Old Harbour Hotel is a heritage boutique hotel, set in the heart of Fort Cochin, in Kerala, southwestern coast of India. Once occupied by an English tea-broking firm, the hotel is in a prime location but the building had to be spruced up to modern requirements. Owner and art-lover Edgar Pinto enlisted the help of Swiss/German architect Karl Damschen who had earlier worked on another similar property, to deliver the heritage hotel concept with a fresh modern look.
Retaining its original style and charm, the Old Harbour Hotel offers just 13 spacious rooms and one private home. All the cottages have high ceilings, cool tiled or wooden floors and large glass windows, with comfortable seating areas that look out onto the tropical gardens with lily ponds. Some suites have private balconies, others have romantic swing chairs and Garden Cottages have open-to-the-sky bathrooms. In addition, there is a townhouse that makes as a private home.
Dining options include an inhouse restaurant serving traditional cuisine with favourite continental dishes. The focus is on freshly sourced ingredients and catch of the day brought by the fishermen. For relaxation there is a beautiful swimming pool surrounded by a tropical forest and lily ponds and an Ayurveda spa. The Old Harbour Hotel is within walking distance to where local fishermen use Chinese Fishing Nets. In the surrounds are 16th-century churches and a teaming bazaar.
Amenities
Bar/PubCoffee ShopConciergeCribs/Infant Beds AvailableDisabled FacilitiesGardenLibraryMultilingual StaffOutdoor PoolRestaurantSafety Deposit BoxesSpa/SaunaStay Old Harbour Hotel features 13 rooms and one house. All are spacious in size with high terracotta tiled roofs, hardwood floors and large glass windows. Inside, the décor is minimalistic with period style furniture and studded with antiques. Facilities include Casablanca fans, air-conditioning and minibar with comfortable seating arrangements, some with a private veranda or terrace while the garden-view rooms have open air showers. Bathrooms have modern fittings including a bath.
ChildCare Families with children are welcome to stay at Old Harbor Hotel but there are no specific facilities available for children. However, extra beds can be added to each rooms and babysitting service can be arranged on request.
Dine There is a multi-cuisine restaurant at the Old Harbour Hotel. Named 1788, the year records first mentioned this building, it spills out through its century-old arches onto an open terrace. The food is both Indian and continental with a special seafood menu and barbecue every night in the garden, plus outdoor seating. There’s also a decent wine list. Breakfast is either full English breakfast or Indian, with fresh fruits. The hotel also owns the Kashi Art Cafe in the town.
Relax There is a raised infinity pool with sun loungers at the Old Harbour Hotel. It is one of largest in Cochin and sits in the centre of a well-kept tropical garden and fringed by a wonderful lotus pond that is especially beautiful in the morning when the flowers bloom. There are also complimentary yoga classes in the morning, and guests can make use of the rooftop Ayurvedic spa. In the evening, there are live classical music performances with dinner.
Experience Cochin or Kochi, is a collection of tiny islands and peninsulas along the Arabian sea with a glorious history nurtured over centuries by foreign powers and merchants; Arabs, Dutch, British, Chinese and the Portuguese. But they also left behind their mark on the architecture; Fort Cochin, Chinese fishing nets, the 16th-century Mattancherry or the Dutch Palace, Jewish colony and Synagogue and the St. Francis Church. Old Harbour Hotel can organise day tours to explore local heritage and culture.
Location The Old Harbour hotel is in the centre of Fort Cochin (Kochi), in Kerala, southern India, just a small distance from many of the great attractions in Cochin.
Getting there Fly to Cochin International Airport. Cochin is the nearest airport to Old Harbour hotel, 45km away, a journey time of 1-hour.
When to go Isolated from much of India by the Western Ghats, the climate of Kerala & Karnataka is tropical. The best time to visit is from January through to April. Summer is hot and humid; the monsoon season arrives in early June and lasts till August. While September can be dry and humid. There can be a little rain in October and November, cooling off around December and lasting until February.
Destination
Southern, India
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