Old-world grandeur, a great location and superb staff mean you must consider the Brunton for any length of stay in Kochi. Built on the site of a 19^th century boatyard, there’s a lovely rich, colonial feel about this place; a triumph considering the building is actually less than 20 years old!

Right at the top of Fort Cochin, next to the ferry terminal and with easy access to the historical interest of the area, we loved our time here and left with the feeling that our collection of Cochin hotels should actually be half the justification for going there in the first place!

The vibe at Brunton Boatyard is definitely aiming for ‘end of the Raj’. Sepia photos, old paintings and vintage maps adorn the walls; shipping artefacts are dotted around the long, spacious reception area with its high, wooden-beamed ceilings, facing out to the serene, lawned courtyard with its salvaged ship’s anchor and twisting frangipani tree. Common areas and rooms are accessed via archways, terracotta tiled staircases and cool, shadowy corridors. There’s an ambience created here that most hotels built in the 90s can only dream of.

Stay here to explore Cochin but also to relax and watch the world go by: all rooms overlook the busy harbour and the waterside pool is great for an evening swim. Be sure to take advantage of the free sunset cruise which will give you a great view of the famous fishing nets from the sea rather than from amongst the crowds.

Brunton Boatyard is indeed a grand building but with none of the problems that may plague similar but older properties. The rooms are spic-and-span, there are no glaring maintenance issues and there is excellent integration of the owners’ eco-friendly ethos, with rain catchment in particular used all year round.