We were on a trip to Kerala and this really is beautifully situated, the views from the garden of this hotel are magnificent, the food is top notch and service is efficient. We had a corner room ( sunset view I think its called ) and you could see the sea from two sides of the room, beautiful cruise ships passing by and one morning it rained and it really looked heavenly. I think the only drawback would be that it is a bit far from the Fort Cochin area so getting around is a bit of a problem but otherwise in every way it is superb.

We spent three nights at the Taj Malabar Hotel in Cochin as part of a tour of South India with Saga. We reached the Taj Malabar at 1730 and were greeted by a young lady who put a mark on our foreheads, which I gather is a blessing. We sat in the lobby and were each given a nice cold drink and soon we had our keys to room 507 on the fifth floor. What a beautiful room with a view of the backwater. There were two large single beds, not big enough for two, one chair and a chaise longue by the window. There was a large flat screen television with BBC World. The bathroom had a bath and a shower, a picture window to the bedroom and a motorised blind controlled from the bathroom. They provided room shoes and dressing gowns. Tea and coffee making facilities were provided. There were stacks of toiletries.
Breakfast was very good apart from the bacon, not good anywhere in India, and the coffee awful. I mentioned this to the waiter and he went and made a French Press full of good filter coffee, which I requested each time after that.
Dinner was very good with a buffet of many and varied dishes to tempt the palate, with the exception of fish, which seemed in short supply.
At 1715 each day tea, coffee and a selection of cakes and biscuits are provided free of charge then a sunset cruise of the backwaters, also free, which went as far as the Chinese Fishing Nets. It was magical.
I discovered to my cost that in Kerala there is a 100% import tax on all imported spirits so my one glass of Jameson’s cost me twice what was on the menu.
This is a wonderful hotel but expensive.

From the moment you walk in, the staff at Vivanta by Taj - Malabar, is incredibly helpful. They seem to know what you want, even before you know what it is! From making the check-in process smooth to just making every part of your stay enjoyable, they are always ready to help. Sure, the place is more expensive than others, but it is completely worth the splurge.

The afternoon tea with a view of the Arabian Sea, with the paper lanterns delicately adding to the mood (and making you look good in the process), was just delightful. The harbor cruise was fun, and a must so you can see the fishing nets in action at sunset.

The food is good, but they definitely tone down the spices on the Indian dishes. So, if you're into spicy, you might want to say something about that. They surely would accommodate the request.

The spa offers an array of services, but again, as with the food, they seem to have a lighter touch. No worries, Vivanta Spa employees, we can take the real thing!

All in all, a fantastic experience we would recommend to everyone!

I stayed here often in the late '70's when I worked in India. I returned in 2010 for the first time in nearly 30 years and was wonderfully surprised to find that the Taj Hotel Group had acquired the property and rebuilt the hotel. The incredible harbor views are retained and the rooms and service are up the the normal high Taj standards. The new infinity pool is especially nice and I have added a few pictures of the views from it.