Old Harbour Hotel

At the heart of ancient Fort Cochin, Kerala, is the 'Old Harbour Hotel'. A 300 year-old building that has long been a heritage monument of this town, it's now reopened as a boutique hotel. Built in Dutch-style of architecture with hints of Portuguese influences, it was the first hotel of old Cochin. Today, 13 spacious rooms, each of them named after the various old streets of Fort Cochin, are plush with high ceilings and either look into a courtyard with a fountain or over the ancient Chinese Fishing nets. The garden cottages have open-to-the-sky showers, a veranda and a private pond. There's an on-site restaurant featuring local ingredients and freshly baked bread, as well as a swimming pool, spacious gardens, Ayurvedic spa, and stage for cultural performances.