NIHARA RESORT AND SPA

I stayed at Nihara Resort & Spa earlier this month, and it was truly one of the most refreshing and memorable getaways I've experienced. The property is located just next to lush islands with serene waters - and it is beautifully maintained. It's the perfect destination to unwind and reconnect - I went with my family hoping for some quality time together and that’s exactly what we got.From the moment we arrived, the warm hospitality made us feel completely at home. We stayed at the water villas with private access to the pool - the rooms are thoughtfully designed keeping comfort in mind. The resort is more than a stay - the hotel is attached to range of activities. We loved the eco-boat tourism, which was a wonderful way to explore the natural surroundings while learning more about the local ecosystem in KochiThe food at the resort and affiliate restaurant was to die for - from the menu to the service, our dining experience was just impeccable. A special mention for the absolutely delicious coconut pudding for dessert at the Riverside Grill (we still dream about this!). And of course, the spa—authentic, calming, and incredibly well run. The treatments were deeply relaxing, and the doctor's guidance was thoughtful and genuinely helpful. A heartfelt thank you to the incredible staff, especially Jubi, who went above and beyond to make our stay extra special. Overall, Nihara was the perfect place to unwind and relax.

We are two young women from NZ who stayed here for our first two nights in India, on our first visit to this beautiful country. We were a bit nervous, but the extremely hospitable and helpful staff made everything wonderful for us, from organising us yoga mats for our rooms, to arranging the awesome taxi driver Manu to drive us around for 3 days. The views of the waterways and fishing nets from the resort grounds were beautiful. The Riverside Grill across the road was delicious and incredible value, and the facilities were lovely and clean. Thank you for everything!

Just the stray dogs outside which the resort can't really do anything about!

Very clean big rooms and beautiful greenery

Far from the city centre

The resort itself was good, mostly kept clean by the many gardeners and cleaners. The staff were especially friendly, kind, and helpful in all areas, from cleaners, maintenance, security guards, reception to restaurant staff. Reception staff were particularly helpful in arranging food for my sister who had some health issues. The cottage was large - spaced out over two floors and a big bathroom. There was a fridge and plenty of water, kettle, tea/coffee etc. Bathroom had plenty of toiletries. The swimming pool was of a decent size to swim lengths. The opening time was a little late - 8am, although the staff were fine with me going in a little earlier so that I could swim before breakfast.Uber services were good in the area and we were able to get ubers to Marine Drive, the Lulu Mall and various other places. While everything was kept meticulously clean in the cottage by the staff, from an eco-friendly point of view, I would suggest that bars of soap did not need to be changed every day. Also noticed that the cleaning staff were changing the bed linen every day, which while it was very nice, we thought, from an eco-friendly point of view, that it could have been done every 2 days (for people who stay longer).

The location was right next to a highway which spoilt the ambience a bit. The wifi was not great in the rooms and kept cutting out regularly. We also noticed that where there were two cottages attached to each other, if one cottage had the shower on, and the cottage next door put their shower on, the water in our cottage went off. There should be sufficient water for both showers to run at the same time. On one of the days, at the beginning of our staff, there was a wedding reception, right outside our room. The music was very loud - so loud that the heaviness of the beat made the windows in our cottage rattle. The music was supposed to stop at 10pm, however it kept coming on every few minutes for the next hour or so.

Great hotel/resort - good location for airport and Fort Kochi, we used Uber to nearby water metro to visit Fort Kochi save long taxi journey.Both restaurants serve good food - the seafood restaurant does a great Seafood Thali - see my photo!Rooms are big and clean - very relaxing after staying in the busy cities!

It's a shame the hotel did not have a license for alcohol - but the staff arranged for a delivery of a few beers for us to enjoy in our rooms or veranda.

The staff was very friendly and attentive.The communal games hut was very good and would be great for kids too. The nearby seafood restaurant was really good and nicely set up. Location is also good set away from the city area and yet not too far from it.

Overall maintenance of the property and the surrounding area could be keep more cleaner. The rooms really need some TLC, the bathroom toilets need to be upgraded as it’s not very functional. And other little things like the amenities such as fishing, archery and bikes all need to be upgraded. It’s just little maintenance that need to be looked at to improve the quality of the stay. Buffet should have more options. The pool also looked not so safe to swim as the surrounding area wasn’t maintained properly.

Spacious rooms and cottages.

Most facilities (activities) are not really worthwhile/functional/ maintained.

Kochi was the final stop on our three weeks journey through India, and after weeks of exploring, we were craving a couple of lazy days to unwind by the pool and recharge. Nihara Hotel delivered exactly what we needed. The rooms were incredibly spacious, nice pool and the restaurant was the highlight for us. The chef prepared some of the most delicious meals we enjoyed during our entire trip.

The rooms were clean, spacious and inviting to rest. The restaurant was amazing with top notch chef and staff.

We really enjoyed our stay here! It was so pleasant and relaxing. We were traveling as a family (2 adults and kids ages 3 and 7) and stayed in one of the poolside cottages. We loved our stay! They arranged a boat tour for us that left right from the resort and was so delightful! Nihara is in a part of Kochi that is not overly built up, so on the boat tour we saw fisherman really working and didn’t see another tour boat! We really felt like we were getting a view of life on the Kadamakkudy islands. On the resort there was a playground that my daughters really liked. The staff was lovely and helped my girls out when they didn’t know how to use some of the equipment. They were able to do a little fishing and even got to practice a little archery! Breakfast was nice and we enjoyed the food at both restaurants. We really liked the seafood restaurant -it has a great atmosphere. Would highly recommend Nihara!

The stay was cozy and spacious. The staff and people working were very friendly and helpful

Nice calm place, friendly and helpful staff.

Limited food options, limited activities within the resort.

Large room with all the facilities you’d expect. Great welcome. Only spent one night so can’t comment on everything. Restaurant, ok we were the only ones in there but food was good a service good. They even arranged our transport the next day

A peaceful and beautiful hotel. We stayed at the cottage. The cottages are very comfortable and have that traditional charm. Spacious bed, spacious clean and well designed washrooms. Very tasty food at the multi-cuisine and seafood restaurant. The view of the back waters.The E-auto for internal transport The kids play area was great, my kid loved it.

Sound insulation is poor. You can even hear the other cottage inhabitants coughing or taking bath from our washroom. Bedroom is slightly better. Wifi was out for a day during our stay. When we mentioned it in the reception they said it was an issue by the provider. While on check-out when I highlighted the issue they mentioned they could have provided a dongle device for Internet, which was not offered when i highlighted the issue. Telephone in our room was not working. I initially struggled to lock the door since it is an old knob type. Wish they could highlight it while checking in to save time.

Good room ambience and spa was good

They also allowed permission for Onam celebrations for some IT company which has spoiled our leisure time

+ Very, very, very friendly and helpful staff (we did have a few of non-standard requests, and the Nihara team was doing all their best to fulfil them, even though we had sometimes troubles understanding the Indian accent)+ Comfortable and functional arrangement in the bungalow+ Truly tasty breakfasts with the selection slightly changing every day, as well as lovely seafood in the Riverside restaurant+ Attractive choice of extra activities (we recommend kayaking in monsoon rain!)++ Whatever we can write here, it will not surpass our best memory: we came to Nihara during our honeymoon, and we actually left the resort in three :)

* If you choose Nihara (or Kerala in general), don’t forget it’s tropical climate over here, and therefore don’t be surprised that lizards may pay you a visit, or if you switch off the a/c, it becomes humid and you might end up with some mushrooms in the room ;)* It is also a party/wedding venue, and during our 9-day stay we had 3 days of noise: first small during building of the stage/hall, then huge during the party, and again small during dismantling the structure — but of course, the fact that we can now say at home that we joined a Bollywood-style wedding is priceless!

Good Staffs , Very good sea food restaurant, and nice ambiance

It’s traditional Kerala style , so bit old way as no automated keys and also the bath towels was bit old.The outer sitting balcony area needs to be improved in the rooms..

Stay and ambience was Excellent. This stay was worth every single penny. From Check-in at the resort till Check-out everything was seamless and the staffs were friendly, sweet and welcoming even at the restaurant, all were welcoming us with a smile! The Ambience and atmosphere was amazing and quite peaceful and pleasantly clean. Swimming pool was well cleaned as well. Cleanliness was top notch. The Breakfast And Dinner was fabulous and outstanding. I would recommend anyone who would come to visit and experience their hospitality.

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The staff were really lovely and attentive. The rooms were also very spacious and well air-conditioned. Nice swimming pool.

The resort is located right next to a main highway, which is an eye-sore and ruins the peaceful vibe. It is also located very out of the way. There was lack of variety on the menu. We had paid for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and were had the understanding that this would allow us choice from the 'multi-cuisine restaurant' and 'sea-food restaurant' however, the sea-food restaurant was not included. No where is it indicated that this is a dry resort - if you are hoping for beer/alcohol this is not the place for you.The website also suggests that there is a coffee bar - this is not true. When my partner approached the member of staff at the 'coffee bar' and asked what was on offer, the member of staff looked confused and said that we cannot get drinks from there. This was misleading and false advertisement.

Food, welcoming staff and quiet area

Far from city centre and issue with taxi as Uber operates less in this area

Peaceful (even though it’s child friendly). Wonderful natural setting (you wouldn’t know it’s near the main road). Large rooms. Comfortable beds. Amazing Ayurvedic spa treatments. Good, reasonably priced food at the fish restaurant. The pool also looked good but unfortunately we didn’t get time to use it.

Displaying caged birds is totally unnecessary, particularly when you’re surrounded by so many wild species. Stop doing this and the place would be perfect.