History & Philosophy - The Tower House - 17th Century

Cochin, Kerala

The Tower House sits facing the Chinese fishing nets, marking the spot of a 17th-century lighthouse and hence the name. Cannon-balls once fired out from its thick bastion-walls. The scallop-walled twin-house looks rather like a ship. And indeed, boats were brought in on high tide and parked downstairs in its stable and dry dock! Since 1982, it is owned by Peirce Leslie.  

The character of The Tower House lies in its unpretentious yet proud bearing, almost grandfather like, it sits looking out over the sea, a spirit of adventure surrounds it even today, taking one back to stories of high seas told and retold over centuries. Stately colonial pillars hold up its vast high-ceilinged halls. The generous arched doors welcoming one to step into another world where time stretches pauses to watch the sunset and then moves ever so lightly towards dawn. Yes, it’s the magic of spaces that have seen more history than we will ever see, spaces that we know will still be there to delight those who come long after us.

The Tower House - A chequered pool surrounded by bamboo trees and sunbeds on the right
The Tower House - a grandly built modern lounge area with two different sets of couches 2

The furniture is an eclectic mix with no attempt to recreate rooms of any one era or type because the structure was added on to. It’s the light pouring in through the windows, skylights and the vastness of the indoor spaces that make for an unforgettable experience. Most of the rooms at our Cochin hotel, have large four-poster beds and bathrooms that happily accommodate, large tubs and windows that have views of the trees or the sea depending on where they are located. It’s been restored to be compatible with present-day needs while maintaining its structural integrity. It reflects different periods rather than artificially being faithful to any single one. It takes you back in time, moods and memories woven together create a fabric that is strong but sits ever so lightly.

The above uncompromising principles of practical use of material and form dictated The Tower House renovation too and it is adherence to these very values of being honest to the time we live in while respecting the past that has set new standards in heritage tourism.

Discover the old world charm at our hotel in Kochi, where, sailors, travelers, traders, planters feasted and danced under chandeliers, suspended from high wooden ceilings. 

The Tower House - Kochin Caned Art Deco arm chairs built as a loungers
an image of chinese fishing net being used with a fisherman standing next to a boat
The Tower House - a colonial style staircase with a traditional kathakali painting