Inside 38 Manhattan At The St. Regis: Mumbai’s Sky-High Secret

I’m here on a Friday afternoon. Not exactly party hour, but that’s kind of the point. The elevators doors part without ceremony. Thirty-eight floors up, the air already hang different – less Mumbai, more midtown Manhattan.

And with the two massive wooden doors pulled apart, 38 Manhattan at The St. Regis Mumbai, perched like a crown jewel on the 38th floor of the St. Regis, makes its point.

This is as high as the city gets, literally and metaphysically.

As soon as I walk in, I’m taken aback by the floor-to-ceiling windows that double as art installations. Views of the Arabian Sea on one side, the sprawl on Mumbai – from Mahim to Colaba – next to it. The mahogany panels catch the midday light, while crystal chandeliers hover overhead, glimmering in the rays. It's theatrical without being gaudy—a trick that most venues never quite master.

As I inch closer to absorb the depth of the city, I notice the classic “St." shifted in the "R” – symbol of St. Regis – embossed on the glass beautifully. And I’m suddenly drawn back into the space.

The place is split into two levels. Lots of wood, heavy chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling glass coupled with high waffle ceilings. It’s quite expansive, yes, but still there’s stillness to the space. Even empty, it doesn’t echo. Maybe because it’s one of the few places in the city where all the cacophony and the hustle that makes Bombay dies out.

Both levels easily flow into each other like a continuous conversation, intimate enough for conspiracy and striking business deals but grand enough for a celebration. You could host a board meeting here in the afternoon and a wedding reception at night, and both would feel equally at home.

But here's what separates 38 Manhattan at The St. Regis from every other "exclusive" venue in the city: it doesn't try too hard. There's no velvet rope theatrics, no artificial scarcity. The exclusivity is built into the architecture itself—you can't fake being 400 feet above sea level. You can't manufacture views that stretch like that. And when the sun dips low and the lights flicker on, Mumbai turns into something else. A city made of stars. A little bit Gotham. A little bit Gatsby.

Before I realise I’ve been sitting here and working all day, the space has shifted into its evening persona. It’s fuller now, with hotel guests, business conglomerates wrapping up the day – where champagne flutes now stand alongside whisky tumblers. This is Mumbai's power class at rest.

By the time I left, the mood had started to shift. A few people were setting up for something. Glasses being placed, lights dimmed a bit. You could tell it was about to turn into a completely different space. That’s what stuck with me most—how adaptable it was. Like it could hold anything: a wedding, a product launch, a fight club, who knows.

I took the elevator back down and immediately heard the horns again. Felt the heat. But something about the calm upstairs stuck. Not flashy calm. Just… grown-up. I guess I understood why 38 Manhattan at The St. Regis has become the final destination for those who've conquered everything else. When you've already reached the top, sometimes the only direction left is inward—toward refinement, or toward a different kind of luxury.  

For more information, please visit https://penthousestregismumbai.com/38-manhattan/