When the owner (semi-retired opthamologist) is part of the welcoming team, you know that they take the business seriously. By word of mouth rather than aggressive internet marketing. Not cheap but if you want a throwback to the colonial planter's era, Windermere will do it for you. They have a guide, Ancel, who conducts 2 treks everyday. The meals are on a fixed menu but the ambience was plush. Got chilly at night but ask for a portable heater for your room. The 3.5 hour drive from Cochin is well worth it. Don't expect too much in tourist attractions in Munnar -- chill out in style. Roy (Singapore)

Our second stop on our two week Kerala trip, took us to Munnar, and Windermere Estate. Before starting to write this review, I want to say that I don’t blame the hotel as much as I do our travel agent The Travel Planners, as we requested for luxury accommodation - and this was everything but...!

Arriving in Munnar from Cochin took 4 hours by car, of which half was along a very curvy road, so if you tend to get car sick – this trip will make you feel it. Windermere Estate is “out in the woods”, amidst nature, with beautiful views, but...

We had prior to our arrival been already upgraded from the Coffee Cottage to the Vanilla Cottage, but were chocked when entering the room. Yes, it was spacious, but that was all to it! I will let my pictures speak on my behalf, but the room was dirty! Dirty table cloths, dirty curtains with holes in them, stained mattresses, dirty linens... dirty, dirty, dirty... And the wardrobe – I would never hang any clothes there. The toilet was very off-putting, the toilet seat worn out, and the door to the cottage had a couple of centimetres crack in it. No wonder all kinds of animals creep up in bed with you at night time, unless you fill the cracks with towels, as we did.

We tried desperately calling for other accommodation, even 4 hours drive away, but being there in peak season, there was nothing better available, and we had to stay here for two nights. The second day we asked to see other rooms, and only the Coffee Cottage (from which we were originally upgraded) was available. We actually changed to it, as we found it better. Better is not really the right word, but still... It at least seemed less dirty (probably due to the darker coloured interior), and it felt a little more “fresh”. Also, it had a door which didn’t invite anybody to come in whenever...

None of the two rooms had heating or cooling (it was a bit chilly night time when the temperature dropped); the beds were hard; in the Vanilla Cottage there was a TV, but in the Coffee Cottage none; the hot water was very limited, and had to be pre-heated for 15 minutes. The Vanilla Cottage had a balcony – with great views though, whilst the Coffee Cottage was larger in terms of space, and had its own sitting area outside, with a small bench and table, from where you could see the lovely sunset.

There is no liquor license here, so if you want to enjoy a cold beer or glass of wine, you need to bring your own. The food in the Barn was not to our liking (700 rupees for a 3-course meal; no menu available). Given how dirty the first room was, I was very sceptical to how clean the kitchen would be, and to eating there, but caved in from hunger the second evening – with the outcome of being very sick the following morning.

Needless to say, we couldn’t wait to get out from this place, and continue our trip, hoping this would remain our worst and only bad memory from our trip.

It is a shame though, considering how lovely the scenery is in Munnar, and how beautiful the views are also from Windermere Estate, why the owner doesn’t engage in clean linens and interior, some new furniture, some paint, and proper doors, which would puff up the place substantially. There seem to be some newer rooms on the premises, so perhaps if you stay in those, you might end up having a better experience than us. However, if you look for a high standard, or even simple CLEAN accommodation, I would by default look elsewhere... We would never ever return to this place.

Beautiful location, lovely rooms, helpful staff (we were not in great shape on arriving and they really helped us get better). The food is not a la carte but you are given traditional Keralan food and lots of it. Interesting dishes that we didn't see anywhere else and all well prepared and delicious. Dining room is well designed and there is swift internet access upstairs in the library area (wifi or via their computer).

We organised a walk/hike for the following day which was a super way to see some of the surrounding area.

There is also a tea house that serves complimentary tea and freshly cooked snacks such as pakora. Also complimentary.

The smell of cardamon in the air adds to it all.

Excellent.

Small property, less advertisement, clean and spacious rooms/ bathrooms. They have their own cardamom estate , do take the tour, its nice. The dinner deal is expensive and I dont think its any great. Better try outside local restaurants