Experience eco-conscious stays and top-notch dining at these transformed properties In Kerala’s historic port city
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Kerala, India’s spice-laden treasure, has enticed traders and travellers for over a millennium. Amid its serene backwater towns and lush isles lies Kochi – an eclectic blend of cultures spread across five interconnected islands linked by bridges, sand bars and a shared love for the iconic pazham pori (banana fritters). The city and its outskirts now champion eco-tourism, blending its storied heritage with sustainable practices and community-driven initiatives. Leading the way in this transformation is CGH Earth (formerly known as the Casino Group of Hotels), a 70-year-old family-owned legacy rooted in Kochi’s man-made Willingdon Island.
Their waterfront Brunton Boatyard, a 22-room boutique retreat in the historic Fort Kochi neighbourhood, spearheads sustainability by using solar power and eliminating single-use plastics from the property. Built on the 1895 boatyard of George Brunton and Sons overlooking the Arabian Sea, dotted with fishing boats and sluggish cargo ships, the property’s architecture seamlessly weaves together Portuguese, Dutch and British elements with the charms of the Malabar Coast – lofty ceilings, coved corridors, red-oxide floors, lime-plastered walls and warm wooden accents.
At Brunton Boatyard, you can start your day with a sumptuous à la carte breakfast put together with locally sourced ingredients at the Armoury restaurant, where vintage arms adorn the walls. Feast on freshly baked millet croissants, cupcakes and local delights like fermented appam (rice hoppers) or puttu (steamed rice cake) with green gram or chicken curry, paired with piping hot filter coffee. Later, immerse in Kochi’s storied history on a guided heritage tour of Fort Kochi. Visit heritage sites and marvel at murals and royal relics in Mattancherry Palace, admire the historic Cochin Thirumala Devaswom temple with its lotus-filled tank and shop for antiques, perfumes and spices in Jew Town.
For lunch, indulge in Malabar-Dutch fusion at East Indies, the chic restaurant at Eighth Bastion, which is near the historic Dutch Cemetery in Fort Kochi. Built on land that once held a fort with seven bastions under the Dutch East India Company, the site changed hands before CGH Earth transformed it into an elegant boutique property, with 19 thoughtfully designed rooms. Here, vegetarians can relish a cashew cheese tart, coconut milk-based honey-roasted pumpkin soup, flavourful paneer ghotala (scrambled Indian cottage cheese with curry) and end with a baked coconut cheesecake or mulayari payasam (bamboo rice pudding) sweetened with palm jaggery.
But for a truly regal experience in Kerala, stay at Chittoor Kottaram, a restored one-key palace hotel of CGH Earth and a mere 45-minute drive from Kochi airport. With three exclusive bedrooms, this heritage retreat is steeped in folklore and art reflecting the Cochin Royal Family’s legacy that promises an intimate haven perfect for slow, responsible living and spiritual rejuvenation.
