Old Lighthouse Bristow Hotel , Fort Kochi

Hotels
OLD LIGHT HOUSE BRISTOW HOTEL Beach Road,Near INS Dronacharya, Fort Kochi,Kerala-682001,India , Cochin , in

Facilities

Health or beauty spa nearby
Offsite parking discounted rates available
Air conditioning
Swimming pool
Restaurant
Room service
Family rooms
Non-smoking throughout
Staff adhere to local safety protocols
Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Excellent location and heritage setting
Beachside views and proximity to Kathakali centre
Atmospheric meeting spot in the evenings
Cons:
Tired, dated property with poor room maintenance
Weak service (missed spa booking, unhelpful/rude staff, no follow-up on requests)
Poor breakfast selection and food presentation
Intermittent internet and limited amenities
Cleanliness issues (soiled cutlery, spider in room)

Categories

Cleanliness
1
Several reviewers reported soiled/oily cutlery and a large spider in the room; overall cleanliness described as neglected and 'unloved'.
Service
1
Multiple service failures noted: front desk failed to follow up on tuk-tuk arrangements, staff were described as rude when refusing a late checkout, and a booked spa practitioner did not show.
Location
1
Consistently praised: next to the beach with great harbour views, close to Kathakali centre and well-situated for exploring Fort Kochi; heritage setting is a strong positive.
Room Quality
1
Rooms described as dated and tired: poor bathroom design (dangerous tub/step layout), slow/absent hot water to sink, limited towels/pillows/toiletries and generally old-fashioned fittings.
Amenities
1
Amenities underperformed: intermittent/poor internet, spa staffing failure, dated pool room and limited in-room facilities noted.
Value for Money
1
Multiple guests felt the price was not justified given service, food and room condition; comments indicated charges were 'not worth paying'.
Food and Beverage
1
Breakfast repeatedly described as meagre and overly Indian-focused with limited western options; presentation and portions (very small diced fruit) were criticised.
Overall Experience
1
Mixed overall: the property's heritage and prime location provide strong appeal and memorable moments for some guests, but pervasive service, cleanliness and room issues significantly detract from the stay.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-03-31 08:50

Property Description

Luxurious Accommodation with Stunning Sea Views
Indulge in air-conditioned rooms overlooking the sea, equipped with modern amenities for a comfortable stay.

Relaxing Indoor Pool and Serene Garden
Unwind by taking a refreshing dip in the indoor pool or strolling through the peaceful garden on the hotel premises.

Convenient Location for Sightseeing
Explore nearby attractions like Kochi Biennale and St. Francis Church Kochi, making it a perfect base for your Cochin adventures.

To book your stay and experience luxury by the sea, visit Old Lighthouse Bristow Hotel, Fort Kochi!

Important information:

This property does not accommodate bachelor(ette) or similar parties.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 01:00 PM

Location

Guest Reviews

Cleanliness: 1
Service: 1
Location: 1
Room Quality: 1
Amenities: 1
Value for Money: 1
Food and Beverage: 1
Overall Experience: 1
M
Michael couple gb
3
Could have been great but really neglected and uncared for
Pros:

Visited the Kathakali centre one evening which was close-by and attended the ‘make up and dance performance’, which we loved.

Next to a beach with great views of the harbour entrance. It seemed to be a meeting spot for non-residents which sort of brought it to life in the evenings.

Cons:

This hotel could have been so good, but it is tired and lacked any energy.

Everything is dated and generally unloved. Breakfast was meagre with most of the usual offerings, but lacked any energy or ambition.

Our pool room was really dated with no hot water to the sink. There was a requirement to turn on any hot water - (generally took 15-mins to reach appropriate temperature) and very limited old-fashioned facilities. The bed and air con worked but limited towels, pillows and toiletries really didn’t meet our expectations.

Internet connection was terribly intermittent and generally just didn’t work.

We wanted to take a Tuk Tuk tour of local area and the front desk agreed to research this, but never came back to us with a solution. We found a local driver (Shar) and made the arrangements ourselves. He was brilliant and we had a wonderful adventure including a boat round a mangrove island, and not expensive.

Booked Spa treatment and arrived on time to find the practitioner had never been asked to attend to provide the treatment!

2026-03-17 via Nuitee
M
Mareddi couple in
8
2026-03-12 via Nuitee
M
Marco Pelleschi solo_traveller it
8
buon albergo in orrima poszione per visitare Fort Kochi
Pros:

La struttura dell'hotel e la posizione

Cons:

La colazione molto basic e prevalentemente solo indiana

2026-03-06 via Nuitee
R
régis couple fr
3
2026-02-25 via Nuitee
S
Saha extended_group in
4
A beautiful heritage property marred by disinterested and substandard design choices and service.
Pros:

The location and the property is wonderful, however there is little thought that has been put into the guest experience, and it shows in every detail.

Cons:

The bathroom is a killer, very poorly designed with steps leading upto a bathtub and no grab rail. After a shower from the generous rain shower head, all tiles around are wet and its downright scary to climb out of the bathtub onto the tiles and then down tiled steps onto the bathroom floor. This is an absolute no no, and the hotel should remedy this immediately before an accident happens. In addition, choice of hardware is ill fitting and random, the tap behind the sink being too close to the wall with a lift lever type release, meaning, you cant open the tap as when you lift the lever it fouls with the back splash. With so many taps available on the market, why go for this when there was no space?
Breakfast was disappointing with very little western choice. To add to the sad experience, the fruits were diced so small that one could hardly pick them up with the tongs, very obviously to discourage people from taking too much. I found soiled and oily cutlery in the cutlery stand.
This rankles because the hotel charges are not cheap...one expects a basic level of class.

2026-02-23 via Nuitee
R
rajagopalan couple in
8
2026-02-13 via Nuitee
P
Peter extended_group in
1
I would not recommend this property to any of my friends or relatives..
Pros:

Location and Heritage

Cons:

Very poor Breakfast spread despite paying 13500 per room. There were hardly food options just basic stuff which we find in a 1 star hotel or lodge.

Secondly, We were forced out of our rooms citing next guest coming. We paid 27000 for two suite rooms but the staff told us to immediately vacate the room by 12 noon. We had requested for an extension of 2 hrs but was not adhered and were very rude.

The amount is not worth paying if services are so poor. The quality of glasses in the room was poor quality.

There was a large 8 legged spider in the room due to which we just could not sleep (pic attached - check spider on wall). When we informed the staff there were very casual about the whole incident.

2026-01-19 via Nuitee
E
erna solo_traveller de
10
2026-01-19 via Nuitee
M
Mateusz couple pl
4
Dirty pool, bird droppings and waiting for everything.
Pros:

Large rooms and beds. Location. Sea view.

Cons:

1. Dirty pool, full of leaves not clean for the whole day. 2. Bird droppings at the pool area, bar area and patio. 3. Breakfast buffet late by 25 min (seriously). 4. Wating for breakfast coffee 25 min. 5. Organising taxi - 50 minutes. 6.Trash around the entrance gate and right behind fence with sea view. 7. No assistance with luggage to the room.

2026-01-05 via Nuitee