Tea Bungalow
Cochin, Kerala
A restored colonial villa, the former guesthouse of a British tea company, offering cool plantation-style rooms close to Old Cochin’s historic spice district
An island-like peninsula between Lake Vembanad and the Arabian Sea,
Fort Cochin was once the centre of Kerala’s international
spice trade. Arabic and Oriental traders rubbed shoulders with
Jewish merchants; Dutch, Portuguese and British colonists added to
the mix; and all made their mark here. On a wide boulevard nudging
the ocean, among white-washed churches and back-street synagogues,
the Tea Bungalow is part of that old-world legacy.
Built in 1912 as the offices of a British company trading in coir
and spices, it was bought by Brooke Bond in the 1950s and used as a
staff guesthouse for visiting managers. By the time it was sold
again, some 50 years later, it was empty and semi-derelict. A
2-year restoration followed, and in 2009 it re-emerged as a small
heritage hotel. Under low red-tiled roofs there's a wide veranda,
with original French doors opening onto a walled garden shaded with
banana, avocado and jack-fruit trees. Inside, the décor nods
towards colonial imperialism (there is a picture of the Queen on
the stairwell), but the airy rooms, luxury bathrooms and
the glittering tiled pool are new-born 21st century.
Reviewed by Lesley Gillilan
Last updated 02 March 2012
Highs
- The graceful old building (more mansion than bungalow) has been beautifully restored; it's a wonderful collision of historic and contemporary India
- It's in a great location, in a quiet corner of the so-called Heritage Zone; it's an easy walk to the sea and a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride from Mattancherry’s Jewtown
- The accommodation is comfortable and stylish, particularly the large, lofty rooms in the original house
- The contemporary bathrooms are very smart: all marble, glass, pebble tiles and monsoon showers (some have little forests of tropical plants)
- There's a wide choice of dinner menus - both western and Indian - which will suit children and anyone wanting a change from curries
Lows
- Some of the rooms open directly onto the restaurant, which might compromise privacy
- For those who like to sleep in a dark room, the combination of thin blinds and outdoor night lights could irritate
- There are only a few loungers around the pool, so get there early if you want to spend an afternoon sunbathing
