Paradise Search : Malabar House, Kerala, India

A few years have passed since we’ve been to Kerala and stayed at the Malabar House. Now I’m starting to see refined, small-scale hotels popping in big city like Dehli, but back then, finding a boutique hotel in India was a somewhat unrealistic request.

This was my second time in India, but my first time with my husband. I had briefed him about the special way that things have to not go-as-planned there, so he’d know what to expect. Well, none of that happened.

The Malabar House is the main hotel of the independent resort group Malabar Escapes, it’s located in Fort Cochin, a picturesque town in the Southern state of Kerala.

With 17 rooms, it’s the biggest Malabar Escapes property, but that’s still quite intimate! The 18th century building features Dutch influences and discreet modernist touches.

        
In addition to the main courtyard, with its pool, dining area and lounge chairs, you have private terraces in your room. Ours had two, one of them with that gorgeous balancing bed.

        
Food was excellent in all of the properties, but at Malabar Junction, the hotel’s restaurant, they really go the extra mile to make it incredibly good. I have fabulous memories of Keralan curries and marinated tuna (yes I had raw tuna in India, twice even, that’s how confident I was! )

        
Right next door, there’s Malabar House‘s modernist annex, the 3 rooms Trinity. And it’s just fantastic (you know how much I love tropical modernism). You’ve got this white villa-cum-loft, with open air bathrooms, bright walls and great art everywhere…and it’s in India!

That’s a detail of our shower area. Remember when I wrote about that bathroom? (still in my Top 3 of the best bathroom ever)

I’m actually sorry that I didn’t took more pictures of the place, but I feel you get my point.

To put it simply, when people talk to me about their apprehensions about going to India, I now answer : Malabar Escapes. If you want none of the hassle but still wanna feel close to the culture, this is the choice that’s gonna make everything feels smooth and dreamy. That’s like a beginner’s course to the country.