Old Harbour Hotel — Hotel in Kerala

Don't believe all the fake reviews!

The hotel is set in the perfect location to explore Fort Kochi and it's a lovely old building set in beautiful gardens. Our room opened up into the gardens which was lovely. The staff were helpful and attentive.

I've traveled extensively around Asia and stayed in some wonderful places. In Kerala we stayed elsewhere in a beautiful beach bungalow with perfect wifi, a large bed, walk in wardrobe, TV with Netflix, veranda with seating, set in gorgeous gardens and just 1 min walk to the beach and all for 1500rp (approx £15) per night so we had high hopes for this hotel and were excited to see something so swish but we were sadly disappointed.

The room was very tired looking, shabby and really smelt of mould. The walls were damp, the mattress mouldy and the sheets, towels and dressing gowns were also damp and had seen better days. The bathroom walls were cracking and were in need of some TLC. There were several cockroaches running around the bedroom and bathroom.

The wifi was intermittent in the rooms so most guests, including us, had to sit in the reception to get a good signal. The air conditioning worked but the remote didn't so we couldn't adapt the temperature or turn it off.

There was a "mini bar" with one lonely bottle of Kingfisher. Where were the others? At £300 a night some soft drinks would have been a lovely touch. But alas the fridge was practically empty, covered in grime and in need of a good scrub.

The traditional Indian folk music in the garden on the evening was really fabulous but the following night, once we'd checked out, we could hear an awful cover artist blasting across Kochi. This would ruin the tranquil experience for me, be warned.

We were unable to make a cup of tea as the plug for the kettle didn't fit the socket or any adapters.

Nor could we have a pre breakfast swim as the pool was filthy. Later on after breakfast I asked for the pool to be cleaned so I could use it, I'm not sure this would have been done if I hadn't asked.

We would have loved to have sat on the veranda with our cup of tea (if we could have made one) but we didn't have a table and chairs to enjoy the garden view.

I was looking forward to my first hotel breakfast of the holiday. Until now we'd stayed in fabulous homestays where the breakfasts had been delicious and plentiful. This was a fancy hotel, at £300 a night, so breakfast was sure to be OUTSTANDING! Again, we were disappointed. The service was ok but they forgot my husband's pancake so had to be reminded. The coffee was good but the muesli, yoghurt and fruit was inedible and the watermelon juice was out of a carton…..why not fresh like everywhere else?! My husband said the pancakes were fine….”they filled a hole”…not the experience we were hoping for.

This hotel was an incredibly expensive and disappointing experience. We wouldn't normally spend this amount of money on a bed for a night so this was a first for us and we were expecting perfection at such a cost. I'm confused as to how the reviews can be so good, others surely must have noticed these issues? I can only assume the reviews are fake or the guests have more money than sense.

This hotel is in a top location in Fort Kochi and it's catering for western tourists so for that you're paying a premium. Is it worth the money? Absolutely not!

The owners of this hotel are taking advantage of western tourists who don't know better. They're not investing the exuberant fees back into this historic building and they don't care one bit about their customers. Personally I'll stick with my tip top homestays, socialise with the local people and give back to the communities. This is where you get to experience the kind and genuine people that India...

At the heart of ancient Fort Cochin, Kerala, a place that exudes history and culture, is the 'Old Harbour Hotel'. A 300-year-old building that has for long been a heritage monument of this town, now reopened as a boutique hotel.

Built in the Dutch style of architecture with hints of Portuguese influences, it was the first hotel of old Cochin. Later it remained a residential home to employees.

R E S T A U R A N T Food has always been an important criterion for us. At the restaurant, we ensure that only the freshest of foods are offered at all times. Homemade breads and plenty of freshly squeezed juices are a priority here. Only organically grown vegetables are used, while the meats are of the highest quality available. As the hotel rests close to the fishing nets, we believe guests would want to enjoy a variety of seafood. For this, there is a special seafood menu every night in the garden. The chef has also painstakingly conjured up an array of dishes to suit various taste palates.

R O O M S The interiors of the hotel, designed and decorated by Karl Damschen, is an eclectic blend of dated furniture and varied art that juxtapose to create a unique style. Thirteen spacious rooms, each of them named after the various old streets of Fort Cochin, are plush with high ceilings and either look into a courtyard with a fountain or over the ancient Chinese Fishing nets. Special garden cottages, which were added to offer a feel of Kerala, have open-to-the-sky showers, a veranda, and a private pond. There is also a large garden with a swimming pool as well as a stage for cultural performances, all of it set amidst plenty of natural green. For the comfort of guests, there is an Ayurvedic spa and a large open-air terrace. It is aware that guests are special and to ensure this, care has been paid to organic soaps and lotions in the bathrooms, comfortable robes and slippers, as well as plenty of bottled water.

Complimentary facilities: Free Wifi, Yoga session, Tea and Coffee maker, Two bottles of Mineral water. Dental and toilet amenity kits.

R E S T O R A T I O N When the chance upon this charming structure with its fine lines of architecture and immense grandeur, the belief is that its revival would allow one to re-live a glorious past. This led to the restoration of what was known as the Old Harbour House into a hotel of style and leisure, keeping the original façade and architectural elements intact, to bring alive the old hotel of previous sea-farers. The architect Karl Damschen, a specialist in the restoration of ancient buildings, has paid close attention to every minute detail, making sure of the preservation of the building and its natural surroundings. However, to ensure guests a comfortable stay, there has also been adherence to all...

We stayed at this hotel for one night travelling between Mumbai and Alleppey Kerela.|The greeting we had at the hotel was excellent everyone was so friendly, we were shown to our room the Palace Suite a great size of room ideal for three of us. the decor of the room and the hotel is continuous with its heritage theme whilst having a dash of modern here and there great touches. ||The hotel is situated 100 metres from the harbour where you can see the famous fishing nets, and see the fishing market where the fish await sale. Along the promonade area there are market stalls, and food stalls providing a taste of India both food wise and culturally ||The hotel as pool although we did not have time to use it . The restaurant is both inside and out, the night we stayed it was all indoor as we had a freek rain storm for 10 mins. The food menu has a great choice for starters and mains and a small dessert selection. Service was excellent very friendly and helpful, the food was excellent.||The room was a great, the beds very comfortable even the third bed , tea and coffee in the room as well as water for drinking. The shower was excellent with toiletries available to use on a complimentary basis.||The morning breakfast is a choice a continental type or Kerela breakfast , and they are both very good and filling.||there re pets in the hotel, Happy and Gavaskar the dogs are great so friendly and valentine the cat just does his own thing ||Great hotel, it just so unfortunate we only had one night we will definitely return the next time were in kerela for more nights most excellent and...