General Information About Casino Group of Hotels

For us, the Casino Hotel was the beginning.

In many ways, it was also a crucible, a place where our ideas could be tested, our mistakes made.

And finally, it was the place where our processes were brought to their best possible levels.

Our guests tell us that this shows. And indeed, many of the experiences and services the Casino Group offers were perfected at Casino Hotel first.

Reception

For the first time visitor to Kerala, it's the ideal place to start. For here you can transit gracefully between two worlds. On the one hand, the cosmopolitan delights of Cochin, with its restaurants, shopping and entertainment. On the other, Kerala's unique culture, manners and cuisine.

Familiar Pleasures

Excursions into the town can be as tiring as they are exhilarating. Specially if you're not so used to the climate (Kerala usually oscillates between breezy warmth, pouring rain and torrid sunshine!). The Cascade pool can be the perfect restorative. Swimsuits are available in the gift shop - which is worth a visit, even if you aren't so keen on a dip. You'll find exquisite examples of traditional Keralan crafts, exotic fabrics, garments, books, handbags and all sorts of fascinating bric-a-brac.

Another great way to relax is an ayurvedic massage. Ayurveda is the ancient Indian system of medicine, and the Casino has its own resident experts and fully equipped facilities

Dusk falls quickly in this part of the world. If the cocktail hour beckons you, the Vasco da Gama lounge is the hotel's ever-popular watering hole. You can linger over exotic cocktails (Cochin Thunder, Pink Ladies and some superb concoctions based on the local tipples) or in a new twist, sample some health drinks based on ayurvedic ideas.

If you're in a mood to confer, the Durbar Hall is the place. It accommodates upto 350 people in gracious style. For smaller gatherings you can opt for the Harbour Lounge Banqueting Suite, which seats 40.

Kerala on a Platter

The restaurants at the Casino hotel have become institutions for Cochin's food lovers. If you feel a need to temper the exotic with the familiar, The 'Tharavadu' is the place to begin. It serves an extensive buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Your first breakfast in Kerala could be good ol' scrambled eggs, your lunch roast chicken and a shrimp salad, your dinner a fiery squid curry and appams ( fluffy rounds of fermented rice and pulses, the traditional accompaniment to Kerala meals). The range of Indian and Continental cuisine is vast.

Tharavadu, incidentally means traditional cottage (the 'u' is almost, but not quite, silent. But don't worry too much! Only a home grown Keralite can bend his tongue around the intricacies of Malayalam pronunciation.)

The specialty seafood restaurant, Fort Cochin, is our pride and joy, perpetually popular, though it is open only in the evenings.

Good Housekeeping called Fort Cochin "one of the most renowned seafood restaurants in India". Eating here is like diving off a springboard into the flavors and textures of food throughout Kerala.