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Accommodation

Malabar House

Cochin, India

Destinations

India

Accommodation

Malabar House

Malabar House is a hotel converted from an old Dutch colonial residence.

Having won the best heritage hotel award from the Keralan government, this hotel fuses modern comforts with its classic design. 17 rooms are spread between two villas that overlook a lush, spacious courtyard with a pool, and you can enjoy Indian and European dishes at Malabar Junction, the poolside restaurant.

Sip exquisite wines at the Divine lounge, reenergise with an Ayurvedic spa treatment, or enjoy a dance performance as you relax into the evenings. You can even discover Kerala’s treasured, endless backwaters with the hotel’s own houseboat.

What we love

Guests frequently praise the hotel’s design and decoration, that pays homage to Keralan heritage without compromising on modern comforts
Well-located near the peninsula’s many restaurants and historical landmarks
We love that you can dine by the poolside, which adds a sense of calm and atmosphere
Kerala’s backwaters are beautiful and hold plenty of secrets. Take the opportunity to explore with the hotel’s eco-friendly houseboat

The rooms that open out to the courtyard can be little loud, so keep this in mind when booking

Some areas of the hotel have patchy WiFi, but that’s not a problem if you’re the sort of person who prefers to switch off from their devices on holiday

Families are welcome, but amenities are not designed with families in mind.

Malabar House was the first hotel in India to be certified by Green Globe, the global environmental certification scheme for travel and tourism.

As a Relais & Châteaux property, Malabar House is committed to all its values and initiatives, sourcing local food and developing relationships with local farmers and fishermen, fishing responsibly to protect biodiversity, and reducing food waste.

They are invested in teaching service and hospitality skills to those from their local communities.

Located on St Francis Road in a quieter corner of Kochi, overlooking the parade ground, a 90-minute drive from Cochin International Airport.

What our travellers say

If Red Dot ever ceased to exist and I wanted to return to Sri Lanka I would probably go somewhere else instead. They were, in every way shape and form, impeccable. From Samanthie who created the itinerary to Wicky who drove us here, there and everywhere I cannot imagine anybody doing it better. Impeccable. I need say no more except it doesn’t get any better.

Stuart (March 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

We chose this company as we wanted our money to benefit the people of Sri Lanka rather than international companies. Their work supports smaller businesses, projects and communities as well as the environment

Jessica E (August 2025) London, UK Read the whole review here Feefo

Our 11th visit to this magical Island with always something new to discover and see. This time we made it up north to Jaffna, via Mannar Island, after beginning in the tea country and acclimatising to the heat, after leaving a very cold UK in January. We had total confidence that RedDot would organise everything to perfection, having used them many times before

Roy L (March 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Feefo

We had a fantastic holiday. The itinerary and choice of hotels was spot on, and seamlessly organised.

Charlotte (August 2024) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

Exceptional tour of Sri Lanka with Dami. We cannot recommend Dami at Red dot tours highly enough. As our guide over 9 days he made sure that our trip to Sri Lanka was unforgettable- always going above & beyond to impart his knowledge, show us things off the beaten track, looking after us, getting us to try many local delicacies & making us laugh .. a LOT. Cannot imagine anyone doing a better job- if we could take him with us on every holiday we would!

Sarah (July 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Feefo

Dulmini did a great job listening to our wishes and arranged an itinerary that was very busy but met all our needs. Sisira, our guide, was outstanding, providing us with great local knowledge and suggesting other activities on our travels. He was a great driver on the busy Sri Lankan roads, was always punctual but above all added colour to the whole trip.

Malcolm (April 2024) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

I cannot recommend Red Dot Tours more highly. Thank you so much to Samanthie for her patience with me and all her hard work at putting together the perfect itinerary for my family. I had done a lot of research before I contacted Red Dot and Samanthie created a tour that fitted in all the activities we wanted to do and secured the hotels I told her we would like to stay in (not easy to do in high season).

Nina (July 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

Wow what can I say, from start to finish we have had a wonderful holiday with Red Dot Tours. Dulmini was so helpful in putting an itinerary together for us as a family of 6 and catering to all of our needs. We have ticked off so many of Sri Lanka’s beautiful sights during our trip. Dulmini and Dhanu were a great help to us while we were out on our travels too.

Anupa (July 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here TripAdvisor

We spent 13 days on a Bawa tour with wonderful driver and guide Manjula, including Kandalama Heritance, The Kandy House, The Last House, Jetwing Yala, Jetwing Lighthouse and Club Villa hotels. We are 3 friends, one of them in the wheelchair. Dulmini Ekanayake from Red Dot Tours was very helpful and very patient and found solutions to all our special demands.

Rene (March 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

The itinerary was absolutely perfect and the hotels wonderful, especially Thotalagala, The Warden’s House and 41 Lighthouse Street. Our driver, Indika, was a delight-charming, knowledgeable, considerate and always punctual; he showed us more of this amazing country than we could have hoped for!

Karen - United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

Wanted to take a moment to thank RedDot Tours, and specifically Jayandi for helping book a wonderful family vacation for my family and I. First time for my family and Jayandi took care of every detail, was so courteous and professional, and genuinely cared about our experience in SL. I would also like to mention Pradeep, our kind and understanding guide/chauffeur who took such good care of us while we were out and about. I cannot recommend RedDot enough!

Bob (November 2024) United States Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

We used Red Dot for the first time for our holiday in Sri Lanka. Dulmini put together such a wonderful experience for us, creating an itinerary she drew up after many discussions about what we like and also gave us suggestions for excursions and activities. It was totally bespoke and we were able to make changes throughout this process.

Gill (March 2025) Kent, United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

This is an excellent tour company. They planned our Sri Lankan holiday from start to finish. The trip was initially planned for 2022 but due to Covid and other issues we didn’t manage to undertake the trip until this year. Throughout all this time we had the same travel advisor Lahiru who responded quickly to my emails and rearranged and adjusted our holiday each year!

Anne (January 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

As a group of 8 we have had the most fabulous tour of Sri Lanka organised by Dulmini from RedDot who totally understood my brief of "some" culture, agriculture, nature, trekking and relaxation. The hotels chosen were a wonderful mixture of homestay, tented and pure luxury (Ceylon Tea Trails). The experiences to local villages, trekking the Pekoe Trail and climbing Pidurangala were memorable and our wonderful guide, Ananda, was so informative and knowledgeable and adapted to our needs admirable (not easy with a group of 8)

Anna (February 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

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