In the know

Our favourite rooms: The generously sized bedrooms at the Raheem Residency combine traditional Keralan furniture and colourful embroideries contrasting with whitewashed walls and tiled floors. Neither excessively fussy, nor overly spartan, with vast four-poster beds with super-soft mattresses and spiralling wooden columns, and a bathroom stocked with Ayurvedic lotions and creams.
Packing tips: Your laptop or notebook and would-be novelist desires: the hotel offers a writers’ retreat, and with the sands of the blissfully quiet beach on your doorstep, what better place is there to take a stroll and be inspired?

Current offers

Smith card offer: A head and shoulder massage

Raheem Residency

Kerala, India[view map]

Style: Colonial but contemporary Keralan villa
Setting: Alleppey on the Arabian Sea

A genuine Heritage Hotel of India, Raheem Residency sits across a small road from the peaceful Alleppey Beach in Kerala. Intimate and personal, this 19th-century colonial villa is suited for those looking for luxury and romance, Kerala style. Hiding behind lush palm trees a short stride from the golden sand and Arabian Sea, this converted private home is imposing and yet welcoming.

Need to know

Rooms: 13: three superior deluxe and ten deluxe double rooms.
Rates: Deluxe rooms from €90 in summer (low), €140 in high season, €170 in peak; Superior from €110, €170, €210, plus 15 per cent taxes but including breakfast. Minimum two-night stay in peak season.
Check-out: 11h.
Facilities: Outdoor swimming pool, Ayurvedic beauty treatments/massages, air-conditioning, well-stocked library, laundry service, bicycle hire.
Poolside: Filtration-fact fans might be interested to know that the 14.7-metre swimming pool in the back yard was cleverly designed to make the most of restricted space, the first in Kerala to use the compact French Desjoyeaux filtration system.
Eco-friendly: The hot-water system is solar powered and they harvest rainwater. They provide locally made Ayurvedic toiletries, and have excellent recycling credentials.
Also: Minimum two-night stay in peak season. No pets allowed.

Food & drink

Hotel restaurant: Chakara is the sea-view restaurant, meaning a plentiful catch of fish. Serving Indian, Keralan and Continental dishes such as Alleppey Fish Curry, Kuttanadan Fish Fry, Nadan Kozhi Curry, Chicken Makhani, and Pudina (minted) Fish.
Top table: Tables looking out to the east overlook a parade ground where boys play cricket and ladies learn the scooter – the perfect viewing gallery to observe modern Indian life. Also it is very suitable to watch rain in the monsoon summer months.
Room service: Food is available 07h30–22h, and they can rustle up sandwiches, omelettes and French fries when the full restaurant menu isn’t available. Meals can be served in your room.
Hotel bar: There’s no formal bar, but they do provide an alcohol service to guests in the restaurant, lawn and pool area. And they do a mean Planter’s Punch cocktail.

Other facilities

Children: Children are welcome at this hotel – but please be aware that it doesn’t offer dedicated child-friendly facilities.

Smith card offer

A head and shoulder massage

If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).

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Smith concierge

If you’d prefer to talk to someone, or you’re having trouble booking online, ring our travel team on 0845 034 0700 (+44 20 8987 4312 from outside the UK). We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.