17 Best Hotels in Central Kerala, Kerala

Built into the side of a steep hill, this tranquil hotel, located 6 km (3¾ miles) from the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, offers sweeping views of the verdant valley below and the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The rooms are spacious and feature picture windows, a sitting area, a private balcony, plus bathrooms with modern fittings, a floor-to-ceiling window, and standing-only showers. The restaurant uses organic produce and spices from the on-site farm. There's also a swimming pool and watch tower.

Set around a network of canals and pristine lawns, this lush 25-acre heritage resort is right on Lake Vembanad and is known for its palatial traditional villas fitted with ornately carved teakwood ceilings, colorful mythological murals, and open-air garden bathrooms with private pools. Some offer direct access to a 250-meter (820-feet) meandering pool. There are two main restaurants, an excellent ayurvedic center, and houseboats, as well as daily yoga, afternoon tea, and traditional dance performances.

Nestled in a picturesque valley and surrounded by lush green hills, the rooms and villas here sprawl over so many acres that golf carts or buggies remain busy ferrying guests around the property. The ambience is relaxing, the views spectacular from every point, and service excellent. For a luxurious stay, opt for a villa, which come with a large private pool; some rooms also come with a plunge pool and balcony. The restaurant puts out top-quality local and Western dishes.

The hillside views on this cardamom, coffee, and vanilla plantation are stunning. Accommodations, which are behind the planter's home, among a grove of towering trees, are large and homey rooms with exquisite embroidered linen, wall hangings, and curtains. The wooden, chalet-style dining area has a small library upstairs, under the rafters, with breathtaking views.

Although not as luxurious as some of its neighbors, this backwater resort with pretty white bungalows with terra-cotta roofs is set on a lovely 13-acre property that has ponds, lush coconut palm groves, and a small lagoon running through it. The rooms, each with their own patio, are spacious, stylish, and furnished in muted colors. High ceilings, wood trim, and solid-wood furniture give them a substantial feel.

Set on Marari beach in a quiet neighborhood are four luxury cottages in a delightful garden hotel surrounded by palm trees. Each cottage, decorated with Kerala-style furnishings, has a spacious veranda where all meals are served and a traditional open-air bathroom with modern fittings; some have their own private swimming pool. For those who want to do more than just soak up the sun, there are spa treatments, yoga, and biking tours around Marari village.

This serene Kerala backwaters resort, bordered by the lake and the backwaters on three sides and crisscrossed with canals and footbridges, is dotted with bungalows, private pool villas, and mansions. Ettukettu, one of the restaurants here, is painstakingly reassembled from parts of an approximately 300-year-old Kerala tharawad (traditional house). The hotel has a butterfly garden.

A ferry transports you to this former maharaja's hunting lodge, an enormous, red-tiled-roof heritage bungalow, located on an island inside the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, where you can spot wildlife from your balcony. Now run by the Kerala state government tourist department, the six simple but very large rooms are decked out with period furniture and offer views of the palm-lined pathway and beyond to the lake and wildlife preserve.

The highlight of this relaxing resort with elegant rooms is the impressive infinity pool, which overlooks the mighty Vembanad lake. The 27 rooms, all in a two-story heritage Kerala building, have four-poster beds and wooden accents. The lobby and other shared areas are simple and functional and look out onto well-tended lawns. The resort is about a 30-minute drive from Alleppey.

This 25-acre eco-friendly resort, built to resemble a traditional fishing village, offers an unspoiled palm-fringed beach and an excellent ayurvedic center. Brick paths lead through rows of deceptively modest thatched-roof cottages that are both extremely spacious and comfortable—they have traditional red oxide floors, coir matting, bamboo roll blinds, cane furniture, and hand-loomed furnishings, with open-air bathrooms sporting banana trees.

Set on the secluded Marari beach—considered one of Kerala's finest—this select set of luxury villas each has its own butler and chef plus a fully equipped kitchenette. The villas, built in authentic tharavad style, have either dark wood or brightly colored walls, and showcase stylish furniture and brass fittings; bathrooms are open-air and filled with trees. There are plenty of activities on the grounds, including cooking classes, yoga, and ayurvedic treatments. Kochi is an hour away.

Fluttering eucalyptus trees frame an alluring resort of tile-roofed cobblestone cottages, some of them two stories, offering memorable views of Mattupetty Lake. The cottages are well-spaced in this family-owned property, allowing each privacy. Pine furniture adorns each of the rooms, and the overall decor is a mellow green and white, with eucalyptus trees etched on the walls. The two-bedroom cottages have a living and dining area.

A fork in the road branches off to a mile-long, bumpy road that leads to a spice plantation holding this small resort that emerges like a little paradise from the undergrowth. The whitewashed cottages with thatched roofs lie perched on a hillside, each of them featuring well-lit, attractive rooms with colorful highlights. The hotel’s glass-and-bamboo-fronted reception building also houses a spa, a bar, and a restaurant. A variety of wildlife lives in the forest surrounding the property.

One of Thekkady's finest resorts, Spice Village has well-maintained thatch-roof cottages that are built into a hillside with lush plantings, including a spice garden that adds fragrance and privacy. Room interiors have knotty pine furniture and trim, white walls, red-tile floors, and hand-loomed upholstery and bedspreads. There are two restaurants and a bar, and the resort organizes jungle treks, paper-making lessons, and Indian cooking classes. The property is also eco-friendly, running partially on solar energy and recycling all its waste within the premises.

The brightly colored villas and cottages at this tranquil resort set among rubber trees have broad verandas overlooking a small lagoon where guests can canoe or pedal-boat. A few of the cottages offer views of Vembanad Lake. The main building here is a former 19th-century plantation house built by the son of an English missionary. There are two restaurants, a bar, and an outdoor swimming pool, as well as daily houseboat trips.

Set along Lake Vembanad, this luxurious resort offers a variety of rooms from cottages with lagoon views to villas with private pools overlooking the lake. There are three restaurants and a bar, an excellent spa, daily yoga, along with a slew of outdoor activities from cycling to fishing and bamboo rafting.