Holiday Inn Cochin

Although many travelers associate the Holiday Inn brand with budget or mid-range properties, in India it's a fair bit fancier. The Holiday Inn Cochin is aimed primarily at business travelers and, to a lesser extent, traveling families (particularly domestic visitors). The entire look and feel of this 16-story hotel is sleek and modern. Guests enter through rotating glass doors into a foyer lobby area with polished off-white floors and a spiral glass staircase leading to the second floor. There's a small seating area off to one side and a couple of steps lead up to a larger lounge area with plenty of tables, chairs, and sofas. At the back of the lobby is the main Masala restaurant, which follows a similar decor scheme.

Hoiday Inn Cochin is situated right on the main Kanyakumari Highway, in an area dominated by businesses and other hotels. There's not much of interest within walking distance, though there is a small grocery store selling essentials just down from the hotel as well as a narrow side street with a few tiny shops and a pharmacy. It's a 45-minute drive to the Cochin International Airport and a 20-minute drive to the railway station. Fort Kochi, where most of the city's main historic attractions are located, can take 30 minutes or up to an hour to reach when traffic is bad.

The Holiday Inn Cochin offers three types of room: entry-level Superior units (with either one king bed or two twin beds), Deluxe Rooms, and Suites, along with a single Presidential Suite. Two of the rooms offer alter-access facilities for wheelchair users. Decor is typical of what would expect from a chain business hotel, with beige walls, recessed lighting, and simple accents in the form of pinstriped cushions. Windows are large and have blackout curtains, but they don't open and rooms can get stuffy if travelers opt not to leave the air-conditioning on. All rooms have minibars, coffee- and tea-making facilities, flat-screen TVs with DVD players and premium cable, and ironing facilities. Bathrooms are predominantly decorated with marble. They come with hairdryers, toiletries, and walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads. Counter space is a bit tight and some bathrooms have frosted glass separating them from rooms, which might feel less than ideally private for some guests.

This Holiday Inn offers decent features particularly aimed at business travelers, but it lacks conference space. Along with a 24-hour business center and free hotel-wide Wi-Fi, the hotel offers a largish fitness center with treadmills, weight machines, and free weights. It looks out over an eye-catching outdoor pool flanked by lounge chairs that's long enough for swimming laps comfortably.

The dining options at this property are great, and room service is available around the clock. There's an Italian dinner spot, Roma, with pizza and pastas, plus a room for private dining. The 24-hour restaurant, Deli KC, offers pastries, coffees, and light dishes. The main restaurant here, Masala, is open for all three meals and serves both Indian and international fare. Breakfast is included in room rates and provides a huge spread full of South Indian and Keralan breakfast specialties, including coconut-based curries, and classics such as masala dosas (potato-stuffed crepes), and idli sambar (rice cakes served with a traditional vegetable stew). Bars include Stadia, which has a pool table and flat-screen TVs where major Indian and international sports games are screened (think cricket and soccer), plus a poolside bar, Oasis. Note that at the time of our visit, the bars were not serving alcohol due to national legislation prohibiting the sale of alcohol within 500 meters of state and national highways, though this could change at any time. Parking at the hotel is free.