In Mumbai, visitors are often forced to choose: old-world elegance to the south, polished glass towers to the north, or — further still — the posh pin codes of Juhu, where seafront calm meets Bollywood cachet. But quietly, between it all, something new has arrived. The Kin, a 15-room boutique hotel, doesn’t ask you to pick sides. It positions you perfectly — in the middle of the map and the narrative — and redefines what a stay in Mumbai can feel like.
The experience begins before you even book. Currently accepting reservations only through direct calls or messages via its website, The Kin feels less like a hotel and more like the home of your impossibly well-travelled sister.
The one who eats at three-star restaurants around the world and brings back a ceramic Michelin Man she found on a vintage hunt at London’s Portobello Road. The one who effortlessly arranges single stems in washed-tone pedestal vases and somehow finds the antique market vendor who’ll fabricate contemporary designs.
That sister is Guneet Singh, the creative force behind the hotel’s interiors and its distinct aesthetic personality. She shares the space with her brother, Imrun Singh. Together, they’ve transformed what was once their grandfather’s hotel into something entirely new.
“This used to be our nana’s hotel,” Imrun says. “Back then it was all about utility — no-frills, fast turnaround. Over time, it became the kind of place where we’d see 20 different guests in just 15 rooms, in one day.”
The original hotel faded, much like the neighborhood it lived in. But the bones were still good — even if they did require some additions.
While they navigated city codes to figure out how to add an elevator (they did — and yes, it looks like it’s been there all along), Guneet began shaping the visual soul of the place. Imrun brought a different kind of experience to the table — one built not in formal hotel training, but in kitchens.
He once had a choice: go to hospitality school, or save those resources to invest in something of his own. He chose the latter, deciding not to learn things the hard way, but rather through hustle. He earned his stripes through “odd jobs in Barca,” as he puts it with a laugh, eventually landing more formal stages in kitchens across the Loire Valley, and finally in London at The Criterion, a boastful two-Michelin-starred classic.
Back in India, the bet on himself paid off. He opened Terttulia, a European-inspired all-day café, restaurant and bar in Pune. A second followed in Goa. And now, in a full-circle moment, the Mumbai outpost of Terttulia occupies three-fourths of The Kin’s ground floor — a return to where it all began, but on their terms.
Throughout the interiors, Guneet’s influence shines through in rooms that feel like a blend of private art gallery and in-home guest suite. She drew from her design-hunting travels and her intuitive sense of balance, collaborating with Mumbai-based creatives like Samir Raut of Atelier Nowhere. Each room tells a story in texture, material, and mood — no two are the same, but all feel uniquely theirs.
“We fight 50 times a day,” Guneet laughs, “but at the end of it, we rely on each other’s strengths.” Those strengths shine through beyond the design, with a layered experience that offers both legacy and innovation. From the co-signed welcome notes in each room to Blackie, the hotel’s adopted street dog and unofficial mascot, The Kin keeps it comfortable. Casual, but cool. It’s a space built by people with history, not spreadsheets.
And while Guneet and Imrun are often found chatting with guests — both travellers and neighbours — the familial atmosphere doesn’t rely on them alone. Kapil Kapoor, The Kin’s General Manager, who comes with a hospitality pedigree that includes years at Taj Hotels, brings a sense of ease and familiarity that grounds the experience. His approach to hospitality is unmistakably Indian — warm, intuitive, and present — but without the formalities or performance of a traditional five-star lobby.
This is anything but that. With a boutique store that spills across the entrance, stocked with a well-edited mix of books, ceramics, and design objects and a cement bench carved in Devanagari script, The Kin’s lobby feels more like a home you’d linger in than a place you’re trying to check out of.
Beyond the comfort and the obvious cool-factor, its biggest surprise might just be location. From The Kin, the city unfolds easily — Colaba in the morning, Bandra by lunch, Juhu by sunset. For a place tucked between it all, it offers access without the sprawl.
And that same thinking extends to the price. The Kin’s room rates are intentionally accessible, not ironically “budget,” just thoughtfully fair. A reminder that good beds, great design, and genuine hospitality don’t need to come with velvet ropes.
For travellers drawn to places with a point of view — and those who prefer personality over polish — The Kin delivers the kind of stay that feels entirely its own. After all, it is — so very much — Guneet and Imrun’s.
Words Gauri Sarin
20.06.2025