Beechboro is a beautiful ancestral house located in the heart of the heritage town ‘Fort Cochin’, at Napier Street and its Portuguese facade speaks of the historic nature of the structure. The house is in Dutch architecture built in 1735 AD, aesthetically decorated maintaining traditional themes. The hosts are Arlene & Andre Bernard, who are natives of Fort Kochi and are in the hospitality business for more than a decade and are staying at Beechoro. Their sole motto is to provide affordable, friendly and quality homely environment for the guests and promote eco friendly tourism. Beechboro is an ideal home for someone looking for a quite retreat in the heart of Fort Kochi. It is one of the nearest spot from the historic monuments and attractions of Fort Kochi. Places like Parade ground, St. Francis church, Santa Cruz Basilica, Fort Kochi beach, Chinese fishing nets, are situated at walk able distance to the beach. We have 5 A/C rooms with attached bathrooms and balconies of different sizes. With a common drawing, dinning, entertainment room, terrace & kitchen for our guests. My mother Arlene gives cooking classes for the guests. We offer breakfast which is inclusive of the price. Lunch and dinner can be provided at a extra cost. Below are the facilities that we offer: Cable TV Broadband internet, Extra mattress, Ayurvedic massage, Mineral water, Laundry service, Doctor on call, Martial arts – Kalaripayattu Kathakali show, Indian classical music, Daily backwater cruises, House boat for daily or overnight stay, Air / Bus / Train ticket booking, Taxi / Auto / Bicycle renting.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Business
Location
1/278-A Napier Street Fort Kochi, Kochi (Cochin) 682001 India
Beechboro Home Stay
22 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
When we got to Kochi, we had been in India for 2.5 weeks, and were feeling a little tired from so many overnight trains and city changes, so we decided to stay in Kochi for a whole week. Our first night there, we were at a different hostel, and it was a nightmare for the price - 1800INR for a dirty, minimal room with the biggest cockroach and spider I have ever seen, and that's saying something since I'd been living in and traveling around SEAsia for 2 years by this point.
Anyway, we left the next day in search of a new place, and found the wonderful Beechboro Home Stay. The price was 2000INR, so we decided to stay for only one night, and set up something cheaper for the next day. However, after one night there, we knew we wanted to stay the whole week.
Our room: If you can get it, the loft on the roof is a fantastic room - hot shower in a lovely, re-done bathroom, comfortable bed with good blankets and pillows, nice tv with cable and movie channels, large space, and windows that have good screens so you can open the windows without worrying about bugs getting in.
The best part is that the room opened up to a rooftop lounging area, with chairs, a table for playing cards, clotheslines for drying wet clothes, etc. Arlene - the owner and lovely hostess - was not up there much when we were there, so it was like we had our own enormous balcony, and when we were tired of wandering around the town, we would go back and play cards or read, without traffic noise to bother us, just some birds and occasionally a monkey or two on nearby rooftops - but there's a large netting up that prevents them from getting on Beechboro's roof and stealing laundry or food ;)
I saw some of the other rooms, too - courtesy of Arlene's cute 4-year-old grandson who happened to be visiting at the time, and who took it upon himself to be tour guide - and they were all beautiful and clean, although I think the rooftop deck gives the loft room an advantage!
Beechboro is a lovely house overall, with a large living room and a big kitchen, where Arlene makes breakfast for you in the morning - it's very simple food, toast and tea/coffee, but what I liked a lot after traveling so long was the feeling that I was really just visiting an aunt, as she would putter about the kitchen, discuss your plans for the day, make small talk with you etc while she got your breakfast ready. We bonded because we are Canadian, and her sister lives near Toronto - in fact, one morning I came downstairs and took over talking to her sister on skype while Arlene made my tea! :) (In fact, we felt so comfortable with her that last week, when we were worried that our furniture we bought in January was never coming, I thought about calling her to see if she could march down to the shop and pressure them into getting our stuff shipped - fortunately, we just got the confirmation for the shipping, so I didn't have to ask her to do that, but I think she would've helped!)
She was helpful too with arranging a car to take us to our bus stop on our last day, as we had too much stuff from our nearly 4 weeks in India to take to the airport. Beechboro is a little further than some of the more popular, Lonely-Planet recommended places in Kochi, about a 7-10 minute walk from busy Princess Street, but it's a pretty walk past St. Francis Church and the parade grounds, where during the day we could watch kids playing football.
Beechboro Home Stay is not recommended currently in Lonely planet or any guide book I've seen, but it is a gem if you stumble across it. We found it because Arlene's other sister runs a home stay that we checked that was full, and recommended it. Definitely worth it, definitely would recommend to anyone going to Kochi - with kids, as a couple, as friends - it's great!
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Date of stay: January 2011
Value
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Get the loft room on the roof!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I visited Kochi on 12th Dec 2014 to attend the Art Biennial. Since I did not have a room on this busy day, Ivor the GM of Cochin Club hosted me at Arlene's Beechboro. The room, bedsheets, towel and toilet were spotlessly clean. The bed very comfortable. And one felt totally at home in Arlene's home. She was also so nice, friendly, helpful and a gracious host.
After a great breakfast and we were all set to see all the art works in the city!
Thank you Arlene for everything
Gopal Mirchandani
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Date of stay: December 2014
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lovely homestay in nice quiet part of Kochi, but still very close to the town centre. They were very welcoming and looked after us as if we were family! Highly recommend.
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Date of stay: December 2011
Value
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Beechboro Home Stay. Arlene, the hostess was very friendly, welcoming and accommodating. After the hustle and bustle of the bigger cities, it was wonderful to experience the relaxing, clean, friendly environment and Arlene's hospitality. The rooms were very spacious and had all the necessary facilities and if you needed anything, Arlene was very accommodating and couldn't do enough for her guests. This was very apparent when we joined some of the other guests at a sumptious breakfast prepared by Arlene. Everyone seemed to be very happy and comfortable at the home. It was so central to all the tourist places and a choice of restaurants/eating places which were just a short stroll down the street. I would highly recommend the place and would definitely stay there next time (esp if Arlene sends me the airfare!!). C, J and B, Perth, West Australia
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Date of stay: January 2012
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I returned from a two week holiday in Cochin a few days ago with the most fondest, memorable time we have had. From the moment we walked through the door, we felt the warm, loving, positive energy of this beautiful homestay. We were made to feel comfortable and at home immediately by the owners, Arlene and Andre. Everything was walking distance with a variety of restaurants to choose from. We shopped till we dropped, so many shops around the corner with great bargains. Nothing was too much for the people running the homestay. They helped to book a variety of tours, all of which we thoroughly enjoyed. An overnight house boat trip proved to be more than anyones expectations with the most beautiful, breathtaking scenery. We packed in so much in such a short space of time and at the end of each day, it was a pleasure to walk into what we felt was, "HOME AWAY FROM HOME" . We would highly recomment Beechboro Home Stay, in Fort Cochin to all our family and friends visiting Cochin. Thank you Arlene and Andre so much.
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Date of stay: August 2012
Value
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If your travelling alone or with family to Kochi in India, the best place to stay is Beechboro on Napier St. Fort Kochi, because of its ideal location. It is just minutes walk to the beach and surrounded by historical places and amazing restaurants. But, I personally preferred Arlene Bernard's home cooked food and I enjoyed the company of their whole family as they were down from the Middle East to spend their Christmas Vacation.
Even though they have big air conditioned rooms, as a solo traveler, I enjoyed the smallest bedroom worth 1500 INR per night. I was happy to attend the Christmas tree event, midnight Christmas mass, a wedding and the New Year dance. I also enjoyed travelling by boat and the auto riksha to Lulu, the biggest mall in Kerala. I even enjoyed the local food at a toddy shop at Nettor.
It was such a memorable experience. I will surely be back to explore the rest of Kerala and India soon.
P.S. Arlene Bernard, please keep room 6 for me. :)
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Date of stay: December 2016
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:all rooms are different and you can choose depending on the availability.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I really enjoyed my stay here as a solo traveller and plan to return with my family. The home was welcoming and the rooms were comfy and really clean. The family were helpful and Arlene and Andre did anything they could to assist me. I highly recommend this homestay!
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Date of stay: October 2016Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our first night here at this wonderful local place in the heart of Fort Cochin (Fort Kochi). The place is owned and managed by Arlene Bernard and has 5 rooms to offer visitors.
Arlene is a wonderful hostess and an awesome cook - lunch today was typical Cochin style seafood.
Our group has taken up all the rooms for two nights before moving to other parts of Kerala and returning to this home stay for another two nights.
A perfect location from which to explore Cochin and surrounds.
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Date of stay: February 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A few friends and I visited Kochi for the biennale and happened upon this homestay. None of us were particularly bothered about where we would be staying but arriving at Beechboro was a pleasant surprise, especially considering the amount we paid per head. The house is large and airy, rooms are basic but have everything you'd need and are spotless, and the location is ideal! The owners were very warm and helpful, happy to provide breakfast if we asked for it. Real value for money and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Fort Kochi!
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Date of stay: March 2015
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our time at Beechboro Home Stay was amazing. The building is large, beautiful, full of character and homely. It's in a great location close to the beach, fishing nets, large park lands and amazing restaurants; while still being in a quiet and peaceful location away from the hustle and bustle of places like Ernakulam or Thoppumpady.
The operator Arlene is wonderful. She's helpful, friendly and happily catered to all of needs and requests. Her cooking is amazing and she welcomes guests for meals or for a Sunday cooking lesson - definitely worth it to learn some South Indian cooking secrets.
The rooms are large, spacious and are extremely neat and tidy. I'll definitely be visiting there again soon.
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Date of stay: December 2014
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:All of the rooms are great and are fully equipped with everything one could want for an enjoyable...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Kochi (Cochin) area.
LOCATION
IndiaKeralaErnakulam DistrictKochi (Cochin)
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
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Are there any historical sites close to Beechboro Home Stay?
Many travellers enjoy visiting St. George Orthodox Koonan Kurish Old Syrian Church (1.6 km), Aspinwall House (0.5 km), and Kadavum Bagam Synagogue (2.3 km).