Refined, spacious and semi-colonial in style. Kalari Kovilakom may offer authentic ayurveda, but it doesn't mean that you cannot sleep in comfort and style.

When I first arrived at Kalari, I anticipated the typical, rather spartan accommodation found in Ayurveda centres around Kerala. It is rather as though those undergoing treatment should live as monks during their stay and be relieved of the comforts of modern life. Knowing CGH Earth I rather suspected that they would have moderated the sparse environment. What I found was an enchanting portfolio of rooms that combined a nod to colonialism with a contemporay sensibility of space, minimalism combined with all the necessary creature comforts.

The old wing contains the original royal bedrooms including the Maharani's room. In some respects these are not the best rooms as they are less spacious than the rooms in the visitor's wing which was built to accommodate visiting westerners at the start of the twentieth century. They are the most ornate and contain both original furniture as well as copies made to compliment the originals. As much as possible CGH tried to retain all the features of the inherited building, repolishing the tiles or stripping back to the wood and restoring where required. This is no museum, but it does fuse old and new in an effective way.

The large white visitors block houses most of the rooms and although each is different they all share a similar feel: spacious and airy whilst being shaded away from the hot sun. The rooms include air conditioning, hot and cold water and lovely old style bathrooms. Many of the rooms house four poster beds: this may be the most romantic ayurveda centre in the world. 

Ayurveda gives you a lot of time to reflect so it is a real pleasure to be able to sit back and think in either the calm of your room or on the long shaded verandahs of the wing overlooking the verdant courtyard.