The Malabar House
Colonial Dutch heritage art hotel — intimate, unhurried, and genuinely curated. East-meets-West without being try-hard about it. More art-house than five-star resort.
Rooms 9D, 10D, 11D, and 12D overlook the historic Parade Ground — worth requesting specifically
Why It Matters
Fort Cochin's first boutique heritage hotel (1997), a Relais & Châteaux member, and one of very few colonial-house luxury boutique hotels in South India. The 1755 Dutch-era mansion is a documented part of Fort Cochin's historical fabric. The Malabar Junction restaurant is a long-standing dining institution in the city.
This is Fort Cochin's original boutique heritage hotel — a Dutch-era mansion on Parade Road sitting directly opposite St. Francis Church, with the famous Chinese fishing nets a three-minute walk away. The building dates to 1755, passed through spice traders, tea merchants, and bankers before opening as a hotel in 1997. It runs as an art hotel as much as a place to sleep: the walls, corridors, and all 17 rooms are hung with a carefully curated collection of Kerala art, and each room has its own individual character. The pool is small (4m x 8m), rooms have stone floors with no rugs, and every single one opens onto a terrace, veranda, or private garden sit-out.
Where You'll Stay
4 room types available
Deluxe Double Room
Six double deluxe rooms on the ground floor, each with their own character given the heritage building's irregular layout. Stone floors throughout, no rugs. Furnished with genuine antiques, original works of art, and crafted design. Large bathrooms with bathtub and shower. All rooms open to private terraces, garden sit-outs, or a veranda. Rooms 1D, 6D, 7D, 14D, and 15D have their own garden with private sit-out; rooms 6D and 16D have terraced sit-outs.
Double · 30 sqmDeluxe Twin Room
Five twin-bedded deluxe rooms on the ground floor. Same high standard as the double deluxe rooms — genuine antiques, original art, stone floors — but with two separate beds. Rooms 2T, 3T, 4T have terraced sit-outs. Room 8T has its own private garden. Each room differs due to the heritage building layout.
Twin · 30 sqmMalabar Suite
The flagship suite and the largest room in the property at 90 sqm. A two-story maisonette positioned towards the patio. The living room is on the first floor; the bedroom, bathroom, and private terrace are on the second floor. The art collection here focuses specifically on Kerala arts and crafts from past to present. If you want the top room in the hotel, this is it — though the two-floor layout means it suits couples or solo travelers more than those needing one sleeping floor.
Double · 90 sqmRoof Garden Suite
Five suites on the first floor, each with their own terrace. Much larger than the deluxe rooms at an average of 54 sqm. Some overlook the historic Parade Ground (rooms 9, 10, 11, 12); rooms 9D through 12D have views over the Parade Ground while rooms 17D and 18D have their own private terraces. All feature an eclectic collection of antiques, genuine works of art, and crafted design. The step up in size is meaningful — these feel genuinely suite-like, not just a slightly bigger room.
Double · 54 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
2 venues on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Inspired by the Cochin Biennale, the hotel and Divine Wine Lounge host rotating edited art exhibitions, showcasing both local and international artists.
Bicycles available complimentary to hotel guests, subject to availability. Fort Cochin is flat and compact — the best way to cover the historic quarter.
The hotel can arrange speedboat transfers by prior booking to sister properties Purity (a lake resort) or Discovery (a houseboat) on Vembanad Lake — part of the Malabar Escapes circuit. Multi-property packages are also available.
Hotel can arrange evening cruises in Cochin harbour — past Mattancherry's spice warehouses, Willingdon Island, the container terminal, and into the backwaters. A good way to understand the layered geography of this trading port city.
The hotel provides a walking map of Fort Cochin that guides guests past key buildings, churches of historical value, and the Chinese fishing nets — covering 500 years of the town's layered Portuguese, Dutch, and British history. Self-guided; local guides can be arranged if preferred.
The hotel can arrange attendance at Kathakali or Theyyam classical dance performances. Live classical Carnatic and Hindustani music also performed on the patio stage during evening dinners at Malabar Junction.
Hotel reception can arrange guided visits to Jew Town with its antique and spice market, the Paradesi Synagogue, and the Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace). Also Indo-Portuguese Museum and Naval Museum tours.
Daily yoga sessions from 7:30am to 8:30am at the Cochin Club. Additional individual or group classes can be arranged within the hotel premises on request via the front desk.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
One room with easy wheelchair access is available on request.
All 17 rooms are centrally air-conditioned.
All rooms are non-smoking.
Central patio garden with a stage for live performances. Pool-side dining available. All rooms open onto private outdoor spaces.
Small outdoor pool in the garden courtyard: 4m x 8m, maximum depth 1.25m. Open 7am–7pm (lifeguards on site). The size fits the boutique scale of the property — good for a cool-down, not for laps. Meals, snacks, and drinks can be served by the pool.
Available from 7:00am to 11:00pm.
BUILD YOUR THE MALABAR HOUSE PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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