Once Upon the River, Aluva - Near Cochin International Airport

A great place to unwind yourself from the stressful life. This is within a 3 acre property which is surrounded by beautiful lushes of green. We got a room in front of the room and the swimming pool and it was spacious and clean. Jayanthi S from the front office and Najeeb from the Kitchen needs to mentioned. They were always there whenever we needed any help and it was indeed a memorable time. The food was decent and definitely for the price you.pay it indeed is worth the stay. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to have a unique experience.

I had the pleasure of staying at Once Upon The River in Aluva, Cochin, after booking it last minute due to some wifi issues at the airport. A kind lady helped me connect to her wifi allowing me to book a hotel purely based on pictures without reading any reviews. Upon arrive I was warmly greeted by two courteous and polite reception staff who offered me a complimentary herbal tea. The king size room I stayed in was clean, spacious and beautiful providing great value for money. The hotel’s surroundings struck me with their sheer beauty as I ventured out to swim in the pool. The well maintained gardens featured palm trees, nutmeg, star fruit, mango and other plants. Tony, a staff member, explained the medicinal uses of these fruits and I enjoyed tasting as many as I could. For the meals, I chose light dishes including Jeera rice. Chef Shebin graciously shared his ingredients and method for making Dhal Fry, pickle, and jeera rice, adding a unique North Indian twist. with Dhal Fry, pickle, and yoghurt adding a unique North Indian twist. Chef Sreejith also very considerate explaining the health benefits of the food. Throughout my short stay the housekeeper Akshay was polite and attentive. The hotel’s setting is among the best I’ve experienced anywhere in the world, truly embodying the phrase, “Kerala is God’s Own Country”. The staff’s politeness, kindness and willingness to help ensure that I will definitely return. My family, who have seen the stunning views, also plan to visit during their next stay in Kerala. The hotel is beautifully situated between two rivers, with picturesque paths lined with fresh greenery, trees, and plants I’ve never seen before. The friendly cleaners keep the place immaculate. The swimming pool is reasonably sized, very clean and surrounded by greenery making it feel like swimming in heaven. Each building is named after the tree in front of it; I stayed in the Nutmeg room. I learned that the red fruit of the nutmeg is edible, as is the substance inside the hard shell. I also tasted the star fruit which was light, fragrant and juicy. Fascinated by the babu palm trees, as I plan to grow one in England, the gardener provided me with some helpful tips. As my son and his girlfriend are now cooking natural, nutritious food for clients, I picked up numerous hints to help them. From the use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients to unique North Indian culinary techniques shared by the kind chefs, I gained valuable insights that I’m excited to pass on to them. Overall my stay here was a wonderful experience of paradise. Sorry for the lengthy review, but it is important not to miss out on this incredible, happy time.

Overall stay has come a memorable one with excellent service and superb tasty home made type food.. Ambience is very pleasant. Nicely surrounded with Periyar river and giant trees .. very pleasing staff in approach and extending service immediately..

Great Location, comfortable, clean suite, verdant property with hospitable staff. Breakfast could do with improvement as there were very limited options. Special thanks to Alan Biju at front office for his hospitality!

Lovely staff, property needs updating. we really enjoyed our stay but would definitely say the rooms and the restaurant need some TLC. Things felt a bit dated and grubby but cannot fault the staff who were incredibly friendly and helpful. Convenient for the airport and lovely pool!

This isn’t based on a huge amount as we only overnighted. The guys at the hotel were extremely helpful both in arrival and sorting us a very early shuttle to the airport. The room was lovely and grounds spectacular. We unfortunately arrived too late to try the pool. I have deducted a star only because the pillows were not up to the standard of the rest of the hotel.

We had a 5 week break in India staying at lots of different hotels and Once upon the River was by far the best. The staff were lovely and couldn't do enough for you. The rooms were superb as were the beautiful grounds. A lovely pool and amazing food completed the experience. Only half an hour from Cochin airport and a complimentary airport shuttle service. Super value for money and I would highly recommend a stay here

Pleasantly surprised by our stay at 'Once upon the river'. Booked to get some sleep before an early flight back from Kochi airport. This hotel exceeded expectations with friendly staff, beautiful grounds, a great pool, a good kitchen, and a free airport shuttle service (even at 3am!). Would highly recommend.

Great hospitality - we arrived there pretty late in the night but the front desk staff helped us to settle in. Similarly, we left early in the morning and front desk staff was helpful. Even with the billing, the manager confirmed that everything was taken care of as I was concerned about double charging. Room was good and comfortable. Property is really pretty - wish we had more time to spend there.