Brunton Boatyard

When I arrived at the hotel, all of the staff walked over to the entrance of the lobby to greet us with smiles. It was a very genuine and warm welcome. The lobby is large and open and doesn’t feel like a hotel reception with lots of counters and staff standing behind them. After a refreshing welcome drink, cold towel and completing check in formalities, the staff took me to my room.

The rooms have a old style colonial feel but have all the modern amenities you need. You can also see how the hotel has won numerous sustainability awards, with recycling bins in each room and very little single use packaging.
Snacks in the room are locally made and hand labelled with what they are and use by dates. The teas come in small canisters rather than single use tea bags. All the bathroom amenities are also in refillable bottles.

The Sea Facing Rooms look out over the pool in the grounds to Vypeen Island across the harbour with the entrance to the Arabian Sea visible in the distance. You can relax on your balcony and watch the passing boat traffic.

The hotel offers daily morning activities of Yoga and also a local walk before breakfast. There is no extra charge for these activities. Breakfast is served in the Armoury Restobar with the option to sit inside or outside on the terrace overlooking the water. The Armory is open for all breakfast and lunch. At breakfast, cold dishes are buffet style but juices and hot dishes are made fresh to order.

Being in Southern India I had to try a breakfast dosa which is a thin crepe served with sides to dip the crispy dosa into. We then headed out for a day exploring Fort Kochi before returning in the afternoon in time for complimentary high tea. This is served each afternoon and includes small cakes and local snacks with iced or hot tea and coffee.

After this the hotel also has a daily sunset cruise around the harbour. This leaves from beside the pool and is only for hotel guests. It was relaxing to watch the sun set over the famous Chinese fishing nets. The hotel staff also provide commentary on the sights and history of the area. We were lucky enough to see dolphins swimming beside the boat!

After the cruise there are two options for dinner at the hotel. Firstly is the Terrace Grill overlooking Fort Kochi in the evening and serves locally caught seafood grilled how you like it. The second option is The History Restaurant where each dish tells a different part of the story of Fort Kochi. This is a more formal fine dining experience.

I found Brunton Boatyard to be a relaxing sanctuary to return to each day where I could sit and watch the world pass by or when I wanted to go exploring, it’s right in the middle of Fort Kochi so everything is within easy walking distance. With the views, activities and meal options the hotel feels like a destination in itself. I would definitely recommend at least 2 nights, if not 3 or more considering how much the hotel and Fort Kochi has to offer.

We regularly include Brunton Boatyard in our tailor-made itineraries for private touring in south India.