Brunton Boatyard - Cgh Earth

Brunton Boatyard is a beautifully designed modern hotel built in a heritage style, capturing the atmosphere and character of old Fort Kochi. Its waterfront location and harbour views are one of the hotel's main selling points, and the property has a distinctive sense of history and charm throughout.

We had a very enjoyable stay and, as with all CGH Earth properties, the service was warm, professional and attentive. Our room was spacious, spotless and very well presented, with a balcony overlooking the harbour. The only slight disappointment was the protective netting on the balcony, which detracts from what should be one of the hotel's standout features, particularly at sunset. As the harbour view is a major reason many guests choose this hotel, it would be wonderful if a less intrusive solution could be found.

Guests should be aware that the hotel overlooks a busy working port, with large ships coming and going throughout the day. There is also a Ro-Ro ferry terminal immediately next to the hotel, with ferries operating approximately every 10 to 15 minutes from 6:00 am until 10:00 pm. This creates a constant level of background noise, although the hotel thoughtfully provides earplugs for guests who are sensitive to sound.

The dining experience was good overall, although we felt the vegetarian options were not presented as clearly as at other CGH Earth properties such as Coconut Lagoon and Spice Village. At breakfast in The Armoury restaurant, vegetarian dishes were not clearly labelled, and we felt there could have been a wider selection of vegetarian choices in the History restaurant.

One of the highlights of our stay was an outstanding four-hand Ayurvedic massage, which was a truly memorable experience and something I would highly recommend.

Overall, we had a very pleasant stay and are glad we experienced Brunton Boatyard. However, after the exceptionally high standards we enjoyed at other CGH Earth properties, this one did not quite have the same appeal for us. If we return to Fort Kochi, we would explore some of the other excellent accommodation options in the area before deciding whether to stay here again.

beautiful location, surrounded by all the exciting sights of Kochi, Well maintained place with beautiful wooden furniture and lovely artefacts. The beach view room was large well furnished and maintained. Very good value for money. Restaurants - Armoury and History - great places with good food and service

What a beautiful hotel! We had a wonderful stay at the Brunton Boatyard. The rooms are exquisite and retain a lovely colonial charm. Absolutely loved our high bed and balcony overlooking the estuary. It was endlessly enjoyable and entertaining to watch the boats in the estuary. A very enjoyable dinner at the Heritage Restaurant and the most wonderful and memorable breakfasts outside with every imaginable dish on the menu. (No buffet always a plus). We had delicious cocktails one night. Pool is gorgeous and location amazing. Pool service is excellent. The only downside was only staying for 2 nights. Hugely recommend

The last stop on our travels in Southern India and it was absolutely excellent. A beautiful heritage building smack in the middle of Fort Kochi, stunning harbour views, welcoming and professional staff who looked after us very well, and great food, especially at The History.

What a fantastic hotel capturing the Fort Kochi of yesteryear with amazing service from start to finish. The food was absolutely delicious and we especially loved History for dinner. The high tea is also a lovely touch every afternoon. The rooms are beautiful with great views across Kochi. The location is perfect to explore Fort Kochi. We would absolutely recommend to anyone of all ages as ot was loved by us and our children.

I will add to the chorus that this a lovely heritage property! Room is spacious with high ceilings and a great harbor view. Bathroom shower and very deep bathtub were great with old shuttered windows. We loved watching all the activity in the harbor and really were not bothered by the ferry coming and going. Yes, it is noisy so if that bothers you take that into account. Staff friendly, with good English. Jasmine at desk helpful. Breakfast fresh, delicious and great presentation and can sit outside and view harbor. Highly recommend.

This was a lovely hotel, terrific staff, rooms, and food.
However, the proximity to the local car ferry loses it two stars. From 6am to 10pm, two ancient ferries chug back and forth, revving noisily as they arrive and depart, and the noise and diesel fumes make spending time in the pool, the outside dining area or on the balcony very unpleasant.
If you are a light sleeper, expect to be awoken early.

We loved this heritage property. Great location on the water. Our room had a nice view. I read complaints about ferry noise--we did not have that issue, but, seriously, how can one complain with a view of the ferry coming and going. Great views.

Room had that perfect historical feel. Nice appointments. Large. Nice bathroom.

I highly recommend this property.

We spent our last three nights of a five week trip at Brunton Boatyard; it was a lovely way to end our holiday in this elegant hotel with its views of the vibrant water front.

We had a very enjoyable stay at Brunton Boatyard in Fort Cochin.

We stayed in a sea-facing deluxe suite, which was excellent. The room was very spacious with a large sitting area and a fantastic balcony overlooking the water. It was a wonderful place to sit in the evening and watch the activity on the harbor.

As other reviewers have noted, there is a ferry terminal nearby, so there can be some boat and ferry noise. We travel with a white noise machine, so it didn’t bother us at all, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re sensitive to sound.

The location is excellent — right in the heart of Fort Cochin and within easy walking distance of restaurants, shops, and the main sights.

The service throughout the hotel was very good. The team was friendly and helpful, and we appreciated the local snacks that were left in the room on arrival.

One standout was the breakfast. Instead of a buffet, you sit down and order from an extensive menu. They also bring a beautiful tray of fruit and a “pastry boat” with fresh pastries to the table. It was one of the best hotel breakfasts we had during our trip.

We also ate at History Restaurant and ordered room service, and both were very good.

I also visited the spa during our stay and had both a massage and a facial. The treatments were excellent and very relaxing — definitely worth doing if you have the time.

During our time in Fort Cochin we visited a couple of other well-known heritage hotels for drinks, including properties that are part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Relais & Châteaux. They were lovely to see, but after visiting them we actually felt even better about our choice — Brunton Boatyard has a fantastic waterfront location and a wonderful atmosphere.

A couple of areas where the hotel could improve:

The air conditioning in the sitting room works well, but the bedroom itself does not have a strong air conditioning unit, so it can feel a bit warm.

The gym is quite limited and is located in a separate building at the front of the property. It is very small (a treadmill, a bike, and a few weights) and has no air conditioning or fans. During our workout the power went out several times, which caused the treadmill to shut off each time. The equipment restarted quickly, but the air conditioning took much longer, which made the space very hot.

The gym also doesn’t open until 7 a.m., which may be limiting for early risers, and there aren’t really good running routes immediately outside the hotel.

Overall, Brunton Boatyard is a charming heritage property in a fantastic waterfront location, with spacious rooms, excellent food, and a standout breakfast.

We would definitely stay here again when visiting Fort Cochin.

My husband and I stayed here for 2 nights.

Our room overlooked the estuary, lost moments sitting on our balcony watching all types of boats, fishermen in their canoes, naval boats, and tankers, and local ferry to name but a few.

The breakfasts were delicious with lots of choice.

We ate one evening in the hotels Terrace Grill and had The Seafood Experience meal which was absolutely delicious.
All fish had been caught just earlier that day.

Hotel staff v friendly and helpful.

Tips:
The hotel offers early morning walk around Fort Kochi, which was lovely. 7-8am.

5.30pm each night, complimentary boat cruise around the surrounding harbour, which was great fun

We stayed 4 nights with our family , very comfortable rooms in beautiful heritage building .. very hospitable staff. COchin nice city explore also on hotel bike .. Nice swimming pool

This is the hotel to stay in if you visit Fort Kochi. An outstanding hotel with outstanding staff. Great location, right next to the car ferry, and noise is not an issue and is all part of the ambience of being in central Fort Kochi. Fabulous room with a balcony overlooking the busy harbour. Hotel has three restaurants, all excellent with very attentive and helpful staff. Lovely pool on the waterfront, a great place to relax. The GM, Aswarhy, was visible and very personable. I thank her for making our stay so memorable. I would highly recommend this hotel and all hotels in the CCH Earth group to all

A wonderful discovery of the Backwaters. A beautiful boat just for my wife and me. Three people at our service for 24 hours: it was perfect. They were very helpful and incredibly kind. The meals were excellent and plentiful.

I only used the spa and compared with other Ayurveda spas in the region the skills of the providers were very poor. They didn’t really seem to know how to massage.

We had an absolutely wonderful stay at Brunton Boatyard at Fort Kochi! From the moment we arrived, the experience was exceptional. The rooms are beautifully designed, the inner garden is breathtaking. A particular highlight for us was the Ayurveda treatments — truly rejuvenating and expertly administered. The staff were warm, attentive, and made us feel completely welcome throughout our stay. We can’t recommend this place enough for anyone looking for a luxurious, relaxing, and holistic experience.

It is a lovely hotel on the waterfront. Short walk to seafront promenade where you can see the Chinese fishing nets. The hotel also offers a 45 min boat trip around waterfront every day at 17.30.
Very comfortable bedroom with a small balcony. Lovely to sit there watching the boats/ships pass by.
Great food in restaurants.
Staff were wonderful too.
No complaints at all.
If you do stay here there are a couple of things to be aware of.
The hotel is next to a busy ferry terminal so book a room overlooking the swimming pool area as it will be quieter.
The hotel is ‘dry’ on the first Sunday of every month. You can take your own beer/wine there but drink in room/ on balcony. Glasses are provided.

Good location. easy access to local shops and facilities. rooms were spacious. Food good with a choice of restaurant. Staff very attentive. Highly recommend this CGH hotel

This is a historic hotel in Cochin near all the sites and within walking distance to restaurants and shopping.

The room is very Colonial feeling with a very high four poster bed and lovely furniture. Air conditioning was great, we had a balcony that looked out over the very busy port of Cochin.

The hotel is near the ferry , but the ferry stops running at 10 PM so you can get some good sleep. The first night we were woken up by the ferry but the second night we slept straight through the 6 AM start time.

Breakfast was nice on the patio.

A great historic choice in Fort Cochin.

Comfortable, if fairly oldfashioned, hotel in wonderful position on the waterfront. Staff very friendly and helpful. Excellent breakfast and dinner.

Only reason for not awarding five stars is some disappointment with our room. We had wanted a waterfront room but were told by our agent when booking (well in advance) that one was not available and that we would have to pay extra for a waterfront suite. This included a large sitting room but it was too dark for most purposes and, crucially, the balcony looked out over buildings at the side.