Old Harbour Hotel, Cochin, Kerala

Located in historic Fort Cochin, Old Harbour Hotel, was the town's first hotel, before it became the residential home to employees of a British tea-broking firm. Uninhabited it fell into disrepair until it fell into the hands of current owner and art-lover Edgar Pinto. For years its 18th-century edifice was something of a landmark in town, and joining forces with Swiss-German architect Karl Damschen the duo have restored Old Harbour Hotel to its former glory days. A reimagining of the tried and tested heritage hotel formula. Built in the fashionable Dutch-Portuguese style, its white walls house thirteen bedrooms overlook a tranquil garden with lily ponds and a large pool. Each decorated in a turn of the century style, with terracotta tiles, Casablanca fans, working oldfashioned phones, and plenty of objets d'art courtesy of owner Edgar. Modern amenities have been seamlessly integrated into this heritage hotel, whilst bathrooms have utilized old-fashioned spaces to the greatest extent. There are daily yoga classes, plus you are a few steps from Kochi's famous Chinese fishing nets, and hotel staff will gladly help organize a day's sightseeing around town. Dinner at Old Harbour Hotel is an event enjoyed by in-house and outside guests alike, as it is one of the best tickets in town.