Kochi: interesting accommodation on Fort Cochin?

jarman_ah

Does anyone have any recommendations for interesting old hotels or guest houses on Fort Cochin? Thanks for all suggestions!

kailash35

Years ago, ages ago (1997!), Spencer Home on Parade Ground was a friendly good place.
The rooms are big and it was (is?) in a peaceful location
Phone : 0484-2215049

ploma

Hi there!

In 2000 i found that Vasco da Gama (i think it was this portuguese name) house rent some big rooms. It's near the church and it wasn't advertised anywhere I just reach the house by some friends advise.

It was a very ancient house and the rooms were not so much but the house itself had very old furniture and big windows facing the streets, the room was huge with a very high celining, it has a kind of special charm.

If you're interested in it I can dive in my notes so let me know

cyberhippie

It's a bit basic but the old PWD guest house was quite atmospheric I thought. The rooms are huge it's actually 4 rooms if you count the cloakroom and bathroom!
It's in old colonial style house and the garden backs right onto the seafront.

happy Travelling

jarman_ah

Wow! All of these sound VERY interesting! Yes, ploma, I would very much like you to dig into your research and post further on this one -- I bet I'm not the only person who would like to hear about it.

I will check up on ALL these suggestions, and let you know what I come up with. Many thanks to all four of you!

Bonita

HI THERE..
kochi is a fascinating city, (formerly called Cochin), and is divided up into various areas (Fort Cochin, Willingdon Island, Ernakulam) Travelers to Cochi have a wide choice of places to stay.
tHE most characteristic area to stay is probably FORT COCHIN, and tWO of the nicest places to stay in all of Fort cochi would be BRUNTON BOATYARD or MALABAR HOUSE! these are both HIGH END options but VERY beautiful and characteristic. Other less expensive alternatives in this area would be Fort Heritage and The Old Courtyard,among others..
At Willingdom Island, u have a bunch of VERY NICE choices, such as the Taj MALABAR, Trident, and the CAsino.
In Ernakulum, the busiest area of town, some nice places to stay include the Taj reSIDENCY, and Hotel Abad Palace..Ernakulum also has plenty of budget otpions too, and probably the most choices for the budget.
ONE other intersting place to stay would be the Bolgatty PALACE,on Bogatty Island.
enjoy, happy travels, Bonita..ps..a few words, cochi gets very busy in season, especically in Dec/JANUARY, so book ahead if ya want one of the better properties!. Also, if anyone needs help with accomadation/logistics in cochi feel free to drop me a line

__________________
Dreamingofindia@aol.com

jarman_ah

Thanks, Bonnie, your advice is always good, and you give a good overview of the whole place, which will be extremely useful.

Of tall he choices above, the PWD Rest House sounds very interesting, but a websearch shows several places in the Kochi area by this name, and the Lonely Planet, which also recommends the one by the sea, doesn't give a phone number. Of course, I MAY get it the first time around, but I might just end up booking into the wrong place! The Lonely Planet says it has only a couple of rooms, so an advance booking would be virtually manadatory in November, I'd imagine.

The Vasco Hospitality Centre is featured both in LP and on the world-wide-web, so it looks like one to contact. I'm still hoping for a follow-up post on this one!

The Hotel Abad is very big and new and modern (there are photos on various booking sites), but is above our price range (way, way above!) Thanks, anyway!

Spencer Home is recommended in Lonely Planet also... clean and simple.

So, now it's time to ponder! Thanks, everyone, for all this help! It seems, from this information, that our hope of finding an old, atmospheric place in Kochi won't be at all hard... there are more than we thought!

However, no one has yet answered my other thread about Old Goa.... come on, Bonnie, I haven't found a destination in India yet that you haven't some experience of!

Bonita

HI Alan
NAMASTE. I see we meet again. good day! THANX for the kudos and appreciation.
Well, i see you are still on the prowl to create the best INDIA trip EVER!. And yes, i do have a bit to say/experince in most regions of INDIA,correct! I must say, U are certainly doing some amazing research! OKAY, okay, i got the hint about your Goa thread, (was that a dare?) To be PERFECTLY honest, Goa is not my favorite region/destination in INDIA, so i generally don't get into those discussions. I have been quite few times, and am familiar with most beaches, alot of the hotels, etc..HOWEVER, i generally prefer to chat/respond to threads that really grab me, about places/sights/destinations that i am really passionate about..But i do have my very fair share of experince there, so for you, i WILL peruse the site and see what was your question? Maybe i can say something ..ha ha..OH, you can just pm or e-mail me your question, okay....TAKE CARE, and good luck!..I GUESS your next questions will be about Tamil NADU or Sikhim or ORISSA..NAMASTE, BONITA..

jarman_ah

More a plea than a dare, Bonnie! However, I did, at last, get one answer to that Goa thread.... the Old Goa Tourist Hotel isn't coming up too badly, actually!

My next requests will be about Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Mysore. Thinking cap on!

By the way, I must mention that I have been looking at all the Delhi suggestions that have cropped up on other threads since we corresponded last, and the rates on some of them have ALMOST made me commit infidelity against your advice.... but then I have looked at WHERE these cheaper places are, and where all the sights that I want to see are, and it always comes back to the same thing.... when you put the quality of the hotel, its proximity to the best sights, and what you get for your time and money, the Broadway is absolutely unbeatable! (Interestingly enough, the rate through one of the agents is slightly better than the rate directly from the hotel).

Anyway, I digress. This is a Kochi thread, not a Delhi thread. Stay tuned for my Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh threads!

Bonita

HI AGAIN..
i WILL digress with your digression... Yes, that is not so suprising about the hotel rates. Actually, with mid-range/high end HOTELs IN india, very often u can get better rates with an agent/operator then from the hotel itself..The HOTELS have their fixed priced tariffs which they offer when u call or e-mail(hard to bargain on the fone or e-mail!--though many will offer/walk-in discounts)..HOWEVER, many agents in INDIA have access to discounted rates from the get -go!
A Delhi digression.. As i said time and time again, there are plenty of cheapies around Parhahganj, Arakarashan rOAD and also i probably mentioned an area called KAROL bARGH. but IF you want something bit different, another location and with a bit of CHARACTER and pizazz, u will be paying a bit more! i i THINK uR Delhi choice is a solid one, WELL THOUGTH OUT and unique! alas..and remeMber, ask for a room with a view of the MOSQUE.... oh, THIS is the Cochi thread...LOVE THAT CITY! i WILL be in cochi myself probably in Febuary, a holiday from Delhi!

jarman_ah

Have you left New York yet, Bonnie? What a great place -- hard to leave, I'd imagine!

Yes, you mentioned Karol Bargh.... in fact, it was the Jyoti Deluxe, at 600R a double, that almost made me commit infidelity! It's a long walk from everywhere, but, boy, that's a big saving! I am just holding off until I see how our budget goes with hotels in all these smaller cities.

Bonita

NAMASKAR Alan
I have not left yet..And YES, it is a bit difficult to leave NYC, BUT again, i am going to a great place!..I GET fully into wherever i am, so once i leave, I WILL BE PURE INDIA, ONCE AGAIN!..NAMASTE....however, I am presently enjoying and LOVING my extended summer holdiday in NY AND hanging with my family!.. I leave in about 10 days for Delhi, yahoo, AND will be in INDIA for the next 8/9 months..I am actually seeking an apartment in Delhi for the time as a base, although i will be traveling alot, alot alot! I have alot of intersting projects and tours underway, so it is deinfately exciting, and yea, I AM ready to go!.....OH about KAROL BaRGH, YES, karol BArg IS another area in Delhi that offers budget type accomadtion. .This area is located in a middle class shopping zone of dELHI, AND THESE HOTEls ARE actually frequented alot by Russian tourists, and other assorted travelers..karol BArgh ITSELF is not that great, nothing so special, but does have a ample supply of lower mid range places, a good shopping market and is definatley a calmer option than PARHGANJ, but it is not my favoite place in Delhi.... bUT hey,THIS is the KOCHI THREAD..By THE way, when will u be in Delhi, AND when will u be in KOCHI...perhaps we can meet for a INDIAn COCKTAIL...TAKE care, happy research, Bonita..

ploma

Hi,

finally i found my notes about Cochin and the place was without any sign, but is on the oposite corner of the absis of the christian church in Fort Cochin. They claim to be Vasco da Gama house while he was living in Cochin. So you can ask for it when you'll be at the church..

As i told on my first post it's a rough acco. with shared toilets, no hot water and huge rooms with high ceiling and big windows. The only room i've seen was charged for 150 rp as a double and once we were three and they charge us 200 rp.

All this was in Feb. 2000 so don't really know how is now nowadays... can anybody in Cochin report about it? it was a very special atmosphere there...

Have fun,

jarman_ah

Ploma, thanks a million for digging up that information. Yes, this will be the one listed in LP as "Vasco Hospitality Centre"... it's diagonally opposite St Francis' Church, according to the map.

Your description is intriguing enough to put it on the top of my wish list for this city. Much obliged!