In case you cannot read the small print on the Incredible India campaign, it reads as follows:

"Joerg Drechsel fell in love with India as he hitchhiked across the country in 1972. He returned in 1994, with his Spanish wife Txuku. They bought an early 20th century bungalow at Fort Cochin and transformed it into Malabar House, an eclectic hotel. If you are looking for a beautiful journey unlike any other, visit India. Like Joerg & Txuku, you will find that your search ends here."

The search had ended, but the journey just began, a journey far from over. We learned how to realize a dream. The dream was to offer more then simply the comforts of an exotic hotel in India. We wanted to showcase the best of Kerala's culture and art in a contemporary yet timeless setting and combine this with the charm, wits and professional skills of its people to create unique experiences.

In 1997 The Malabar House opened its doors and word of mouth quickly spread the message. With the success came constant improvement and growth. The creation and opening of privacy followed next, then serenity, trinity and finally discovery, our houseboat. 11 years later they form Malabar escapes, our yet growing chain of villa hotels offering a deeper and more personalized Keralan odyssey.

Realizing a vision and making it work earned us accolades and awards:
3 Kerala state awards for excellence in tourism, 3 national tourism awards, the first hotel to be certified by Green Globe and finally Malabar House became the first Indian member of Relais & Chateaux.

All these experiences helped to shape our vision: we work on constant improvement to enlarge & enrich our circuit and we do our best to set standards in ecology, sustainability & social responsibility as part of the global responsible tourism network.

We are opinionated and possibly not for everyone, but we want to share with what we are passionate about:
genuine art, genuine people, a genuine cuisine build on the best of local ingredients, genuine respect for customs and traditions, genuine hospitality.

We and our team hope that we enrich your life by offering experiences for all senses, comforts beyond Teflon hospitality, a bid of learning for the curious and celebrations of the joy of life.

Joerg Drechsel & Txuku Iriarte - Founders & Directors of Malabar escapes