Once the Trinity at Fort Cochin headquarters of the Dutch East India Company, the building that houses Trinity may be 150 years old, but the interiors are as contemporary as it gets. Cutting edge design that can almost be described as ‘Zen’ and walls lined with quirky canvasses make the hotel seem like a slice of Miami life in South India. It was voted as one of the world’s best places to stay by The Times in 2005, and nothing about it has changed since.
The beautiful aesthetic is by now de rigueur at the ‘Malabar Escapes’ stable of hotels of which Trinity is a part. Sitting barely 200 metres from Trinity is the very first hotel of the chain – The Malabar House – important because you will have to walk across for your meals there. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since the restaurant is easily one of the best in South India.
With only three bedrooms (hence the name), privacy is assured and in fact, the whole hotel gives the feel of a private apartment. Antiques are juxtaposed with contemporary art in the minimalist-chic rooms that are differentiated by their colour scheme – so you have the Red Suite, the Blue Suite and The Yellow Room. Each of the rooms have a unique quirkiness of their own – unexpected skylights, cantilevered mezzanines and beautiful Japanese ‘bath-gardens’ complete with pebble floors and Japanese dressing robes. Everything at Trinity is bright, beautiful and serene.
The communal sitting and breakfast room has a great view into Fort Cochin’s Parade Ground. Light and airy, it also has comfortable chairs and a sofa in a deep Buddha-orange, bookshelves and a table at the window from which to enjoy the view.
Stay
All three rooms have wonderfully comfortable beds, coloured silk cushions and luxurious crisp linen, as well as all the luxuries you’d expect from such a contemporary space – remote-controlled blinds and lighting, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, DVD and CD players, phones, TVs and mini-bars. Those in search of authentic India be warned – its ultra-modern décor is stunning, but more like Europe than the East.
Each room has a wall painted in the bold primary colour of the room’s name. The pricier Red Suite elicits the biggest gasps thanks to its extra mezzanine bed and sprawling ‘bath-garden’. Its walls are lined with lithographs by MF Husain (India’s most revered contemporary artist) and beyond the perfectly manicured bedroom, there is a small terrace with elegant local furniture and those amazing al fresco bathrooms complete with a shower that empties into a magnificent bronze pot.
The Red and Blue suites both have second double beds on a small mezzanine – perfect if you have a young child or you’re a group of friends together. The two suites have gorgeous open-air bathrooms with marvellous sunken showers surrounded by pebbles – lovely light kimonos and wooden slippers are provided.
The Yellow room has a small decking area, perfect for yoga or just to relax in, a separate basin/dressing room and hardwood floors with a built-in sitting area in the floor.
Quirky features make each suite different – the Yellow suite has a fantastic black and white photograph displaying Kathakali dancers putting on their makeup; the Blue has a lovely antique children’s car on its mezzanine.
Dine
Breakfast can be taken whenever you want. You have a choice of fresh breads and pastries, muffins, fruit and eggs; or try a South Indian option such as a banana and coconut dosas (rice-four pancakes). Food is tasty, healthy and perfectly cooked. There’s always lots of fresh fruit available, as well as drinks throughout the day. You can eat at a lovely wooden communal dining table, upstairs in a small (though rather dark) mezzanine table, or privately in your room.
Make the best use of Trinity’s excellent location and set out to explore Fort Cochin.
Its interesting history of Portuguese, English and Dutch influences –as well as Asia’s oldest church – make it quite exciting. The nicest way to see Fort Cochin is to borrow the in-house mountain bikes from the hotel and discover it on your own. Some of the must-dos are – to visit the nearby Vasco de Gama church, India’s oldest Christian building or goshopping in Jew Street for antiques and trinkets. Separately wander through the 16th century Indo-Dutch Mattancherry Palace and take it slow at the Kashi Art Café for some coffee and chocolate cake. You must stop for a simple vegetarian lunch at the Fort House before going to watch the fishermen at work with their famous Chinese fishing nets
For those interested in some retail therapy – the Cinnamon boutique, sells some fantastic Indian designer clothing and gifts. It is right underneath Trinity’s suites and is leased to another company by The Malabar House.
Besides renovating and using one of the oldest buildings in Fort Cochin, Trinity makes use of hydroelectric power, recycles where possible, and cleans with organic detergents.
What’s Hot!
- Lovely location. A beautiful building in the middle of Fort Cochin, with its lemon-yellow buildings, palm-fringed beaches, mellow tree-lined streets and rich colonial history.
- With only three suites and no restaurant, it’s quiet and private.
- Two rooms have beautiful ‘bath gardens’.
- The service is impeccable.
What’s Not!
- The pool is very small, more suitable for cooling off than swimming.
- There are no views from the rooms and all the windows have blinds on them.
- You have to walk to Malabar House for dinner – though it’s only 200 metres away.
Ideal For Whom
Couples, pairs of friends or families will like it for the extra bit of privacy that you’d otherwise find difficult at a hotel. It would be ideal for a large family or group of friends looking to rent the whole place. Children are welcome, though this place is better suited for adults. Sleek and contemporary, this is not the place for those looking for an authentic Indian experience.
When To Visit
October to January is the best time to visit, as the heat is less intense (max. of 30°C and min. of 18°C). Summer, from February until May gets quite hot – (max of 35°C and 23°C min). Monsoon runs from June until September (max. of 32°C and min. of 20°C), when prices are reduced.
How Many Days
Three or four nights is ideal here – enough to use the place as a base to take in the major sights by day and relax by night; or a night or two as part of a larger trip round Kerala.
Things To Bring
Loose linen trousers and dresses for dining at The Malabar House restaurant and bar – it can get very romantic there! Mosquito repellent and wrist and ankle-covering layers are a must in Kerala and particularly at The Malabar House – especially if you plan to sit by the swimming pool in the terrace restaurant.
Situated a two minute walk away from The Malabar House in the heart of historical Fort Cochin, opposite St. Francis Church and at a three minute walk from the Chinese fishing nets.
By air
Cochin airport is the closest but since some carriers may not go to Cochin, the next best is Bangalore. Cochin is accessible by daily flights from all Indian metros & Lakshadweep. There are International connecting flights from all major European metros via Bangalore, Madras, Mumbai, Delhi, Dubai, Kuwait, Doha, Muscat, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Colombo. Flights that come in from Asia via Singapore land in Cochin too.
By train
Ernakulam Junction (South) is the name of the station. Railways have connections to all major cities in India and Kerala. A rail journey is a good pick for those who want to travel differently.
Once you get to Cochin, Trinity is in the heart of historical Fort Cochin, opposite St. Francis Church and it takes a three minutes walk to the Chinese fishing nets. If you get to Fort Cochin Parade Ground, you will see a large gate facing the ground with ‘VOC’ written on it. You’ve reached!
Transfers
Trinity arranges transfers by taxi to and from the airport & railway station. Time to airport is 1 hour and 30 minutes for 45 Km, to station 45 minutes for 12 Km.
Joerg Drechsel, an ethnographic exhibition curator with enviable taste and style and Txuku Iriate Solana, his attractive Basque wife, an excellent cook – are the owners of the widely successful Malabar Escapes. Already having the ingredients of a good holiday between the two of them – the perfect marriage of excellent design and good food; it was difficult for them to go wrong.
Their properties are an extension of their fine sensibilities, and especially Mr Drechsel’s, who was a curator of Islamic art. His eclectic art collection promises that you will find fine objects of art imaginatively displayed all over the hotels. Besides having excellent taste, the couple is equally passionate about the environment and though Malabar Escapes is the last word on a luxurious, stylish holiday in Kerala – their properties have very good eco-credentials.
“A space that is as much a tribune to the present as a salute to a bygone time” Design Today
“Hot hotels, the world’s best places to stay 2005” The Times
