Most people love Kovalam—a beach town located around 12km from Thiruvananthapuram—for the sun, sand and sea. I love it for the childhood memories it holds. Almost every summer vacation, we used to visit Kovalam. And every time we did so, we stayed at the Leela Kovalam, a Raviz Hotel.
The one time we stayed elsewhere was a disaster. For some unfathomable reason, they gave my parents and me the honeymoon suite, and we had to sleep with Kamasutra sculptures in various coupling positions watching us creepily.
To me, the Leela Kovalam is not just a five-star heritage hotel; it represents a simpler time, a lost innocence and a bittersweet past. Even today, when the car curves into the hotel’s driveway, I can anticipate the women in red-and-yellow saris garlanding us with shell necklaces and applying turmeric on our foreheads.
The welcome drink is invariably coconut water served in scooped-out coconuts. And as I wait in the airy, sun-soaked lobby while my father checks us in, I am pervaded by a sense of calm. In a way, the Leela Kovalam is to me what Hogwarts is to Harry Potter—a magical place that casts its spell the moment I arrive.
The resort, designed by architect Charles Correa, is India’s only clifftop five-star one. Spread over 67 acres, it offers a buffet of attractions, like panoramic views of the Kovalam beach; manicured gardens that invite long, lazy walks; adventure activities like snorkelling and scuba diving; a world-class spa with both indoor and outdoor massage rooms; a jazz bar, and a pool-side bistro.
The two places I love the most are a seafood restaurant called The Tides, so near the sea that the sound of waves crashing against the shore soundtracks the dining experience, and an open-air Sky Bar.
With hanging lamps and cane chairs strategically placed to get the best views of the sunset, the Sky Bar has an unparalleled old-world charm. Watching the sun turn the sky into modern art, holding a sangria in your hand and a song in your heart, must be what paradise feels like. There is live music, too, and when the singer started strumming the notes of Abba’s ‘Dancing Queen’, you could almost believe he was singing it exclusively for you.
Other than the high-end Presidential Suite, the Ocean View Suite, the Royal Club Duplex Suite and the Royal Club Suite, there are the Premium Sea View Room, the Sea View Villa and the Garden View Villa. Like most of us, if you are not Presidential Suite material, go for the Sea View Villa, which is what we usually pick.
The rooms are spacious and elegant, with a small verandah that looks like the kind of place where a Nescafe ad would be shot, with one of those picture-perfect girls sipping coffee and making life look effortless.
My sister-in-law did note that some of the bathroom fixtures and carpets looked a little worse for wear, but the heritage hotel being over 50 years old, I’d say it is ageing well. Just like me, the Leela Kovalam is no longer in the first flush of youth, but no matter how creaky or squeaky it gets, it will always hold a special place in my heart.