Kerala India Travel

The state of Kerala, located in Southern India on the Malabar Coast, is one of India’s most visited areas. This is due to its tropical beauty, with palm tree lined beaches as well as some stunning mountain scenery and unspoilt rain forests. Thanks to its tourist influx, the state’s infrastructure is excellent and it offers plenty of fantastic accommodation to its guests.

Kerala is quite a large state and tourists tend to go to a number of destinations. The capital, Thiruvananthapuram, is popular due to its beaches and parks, in addition to many historical monuments. Thrissur is regarded as the cultural capital of the state, with its famed temples making it another tourist hot spot. There are many other cities to visit, depending on whether you are looking for beaches, mountains or culture.

There are many great hotels located in the state offering excellent accommodation, but listed below are five of the very best.

The Leela Kempinski Resort

Kovalam Beach is an extremely popular destination. This stunning area is only a short drive from the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram making a great place to stay for visitors to Kerala.

One of the best places to stay is The Leela Kempinski Resort. Offering 182 suites and rooms, the hotel is Kerala’s biggest beach resort and also has some spectacular views thanks to its location perched on a rock face.

The rooms cost from between 11,000 rupees per night to 75,000 rupees for the presidential suite, which is undoubtedly the best room at the resort. This two level suite offers easy access to all the hotel’s facilities as well as privacy. The hotel has excellent dining choices, a health spa, a range of sports and activities, its own beach and a library.

Surya Samudra Private Retreat

Also in Kovalam is the Surya Samudra Private Retreat, which is another resort located overlooking a beach panorama. Offering 23 rooms spread through 5 cottages which are all individually designed based on traditional Kerala designs, this is a secluded and luxurious getaway. A great place to relax and unwind, two of the five cottages are designed to hold only one party of people.

Prices cost from 11,000 rupees per night to 49,000. The best rooms are the private cottages and have extremely luxurious decor. There are two restaurants and a bar in the resort, although private dining is easily arranged. This resort offers relaxation with its fabulous spa and wellness centre and there is also a swimming pool, library and sports facilities on site.

The Kumarakom Lakeside Resort

The Kumarakom Lakeside Resort is considered one of the best in India. Located on the banks of Lake Vembenad in Kumarakom, the hotel can be reached by road, rail or air. Kumarakom is renowned for its proximity to the Kerala Backwaters, making it a wonderful destination.

The Kumarakom Lake Resort is made up of traditional Kerala houses, or manas. Visitors can opt for Heritage Villas, Lake View Villas, Pool Villas or the Presidential Suites. The rooms cost from 15,000 rupees for a simple houseboat, to 40,000 rupees for the presidential suite complete with its own private pool. The cuisine is local and the service is excellent.

Le Colonial Hotel

For those wanting to experience Kerala’s history, a stay at Le Colonial Hotel in Fort Kochi is ideal. Right in the heart of the old town, the hotel is located in one of Asia’s oldest colonial style houses, dating back to the early 1500s. Lovingly restored to provide luxurious and private accommodation, this is one of the state’s most stylish hotels.

With all the essential services you would expect from a five star hotel, the rooms in this hotel range from 7000 rupees per night in low season for a double room, to over 8 million rupees in high season for the six bedroom ‘Full house’ accommodation. Dining is also exceptional and varied.

Rainforest Hotel

Another unusual hotel is the Rainforest, located in the Sholayer Forest but only a thirty minute drive from Cochin Airport. With its nine rooms and its treehouse, this is ecotourism at its best. All the rooms are comfortable and stylish yet offer views of waterfalls as standard.

The Celestial room with its private jacuzzi is the hotel’s best room and many celebrities visiting the area tend to stay here.

The Treehouse, designed by a Swiss architect, is the most unique room at the hotel. Perched in the treetops, you can enjoy truly amazing views from your bedroom window.

The pool and the surroundings provide relaxation and tranquillity. In addition, the dining experience is al fresco and within view of the waterfalls. The Celestial room costs 18,000 rupees per night, whilst other rooms can be booked for around 10,000 rupees.

There are plenty of other great hotels in Kerala which makes choosing just 5 difficult. What is safe to say is that a stay in any one of the hotels above would guarantee you a wonderful holiday allowing you the chance to experience the culture, landscape, history and diversity that make up the state of Kerala.

This post was written in partnership with TravelSupermarket.com.

Tags: India, Kerala, Kerala hotels

This entry was posted on Friday, November 4th, 2011 at 4:07 am and is filed under Kerala Accommodation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.