Dinner with a side of colonial history

There’s something about historic buildings that make you want to hang around them for a little longer than needed.
Dinner with a side of colonial history

KOCHI: There’s something about historic buildings that make you want to hang around them for a little longer than needed. Admiring their high ceilings and heavy doors, taking in their silence and generally just ruminating on their past is part of the charm of being in an old building that has survived generations. The Old Harbour Hotel in Fort Kochi is one such magnificent structure that was built by the Dutch in the 18th century.

One of the oldest buildings in Kochi, the Old Harbour Hotel is an imposing presence, yet unassuming in its ways. Built in 1788, it is a unique blend of Portuguese and Kerala architectural styles. Those were times when foreign trade flourished. The Portuguese and the Dutch used it as a residential bungalow. Later, as the British East India Company took over, the bungalow was used by wealthy English traders, until India attained independence in 1947.

Decades later, when the building was reopened as a boutique hotel in 2006 by businessman Edgar Pinto, care was taken to preserve its legacy. Today, it is a charming retreat with a waterfront and a well-maintained garden. The walls in beige, red and white and white-and-blue windowpanes hark back to its Portuguese ancestry. The large arched entrance and the red tiled roof with a spacious lobby welcome guests to its calming interiors.

Designed by architect Karl Damschen, the hotel has a blend of light wooden panel floors, a mix of vintage and custom furnishings, a lightly shaded lobby along with special garden cottages. The greenery around it adds to the charm of the place. The artifacts on display have been collected by Pinto himself. Art and architecture meet in delightful ways here. A Portuguese style teapot and an antique piece collected from Tamil Nadu, placed at the lobby are sure to catch the attention of the visitors

The rooms with yellow walls, high ceilings and yellow linen curtains have been designed to make the guest feel in tune with Nature. The rooms open into a wide green courtyard with a pond of lilies and lotuses. The stone sculpture placed amidst the open courtyard and within the nooks and corners of the building supplements the vintage style. “What you see in the hotel is carefully curated to go with the period and design of the hotel. The art work varies from Tanjore paintings to contemporary Indian art by leading Indian artists. The antiques have been collected from Pondicherry, Sri Lanka and Chettinad,” says Pinto.

A small library has been set up around the corner with a rocking horse chair, made out of copper and brass, imported from Sri Lanka. Other attractions include an ancient typewriter that has a brown enamel finish and ceramic pots arranged in rows over the wooden cupboard. “Out of all these collections, the Garuda statue placed at the lobby, which I got from Jew Town, is my favorite,” says Pinto.

With 13 rooms named after the street of Fort Kochi, the hotel pays tribute to the heritage of the place. For instance, the room Burgher has been named after Burgher street and Princess Suite is named after Princess Street. Each room is labeled with wooden and brass plates, and has two patched wooden doors with a circular bronze bell attached. The aesthetic appeal of the building is reflected in the usage of age old Kalki switches and antique fans.

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