Taj Malabar Hotel – Cochin (Kerala), India:
Mysterious India is a land rich in Eastern culture, exotic cuisine and an enigmatic tradition. It’s not often that I get to visit South Asia, but when I do I always make it a point to stop by India for a few nights just to soak up the best that this culturally diverse region has to offer.

First Impression/Lobby:
We stayed at the Taj Malabar Hotel in Cochin. Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by the doorman, bellmen and four other people. Great hospitality and quick service are hallmarks of a true luxury hotel that prides itself in the efficiency of its staff, and the Taj Malabar Hotel doesn’t disappoint.

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Reception:
We headed on over to the front desk to check into our hotel room where the reception greeted us mildly and mentioned that he had been expecting us. After a few minutes flew by, we were done checking in and immediately escorted by the hotel’s head porter. I really appreciated how fast we got all the paperwork and formalities out of the way.

Concierge:
The concierge proves further the hotel’s commitment to top flight service. He was competent, sincere and knowledgeable and did exactly what he promised to do when he promised to do it. He put us totally at ease, knowing that we were in good hands.

The Suite:
The suite we got was the Malabar Suite on the 2nd floor (Room 111). It was positively gorgeous! The entire room had beautiful hardwood floors, a myriad of vases, pots and bowls of flowers and the usual amenities one would expect in a suite. It was divided into several areas including a large living/dining room, a guest and master bedroom, and a large terrace that was great for taking in the beautiful sights that India had to offer, but oddly enough also offered a view of the parking lot. The plate of fresh fruit waiting on the dining room table was an excellent touch!

The Dining room had four big wooden chairs that had a pleasant view of the water outside which, although not exactly dazzling, was probably the best that the hotel had to offer. The suite also had a small covered balcony that was perfect for relaxing without staying under the rain or sun.

I’d like to note that I wasn’t floored by the bedroom, what with its aging carpet and entertainment set that included a rather dated flat screen TV set. The room was fairly large though, but definitely plain as can be. I was more impressed by the huge dressing room that had lots of closet space enough for all your clothes and other items that you carried on your person. The suite had Wi-Fi by the way, but its connection was intermittent (a major annoyance!).

The suite had a bathroom with marble floors, a bath tub and shower, and only one sink. The hotel’s choice of amenities were an unfamiliar brand called Forest Essentials which, after using them, I realized why I had never heard of them: they were a poor excuse for a luxury amenity! The robes were cheaply made of light cotton, as well.

Room Service:
I am thoroughly convinced that the hotel’s main strength is its excellent service. We tried ordering food from our room, and I was pleased at how easy and simple it was: it’s nice when the person taking your order knows exactly what they have and can do. It simply couldn’t have gotten any better than that!

We got our food sent to our room on time, all the time; however I was a bit disappointed that when they brought it in, they simply put the tray on the table and left. In a five-star luxury hotel like this, they should set the table up and make it a memorable experience, not a quick set and forget service.

Housekeeping:
Four words for the hotel’s exquisite housekeeping: complete, thorough, invisible, perfect!

Restaurant:
Of the many restaurants that Taj Malabar has such as the Thai Pavilion, Waterfront Café and Dolphin’s Point, we only tried the food from one of them which was the Rice Boat. Although we had booked the Rice Boat in advance, we ended up having the dinner from the restaurant on our private terrace, which in itself was unique. The experience was absolutely mind-blowing! The staff went above and beyond their lines of duty to make our private dinner a night to remember.

The food from Rice Boat was somewhere between bombastic and not, but the service, the special attention and the whole evening was Fantastic Bombastic. I highly, highly recommend reserving the suite and having a private dinner on the terrace, there is nothing like it!

Pool/Spa/Activites:
The pool was definitely beautiful, although a few raucous children destroyed the generally serene ambience. The attendants weren’t that attentive, as well.

Overall Impression
The Taj Malabar does feel like a 5-star luxury hotel for the most part, but just as importantly, the caring staff really does show a sincere interest in making your stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible.

Would I go back to Taj Malabar? Definitely! I found the experience to be bombastic.

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