this is a lovely hotel although it is a bit out of the way from everywhere. But perhaps thats an advantage- generally you are forced to just relax and do nothing for a few days.

if possible, get a room in the heritage wing- they are lovely rooms. I got an upgrade into the Malabar Suite once and it was amazing.

Nice restaurants and a lovely garden

Its just a long way to the airport!

My husband and I recently spent a couple of nights at the Taj Malabar with our two young kids and it was very enjoyable.

The view from our room (Superior Room with sea view) was great and the pool is lovely. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the Play room which is well stacked with activities.

Most importantly, this hotel has great staff. They were all friendly and smiled all the time-that made a lot of difference!

We recently returned from a short stay at the Taj Malabar. The location is magnificent - as other reviewers have noted, you're not exactly in the middle of town, but the location on the tip of an island surrounded by water on 3 sides is truly unique. You can sit in your room and watch the boats go by for hours - we even saw dolphins right outside our room on several occasions. We had what was ostensibly a "bad" room - 1st floor, right above the restaurant - but the view was absolutely magnificent and the funishings, etc. were top rate; there was no noise or odor from the restaurant.

Staff were excellent and unobtrusive, and as at other Taj properties, went out of their way to accommodate any request, no matter how unusual.

There is a daily free sunset cruise which is definitely worth doing - a great way to see Cochin harbor. The pool is small but as beautiful as the photos; the spa facilities seemed nice but book in advance, so we didn't get a chance to experience them.

There is a Thai restaurant in the hotel which is not prominently featured but has the best Thai food we've ever eaten (including travel through East Asia, North America, Europe, etc.) - the chef & his wife are recent immigrants from Thailand and do a superb job. The breakfast buffet must be among the best in India - everything from fresh masala dosa to waffles. The lobby bar, set in the historic section of the hotel, is a very nice place for a drink, with a good view of the harbor.

One (major) caution, and a black mark against the property: once you are there, there is no way to get back to the airport (or indeed get anywhere) without booking a car through the Taj travel desk. The hotel charged Rs 1,800 (nearly $50) for a ride that would cost a quarter of that through a reputable taxi company, and flatly refused to make any other arrangement for us to get to the airport. Further, the car was 45 minutes late and we almost missed our flight as a result. Be sure to make other arrangements for a car before arrival; once you are there, you are at the mercy of this unfortunate arrangement. It is very strange that such an excellent hotel would choose to insult its guests in this way on their way out the door!

I have stayed at the Malabar several times over the years and I am never disappointed. The staff are superb - efficient and friendly, they contribute to the overall nice atmosphere in the hotel, which I also think benefits from being smaller than it's peer hotels. I agree that it is not quite as luxurious as some hotels in the same category and there are signs of age in the rooms, but then the prices reflect that.

I always eat at the Rice Boat, which is a specialist fish restaurant. If you like fish and Indian food, you're laughing. If you select one of the fresh fish from the counter, the chef will discuss with you what you would like them to cook.

Whilst the hotel is not as well located as Brunton's, I think the pool area is much nicer and the rooms better. It is however, better located than either of Le Meridien hotels.