Taj Malabar Resort and Spa

Our stay at Taj Malabar was meant to be a small family break after our daughter Priyanka’s wedding. Priyanka and Rohit were newly married, and we wanted a few quiet days together with Rohit’s parents, Vijaya Baskar and Krishna Priya, and my wife Radhika and me.

Somewhere along the way, those few days became much more than the family getaway we had planned.

Our experience with Taj Malabar actually began well before we reached Kochi. Paul from Reservations patiently coordinated our three bookings and the little arrangements I wanted for Priyanka and Rohit. Elizabeth then got in touch before our arrival. She wanted to understand who was travelling, our food preferences, room requirements and why this particular stay mattered to us. What I appreciated was that I never had to keep following up. She understood what we were looking for and quietly made things happen.

Before travelling, I had also written personally to Lalith Viswakumar, Area Director – Operations & General Manager. Ankur Gupta responded on his behalf and thereafter took a personal interest in our stay. My special thanks to both Lalith and Ankur.

By the time we arrived, it already felt as though the hotel knew us.

Swapna and her team welcomed us with a traditional welcome dance, which was a lovely start. Shalabha and Cinderella then took over at the Front Office. Both were warm, patient and genuinely pleasant, not just when we checked in but throughout our stay.

There were a few surprises waiting for us too.

Priyanka and Rohit had quietly paid the additional amount and upgraded both sets of parents to suites. Their plan was to surprise the four of us, which they certainly did.

Then Taj added another surprise of its own. After checking with Ankur, Cinderella upgraded Radhika and me further to the Grand Suite. We had absolutely no idea this was coming. It was such a lovely gesture and made what Priyanka and Rohit had planned for us even more special.

The recently renovated rooms are beautifully and tastefully done. Our suite was spacious, elegant and extremely comfortable. In fact, we ended up spending far more time in the hotel than we ever expected.

Food was a very important part of our stay, particularly because within our family we have strict vegetarians, non-vegetarians and very different preferences.

Chef Nihil and, more so, Chef Anoop took personal care of us throughout. They didn't simply leave us to choose from what was available. They understood our preferences, checked on us and made sure everyone had something they genuinely enjoyed.

And then there was Soorya at Pepper. He made our dining experience so, so fantabulous. Fatimah, Joman, Ajit, Alex and the entire Pepper team were equally wonderful. Meal after meal, six people with completely different preferences somehow walked away happy!

Our evenings at the bar became another part of the holiday we really enjoyed. Babu was fantastic. He very quickly understood what we liked, made us some excellent cocktails and looked after us overwhelmingly well. There was a warmth to his service that made those evenings even more enjoyable.

One experience I would certainly not miss at Taj Malabar is the sunset cruise.

Krishna played the flute as we sailed, keeping us engaged with his music throughout the boat ride. Shalabha accompanied us and brought another dimension to the experience. As we passed Willingdon Island, the port area, Fort Kochi and the other landmarks around us, she explained what we were seeing and gave us an insight into that part of Kochi.

So it wasn't simply a sunset cruise. There was the music, the scenery, the history and the six of us sitting together enjoying it all. A very simple evening, but one we will remember.

There is something about Taj Malabar which is difficult to put into words. The property has history and character, yet there is a sense of quiet luxury throughout. The greenery, the water surrounding you, the ships passing by and the unhurried pace of the place somehow make you forget about going anywhere else.

The weather was fabulous too. Beautiful mornings, relaxed afternoons and some wonderful evenings.

And perhaps the best way I can describe how much we enjoyed the property is this: we did not step outside Taj Malabar for three nights and four days!

We normally like going out and exploring wherever we travel. This time, nobody wanted to go anywhere.

In fact, we got so attached to the place that when it was time to leave, I extended our stay by another night for Radhika and me and for Priyanka and Rohit as well. We simply weren't ready to leave.

We also enjoyed the spa, where the team was attentive and took very good care of us. If I could make one small suggestion, it would be the gym. For a five-star property of this quality, I feel it could be a little larger and better equipped.

Having spent a large part of my own professional life in hospitality and food service, I probably notice certain things more than the average guest.

What stayed with me at Taj Malabar was not one grand gesture.

It was the consistency.

Someone had thought about things before we arrived. Someone was checking on us during breakfast. Someone remembered what we liked at dinner. Someone made the evenings enjoyable. Someone was explaining Kochi while we were on the water. And somewhere in between all of that, six people who had arrived after the madness of a very busy wedding simply relaxed and enjoyed being together.

That, for me, is hospitality.

Elizabeth, Ankur, Paul, Shalabha, Cinderella, Swapna and her team, Chef Nihil, Chef Anoop, Soorya, Fatimah, Joman, Ajit, Alex, Babu, Krishna and the many others whose names I may unfortunately have missed — thank you.

You didn't simply look after six guests. You understood why we were there and made those few days special for two families.

And finally, a very special thanks once again to Lalith Viswakumar and his entire team. What we experienced throughout those days was the Taj spirit at its best.

We came to Taj Malabar looking for a small family break after a very busy wedding.

We stayed longer than planned.

And we left with some beautiful memories.

We will definitely be back.

Usually when a review is given it starts from when you reach the hotel, but in my case the 5 star service that we got from Mr Ahilan at the Rice Boat Restaurant started 2 weeks prior when I contacted him to help with my post wedding celebration dinner.

Right from the onset, he was very polite and helpful, accommodating every request I asked, including but not limited to arranging a houseboat ride, participating in the cultural activities, coming up with a bespoke menu etc etc.

From the point we reached the hotel, Me Ahilan provided every possible support and assistance, providing a guided tour of the hotel and facilities, helping with the photoshoot, regularly following checking on this to make our evening dinner experience meeting the level of hospitality the Taj is famous for. He even accompanied us back to our vehicle, which was a very personalised and lovely gesture from his side.

We were completely blown away from the experience from the entire Rice Boat team that I even took time to list down their names: Chef Manoj, Anil Maharoof, Ishani, restaurant staff Abhay, Victor and Jibin.

Thank you so much to Mr Ahilan and the entire team at the Rice Boat Restaurant for the 7-star service and kindness we received. It’s staff like them that will compel us to visit the Taj again and again.

P.S Thank you for the complimentary mocktail, Mr Ahilan. We very much appreciate this!!