The splendid teakwood door inlaid with stained glass in the Ottoman alleyway opens into a world of vintage vogue. The hotel’s decor is inspired predominantly by the early history of South India, from Chettinad to Malabar architecture—some ruins, some intact, and some beautifully restored to their original glory.

The Ginger House Museum Hotel has 9 rooms, each unique in character, yet all boasting an unprecedented level of comfort. They share the same lovely high ceilings and expected comforts such as air- conditioning, mini-bars, king-sized beds and carefully-curated herbal toiletries. Among the unexpected delights are the sensor-equipped, State-of- the-art Japanese toilet bowls.

The wood-furnished entryway houses the most illustrious room of the hotel. The other 8 rooms are on a mezzanine floor, which also has a calming garden aside an infinity pool overlooking Vembanad, Kerala’s largest lake. The stairway to them is adorned by a larger than life statue of Lord Nataraja, Hinduism’s ecstatic dancer—symbolising the hotel’s ethos of mixing spirituality and fun.