar with Bombay passed through it in 1867, and, on a morning walk, observed that opposite Forbes Street something like a huge birdcage had risen like an exhalation from the earth. This was the skeleton of the Watson’s Esplanade Hotel. It was completed in 1870. In present day, in the 150th year of its opening, this iconic building is now marked for demolition.

The Bombay Gazetteer goes on – “At the present date (1909) Bombay contains 15 hotels… The chief European hotels are the Taj Mahal on the Apollo Bandar, the Great Western and the Apollo Hotels.”

Of the three, only The Taj Mahal Hotel survives.