The Malabar House

A Dutch-era mansion in Fort Cochin's historic quarter, Malabar House is the kind of colonial-house boutique hotel that somehow feels neither museumified nor stripped out for a design magazine. Rooms are furnished with antiques and art, air conditioning being about the only concession to the present century. Courtyard, pool, private balconies, and the Malabar Junction restaurant inside, with Chinese fishing nets and a neighbourhood called Jewtown a short walk out front.