In the know

Our favourite rooms: All Serenity’s rooms are similarly decorated in soft rosy tones and all boast spacious double-doored verandahs looking out of the plantation surroundings, The two rooms on the ground floor have polished stone floors; upstairs rooms are carpeted in coarse coir fibre. One of the doubles has a glamorous wooden four-poster, but ask for the room with the mirror at the head of the bed (not for any salacious reasons, of course – we just love the stone tracery that lends it an ecclesiastical air).
Packing tips: Sugar cubes for feeding Lakshmi, Serenity’s resident elephant. Thanks to its hilltop setting, mosquitoes aren’t the pesky nip-dealers they can be elsewhere in Kerala, but the hotel keeps repellent on hand regardless.
Also: Mountain bikes are available to borrow for exploring the tropical surroundings. If cycling’s too run-of-the-mill, you can take an excursion by bullock-cart or spend a day, feeding, riding and washing the tame jumbo.

Malabar Escapes: Serenity – Kerala – India, need to know

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Smith card offer: A complimentary bottle of wine

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Malabar Escapes: Serenity

Kerala, India[view map]

Style: Homely 1920s estate
Setting: Peaceful plantation hilltop

A bungalow-style boutique hotel atop a small hill in Kerala, Malabar Escapes: Serenity is surrounded by plantations growing rubber, fruit and spices – no wonder there’s an aromatic tang to the air. Miles from anything but South Indian countryside, the atmosphere is exactly as the hotel’s name would suggest.

Need to know

Rooms: Five.
Rates: Low season, $150; high season, $220, including Continental or South Indian breakfast; excludes 15 per cent tax.
Check-out: Midday, later check-out is subject to availability.
Facilities: Ayurvedic spa, gym, badminton court, TV room with DVD selection, elephant. All rooms have verandas and fans; one has air-con.
Poolside: Extending into the greenery from the communal, lounger-lined terrace, Serenity’s pool seems like a natural waterhole – at least, that’s how the local birdlife treats it.
Eco-friendly: Serenity makes use of hydroelectric power, recycles where possible, and cleans with organic detergents.
Also: Smoking allowed throughout. Reservations between 20 December and 10 January cannot be modified or cancelled.

Food & drink

Hotel restaurant: Serenity’s chef models his daily menu on the seafood dishes and Mediterranean-influenced creations at the Malabar House in Fort Cochin. Food is tailored to each guest: you can dictate everything from its spiciness to the spot where you eat it.
Dress code: Lazy, laid-back and loungey: sun hats, loose linens and sarongs.
Top table: You can dine wherever you like, so take advantage of the views from your verandah or the poolside peacefulness.
Last orders: Meal times aren’t strictly imposed, but as a general rule, the kitchen closes at about 11pm.
Room service: Drinks and snacks can be brought to you anywhere in the hotel and grounds until around 11pm.
Hotel bar: There’s no bar as such, but Serenity’s abundant – and possibly telepathic – staff will fix you a drink when and where you like.

Also worth knowing

Children: Under-fives can stay free. Babysitting can be arranged with prior notice. Extra beds cost $30 a night.

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A complimentary bottle of wine

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