We spent three nights at the Vivanta in Kumarakom recently and while it was expensive it lived up to our expectations and more. We were in the pond facing rooms for the first two nights after which we got upgraded to the pool villa for the final night which was a nice touch. The rooms are massive, well furnished with authentic Keralite furniture and bric-a-bracs. The shower is outdoor but well protected from insects by a wire net that covers the open area. It is also very private in case anyone is wondering. The ceiling fan in the bathroom also helps further and keeps things a bit cool. The beds were extremely comfortable and there was a plentiful supply of complimentary bottled water and fruits in the room. One must take advantage of the complimentary evening cruise in the lake followed by the evening tea and snacks while taking in the beautiful sunsets from the hammocks or seats. You are also right next to the bird sanctuary to which the hotel organizes guided bird walks in the morning around 6:15. It is well worth getting up early for it. We saw plenty of birds. All meals are served at the on restaurant that has an indoor and alfresco setting. Food is multi-cuisine but we only ever tried local Keralan dishes. Breakfast was a massive buffet spread with both continental and Indian dishes some of which change daily. Make sure you befriend head chef Shihab and also attend his cooking demos. We tried our hand at the pottery and local style line and hook fishing in the pond. There are some rabbits and geese to keep kids entertained as well. This was by far the most serene experience we had in India. Exceptional service, outstanding location and excellent food. Like many guests however avoid staying for only one day. You really need a couple of nights on minimum to enjoy and unwind. For the health conscious the is a swimming pool, gym and you can also run around the property on the walking track. Bicycles a also provided in case you tire of walking.

We booked the heritage room and it was beautiful and spacious with really high ceilings! Also, our room has 2 bathrooms, though i suspect that not all the rooms has that.

Wonderfully attentive staff, always willing to go out of their way to organise birding trips and village walks for us, despite the fact that there are only 2 of us! We also enjoyed the sunset cruises and free snacks!

The food in the restaurant was good but a tad expensive considering the much cheaper food we had elsewhere in Kerela.

The best part of the stay has to be when we got upgraded to a pool villa for our second night!!! We had our own verandah, private pool and outdoor bathroom! Only downside to the pool villa is the queen-size bed, just wished that the villa also had the king-sized bed that we had in the heritage room... Also, the night noises were a little spooky in the pool villa and I did get woken by some wierd thumping on the roof in the middle of the night. But all in all, it was a wonderful experience :)

Would love to stay here again (soon!) :)

This hotel was really amazing. they have water front lagoons and villas with private swimming pool. i really enjoyed there. you can do fishing, speed boat, kayaking etc... A lot of entertainment. the food was really amazing. i loved it.

We planned the last leg of our Kerala trip after Munnar and Alleppey in Kumarakom. We were greeted by very friendly and pleasant staff upon arrival. The check-in was really smooth. The property is probably among the most beautiful in India and we were blown away right at the beginning.

The food served was amazing - We had Chinese and Italian cuisine for lunch / dinner and both of the meals were outstanding.

The rooms are grand and have a scenic view of the small lake right in the front. Visitors will surely fall in love with the view. The pool bar is absolutely fantastic but the gym is a bit small.

The resort is located on the shores of Vembanad lake and there is a daily sunset cruise along with tea and local snacks organized by the hotel. The diya lighting by local women and classical music/dance performances add to the overall grand experience.

Overall, We were very satisfied with the property and would definitely come back. Strongly recommended for romantic getaways.