Le Méridien Kochi Hotel Review
Le Méridien Kochi is located south of the city near the main highway on a huge piece of land, including its own lake.
Check-in was done quickly at this late hour (after midnight) and a passport copy was all I needed - no credit card authorization was done (my reservation was not prepaid, though).
This Le Méridien is a rather old building that clearly shows wear and tear and the room was an extension of this theme. However, it was big, well cooled down and well-maintained.
The AC was strong and it took me a while to get it under control so as to not freeze myself to bits at night.
The Internet came in at 20 Mbit (there was a DoCoMo user portal to log in to) but it would be rather slow the next morning. So it seems the Internet throttling for each device wasn't actually working.
My room overlooked the driveway and 8AM saw a bunch of buses depart, which woke me up - but I otherwise slept very well.
The breakfast runs until 10.30AM and what a breakfast it was. I love breakfast at the ITC and Sheraton hotels in Mumbai and Delhi and this Le Méridien was at the same level. They had freshly made dosas, pancakes, waffles, eggs, and a huge spread, plus decent espresso drinks.
Some of the items clearly should have been better quality but overall it was very decent and the choice was just stunning.
After breakfast, I ventured to the pool, which came in a staggered design, with 3 levels of depth. I was the only person at the pool, despite the hotel's pretty high occupation. I loved how quiet it was - you could only hear the birds and the boats on the little lake behind me.
The sun is strong in Kochi, the temperature not too hot and the humidity rather low. I had a hard time leaving the pool before my checkout time - that's how much I liked it.
I only spent a short time at Le Méridien Kochi but really liked what I saw and given the $66 room rates, this is a great place, especially if you have elite status with Starwood (or via Marriott).
The hardware is old but well-maintained and the resort atmosphere is much more real than with Starwood's overcrowded Hawaiian resorts.
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