Overview

Le Colonial, by the Chinese fishing nets of Fort Cochin, is Asia’s oldest colonial house. Located right next to Saint Francis Church, it once was the home to both Saint Francis of Assisi and Vasco da Gama. Built in 1506 as the home of the Portuguese Governor, it was one of the very few houses to have been spared 150 years later when the Dutch took over Fort Cochin and destroyed the town. It then housed the Dutch Governor of Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), better known as the Dutch East India Company, for the following century and a half. In 1795, Jan van Spall sold the house to the British. In turn, they passed it on to J. Thomas, the legendary tea trader. These five captive centuries of history have now been lovingly restored and the hotel is a true living museum. Treasures of art from the colonial past have revived that era, turning Le Colonial into a “club” for discerning travelers.