Brunton Boatyard - CGH Earth — Hotel in Kerala

As long-standing patrons of CGH Earth since 2008 and having celebrated one of the most significant milestones of our lives—our wedding—at a CGH property, it brings me no joy to write this review. Unfortunately, Brunton Boatyard is the only CGH property I cannot, in good conscience, recommend.

The experience left much to be desired, starting with their reservation system, which appears to have been outsourced to Swiggy. For a 5-star establishment, entrusting reservations to a fast-food delivery service is not only incongruous with their reputation but downright baffling. To add insult to injury, the reservation confirmations for our January 17th lunch, sent via WhatsApp and email, were inconsistent and contradictory.

Upon arrival, we were informed that the restaurant we had specifically booked was not operational for lunch. This begs the question—why were we able to reserve it in the first place? While the staff did apologize and offered a complimentary amuse-bouche, it was underwhelming and failed to compensate for the lapse. We were told that they would present the menu from the closed restaurant and attempt to accommodate our request, but this promise was never fulfilled.

To compound matters, the treatment at reception was shockingly dismissive. When my mother—a retired RBI Assistant General Manager and economist—highlighted the issue and suggested it be rectified during our departure, the receptionist had the audacity to insinuate that my mother “didn’t understand.” My mother, in fact, understood perfectly but found the process frustrating and misleading. The receptionist’s solution was to instruct us to “click on the three dots” to view the restaurant name—a flawed and impractical system that should not place the onus on customers to navigate around such inefficiencies.

Brunton Boatyard has failed to uphold the high standards we have come to associate with CGH Earth. It is disappointing to see a brand we’ve supported for over 15 years falter so significantly. I sincerely hope this decline in service is limited to this property and does not reflect a broader deterioration across their portfolio. Unfortunately, this experience has left a bitter taste, and we will not be returning to...

This was the last CGH property we stayed in during our journey to South India and we spent there a couple of nights in a sea front room . The property like the others we stayed was stunning ; we loved the colonial architecture, the big spaces , the hanging fans reminiscent of old times , the ambience , the swimming pool overlooking the port , the furniture in the halls .

Our room was on the ground floor and was big ,tastefully furbished and very cosy ; the bathroom was quite big and both overlooked the busy port . We loved relaxing in the small balcony looking at the coming and going of the ships. We appreciated the tea and coffee facilities where the different types of tea were in leaves and not in bags and coffee was the organic one .

We took advantage of two of the activities offered which can’t be missed : the cooking lesson and the sunset cruise , where we were given explanations about the different houses and buildings we could see from the boat : the iconic Chinese fishing nets at sunset were really nice .

We had our dinners at one of the two restaurant , the Armoury Restaurant because we loved the position just in front of the sea . even though we found the service a little slow , the food was very good. As we had to leave very early in the morning of our departure , and we didn’t want the packed breakfast that they usually give to their guests, we asked to have some muffins and biscuits and they were very kind and provided them to us .

All the CGH properties we stayed had something special but all of them shared the same commitment to the environment , an aspect that we particularly appreciated : the complimentary glass bottles of filtered water and not the plastic ones , the bathroom products made of natural herbs and spices where , for each product ,there was an explanation of the ingredients and their benefits- the use of recycled paper for envelopes and bags , the reminding of how water is precious so the need to use it with care , are only a few example of their attitude towards the environment.

We feel that Brunton Boatyard is the best choice in town!

Anna and...

Fort Kochi, with its colonial past has many a beautiful hotel. The grandest of them all however, can only be the Brunton Boatyard owned by the wonderful CGH group. A shipyard during the British times, the property has been converted into a luxurious hotel faithfully retaining the colonial architecture reflecting the British, Dutch and Portuguese periods.

We had opted for a Lake facing room, which is definitely the one with the best view from the hotel. The property overlooks the Vembanad lake, and you get to see a lot of traffic from the room in the form of large container ships, small fishing boats and trawlers, and ferries 24/7. This is one sight that really needs to be seen to be believed. By the way, you can also choose to relax in the bathtub and soak in the same view.

The restaurants Armory cafe and History and Terrace Grill are both unique in their decor, and serve fantabulous food. This is one place that is recommended even for the local Kochiite planning a romantic evening dinner overlooking the bay. A special call out for the lobster, prawn with mango and railway mutton curry. And of course, the Tres leches - different from the usual one, but equally yummy. The traditional kerala dishes during breakfast were exceptional as well. Service was exemplary as in all of the CGH properties - Anoop, Sanjay, Anjana - you guys were super.

The hotel has some of the most picturesque locations, and you may even get the friendly neighbourhood peacock for company, if you are lucky. The deck overlooking the bay near the pool is the most perfect place during evenings - the lovely breeze and the ships cruising through the sunset make for some beautiful sights. Also do try the evening cruise that is offered to the guests - some beautiful shutter moments including the sights of the Chinese fishing nets in the sunset.

Brunton Boatyard is located close to the Vasco da Gama square and is close to most of the attractions around Fort Kochi. The Kathakali performance at Kerala Kathakali Centre is one thing that you should never miss - very highly recommended.

We will certainly be coming back to Brunton the next time we...