The Grand Hotel has ground-level windows with outward projecting canopies painted in alternating bands of blue and white. Above the windows, bracketed cornice runs all around the building, supporting balconies on the first floor (also on the third-floor level). The second-floor balconies are supported by stone brackets.
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 resulted in shorter travel time from India to Europe, revolutionizing the maritime trade in India. Improved connectivity also brought more European tourists to Mumbai, and they stayed at the Grand Hotel, located close to Ballard Pier, from where ships disembarked passengers.
Located on a corner plot, the Grand Hotel has a round edge with a circular tower on top. The hotel was designed by George Wittet, one of the prime architects of Mumbai, who designed several landmarks in the city, like the Prince of Wales Museum, Gateway of India, Wadia Maternity Hospital, Institute of Science, and many buildings in Ballard Estate.
Lettering over canopy and entrance at the Grand Hotel. The hotel was the most sought-after accommodation and dining place in Mumbai and opened in 1923. At the time, it was one of only two hotels in Ballard Estate (Regent Hotel was the other), developed primarily as a business and commercial district.