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Courtesy of The Leela Kovalam, a Raviz Hotel
The Leela is back on the map in Kerala.
Credit:Courtesy of The Leela Kovalam, a Raviz Hotel
Housed within a palace built for a queen of Travancore, these four suites are outfitted opulently.
You could check in and never leave and who could blame you?
Access to these venues is limited to Club residents, which gives it a sense of seclusion.
Courtesy of The Leela Kovalam, a Raviz Hotel
But best of all, every room has butler service and a stunning sea view.
And, lets not forget the service attentive and heartfelt.
The Leela Kovalam is, in fact, a great getaway for families.
Courtesy of The Leela Kovalam, a Raviz Hotel
Designed by the legendary Indian architect, the late Charles Correa, its form is part of architectural lore.
The hotel, mind you, began life as a state-run entity 50 years ago.
Interestingly, each Kovalam Palace suite is named after a matriarch of the erstwhile ruling family.
Courtesy of The Leela Kovalam, a Raviz Hotel
They are contemporary in palette and come with spectacular sea views and butler service.
The terraces attached to these rooms are great for breakfast and sundowner drinks.
Personally, I tend to order local fare you know, when in Kerala and all that.
Courtesy of The Leela Kovalam, a Raviz Hotel
Skip breakfast one day and order the Royal Travancore Thali or a traditional vegetariansadyameal for lunch.
Both consist of an array of dishes paired with rice indigenous to Kerala.
While the former draws its roots from meals prepared in the royal kitchens of Travancore.
Courtesy of The Leela Kovalam, a Raviz Hotel
The latter is served on festive occasions at homes across the state.
There are also two state-of-the-art gymnasiums to help avoid post-vacation weight gain.
The one activity that even adults will enjoy is visiting the hotels two-acre vegetable and herb farm.
Nearly 40 percent of the produce used in the kitchens comes from here.
Another amenity Ive truly come to appreciate is their neck-cradling pillows stuffed with spelt husks.
Those new to Ayurveda should know that this is a gender-specific system with separate areas for men and women.
You could also do a day-long cruise on picturesque Ashtamudi Lake on The Leelas houseboat.
Brackish water dolphins are often sighted where the lake empties into the Arabian Sea.
