Koder House — Hotel in Kerala

I spent one night at Koder House Hotel in February 2023. It was difficult to book online - websites will tell you that there's no vacancy. Calling the hotel from the US was also not helpful as front desk staff are not so fluent in English. Finally I found out that I had to book through Granary Activity Stays.||||The home is old and historic. You'll see walking tours stop at the entrance and guides tell the tourists how special that home is. So there certainly is a charm to it.||||Staying in a very old house can have its drawbacks. Something is always breaking down, something always needs to be repaired. So the home is not in 100% excellent condition. You'll see things here and there which need attention or could be neater, but I did not feel unsafe.||||Breakfast is included but it's very simple. There is no buffet. You order fruit, tea/coffee, toast with butter/jam, and eggs. There is a restaurant on the ground floor called Plan B and there's loud music until 10:30PM. So book early to get a room on a higher floor if noise is an issue for you. The website claims to have a restaurant called Menorah, but I did not see this when I was there in person.||||It would be great if someone could give us a tour of the house. I also suggest having some family photos up on the wall, so we can see the people who used to live there. Another idea - name the rooms after illustrious family members.||||Koder House staff are really special. They went above and beyond to help me. Their personal touch was very much appreciated. I especially remember...

I write this review with great sadness, because it should have been an amazing stay, but it wasn’t. Firstly the building is a lovely heritage building, and the rooms are enormous. On first arrival it was quite awesome, but you didn’t have to look far for the issues. Yes the building is worn and yes, it needs better maintenance but that could be forgiven except for some niggles which became big issues, as our stay progressed. The doors and windows do not fit correctly and consequently, there is a great deal of noise. First from outside along the busy street, but also from the bar area downstairs, which usually lasts 5 or 6 hours until closing around 22.30. Also we could hear the conversations from the room above, so did not feel very private, and finally, so wide is the gap on the bedroom door (you can actually view the bed through it!), rather than fix that, there is a saloon style door over the door to try and cover it up…|Breakfast was an absolute shambles, to the point that on day 2 we told them what the problem was, and said we would eat out from now on. The WiFi is very intermittent, as was the hot water. |The staff are lovely and so sweet, and that’s why I feel bad writing this, but feeling bad won’t make a jot of difference! In the end we curtailed our booked stay of 5 nights and moved hotels...

Koder House, often referred to as Fort Kochi’s red-hued heritage gem, is a striking three-storied mansion that blends history, architecture, and culture. Originally built during the Dutch era in the early 1800s, it was acquired in 1905 by Samuel S. Koder, a prominent figure of Cochin’s Jewish community. A visionary entrepreneur, Koder was the founder of the Cochin Electric Company, owner of a major department store chain, honorary Dutch consul, and an initiator of the Freemasons in the region. He extensively remodeled the property, giving it the distinctive Indo-European colonial style seen today. Constructed with red bricks, the house features spacious sea-facing verandahs, Belgian glass windows, teak wood staircases and floors, chessboard-patterned tiles, intricately carved wooden furniture, and a unique hanging bridge that connects to a nearby office across Rose Lane. During its heyday, Koder House served as a vibrant social and cultural hub. The Koders hosted renowned Friday “open houses” that welcomed British officials, diplomats, and members of the Jewish community, especially during festivals like Hanukkah, making it a symbol of cosmopolitan hospitality in...