Le Colonial

Style

Commander-approved casa

Setting

Steps from St Francis Church

Built all the way back in 1506, boutique hotel Le Colonial is an aptly named private pad near Kerala's Fort Kochi. Portuguese, Dutch and British owners have left their mark over the centuries, with the current custodian getting bid-happy at Christie's in order to furnish their pad in fittingly vintage style. Assorted European admirals and traders have set up home here – today, the wood-panelled walls, grand furniture and an enviable antique collection can be read like a history book. After days out exploring the fort, or watching the fishermen cast their iconic Chinese nets at the harbour, the lantern-lit gardens and peaceful verandas are timeless spots to retreat to.

Facilities

Rooms

Seven, including four suites.

Checkout

Noon. Earliest check-in, 2pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability and an hourly charge. You’ll be charged for one night if you check out after 4pm or check in before 10am.

More Details

Rates include breakfast.

Also

The house’s communal areas are accessible for wheelchair users and one room on the ground floor has been specially adapted.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

At the Hotel

Laundry, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: air-conditioning, free bottled water and Cochine bath products. Suites have Nespresso coffee machines.

Our Favourite Rooms

Each of the seven rooms – which were named for the house’s famous former guests and notable explorers – has its charms, but we especially loved the rooms upstairs. Mahé de La Bourdonnais has a feminine flair, soft-blue hues and French chest of drawers. Families can book out the Viceroy and Aide de Camp rooms, which interconnect to form a two-bedroom suite, with a garden-facing veranda.

Poolside

There’s a small, decking-surrounded pool in the garden with a corner ledge to lounge on.

Spa

There’s no spa, but in-room or on-your-veranda treatments can be arranged.

Packing Tips

Bring cooling cottons and loose linens for modestly coping with the Keralite climate.

Also

The hotel can arrange private yoga sessions, and cookery classes with the chef.

Children

All ages are welcome. Cots and extra beds can be added for a fee; two bedrooms connect. The restaurant has a highchair and board games to borrow, and there’s a playground around the corner. Babysitting is available with a day’s notice for INR500 an hour.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

A table out by the pool in the lantern-lit grounds is the most romantic – or head inside to admire the oil paintings.

Dress Code

Something vintage to match the interiors, but long sleeves and trousers to save you from the mosquitoes.

Hotel Restaurant

There are no menus at the Lord Mountbatten – the chef has a chat with guests in the morning before he heads out to the market and comes back to create thalis of dishes like classic Keralite prawn curry and courgette soup, with house-made ice-creams definitely worth saving space for. Western tastes are catered to as well, with mealtimes switching between northern and southern Indian and international fare, with lighter dishes for lunch. Breakfast is a just-squeezed juice of the day, a fresh-fruit platter, toast with organic honey and eggs how you like them (even if that’s a masala omelette).

Last Orders

Breakfast hours are 7am to 11.30am; lunch service is noon to 3pm; and dinner is between 7pm and 11pm.

Planes

The nearest airport is Cochin International, an hour and a half away by car. Hotel transfers for up to four guests cost US$50 each way. Chances are you’ll have to connect in Delhi (from where it’s an onwards three hours in the air) or Mumbai (a two-hour flight from Cochin).

Automobiles

The hotel’s half an hour by car from the centre of Kochi. The Fort Kochi neighbourhood is easy to explore on foot, but if you want to head off further afield, a car or private driver will come in handy. There’s a free car park just outside the hotel.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Make yourself at home by the pool or out on your veranda, before heading off to see the famous fort (the hotel can arrange English-speaking guides). The hotel is on a quiet side street right by St Francis Church, and just a few minutes on foot from the coast. Take a tuk-tuk to explore Jew Town, to see the Paradesi Synagogue and all the antique shops in its winding alleys (prepare for some international shipping costs). Just to the north, don’t miss the Dutch Palace at Mattancherry. The Dutch cemetery is within walking distance of the hotel, and all the cafés and boutiques of Princess Street and Burgher Street are right behind it. Head over to Aspinwall House to admire the artworks on show at the oceanfront gallery, originally the home of the namesake English trader who settled here in the 1860s. Pop into Cult Modern to pick up some threads, or ask the concierge to assist in arranging a lunch and afternoon out cruising the Kerala backwaters. Take a trip down to Vasco da Gama Square to see the Chinese fishing nets in action – the technique was taught to the Kochi fishermen by a Chinese explorer 500 years ago.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .