Windermere Estate

Layout

The property is intimate, with just 18 rooms, handcrafted with care and arranged around the original Planter's Bungalow, which still serves as the owner's residence.

Here, the air is crisp and clean, the temperature pleasant, and the views spectacular. We suggest walks through the surrounding plantation and tea gardens, a dip in the pool with one of the finest views anywhere, or a book from the quiet library. The exclusive restaurant serves personalised, local cuisine, and guests often gather at the gazebo for coffee and a snack, or beneath the estate's well-known rock formation for a barbecue and bonfire. At Windermere Estate, expect old-fashioned minimalism rather than frills, and smiles that come straight from the heart.

The dining experience at Windermere differs somewhat from that of a traditional hotel — nature dictates the menu. Each day, the chef selects the freshest produce from the gardens and local markets to prepare a feast, taking into account any dietary restrictions you may have.

Each meal is brought to your table course by course, and the staff can tell you more about each dish and how it's prepared. If you'd like to learn to cook a local dish, you're welcome to visit the chef in the kitchen, who will be happy to share a recipe with you.

In accordance with national regulations, the restaurant does not serve alcohol on its premises, but guests are welcome to enjoy a drink privately in their room.

Meals are served in the Barn, a sunlit, timbered space with old-world charm, inspired by traditional cardamom-drying houses. A picturesque balcony overlooks the tea gardens. It's guests' favourite spot for breakfast and lunch.

The Tea Hut
The “Chai Kada” (tea room) is an institution in Kerala — found on almost every street corner in the state, where people gather for a hot cup of chai, a fried snack and conversation. The Tea Hut was created to reflect this sense of community. Here, tea is brewed in large charcoal-heated samovars, and guests can relax, read a newspaper, or chat with other guests. If you'd prefer a little privacy with your tea, quiet picnic tables are scattered throughout the gardens.

Rooms

The original planter built his bungalow on the best location on the estate, with sweeping views over the tea valleys on one side and the majestic mountain ranges on the other. The guest rooms were built later, over the years. They draw inspiration from the original bungalow and are built chalet-style on the mountainside, with 4 rooms per roof, 2 on the upper level and 2 on the lower level. All rooms have the rustic charm of a farmhouse.

Each room was carefully hand-built over the years, and they do not necessarily resemble one another, given that they were built at different times and on different sides of the hill. Expect high gabled roofs and red cedar beams, large windows and plenty of natural light, generously proportioned furniture carved by local craftsmen, hand-embroidered linen and soft cotton sheets, terracotta floors rubbed with linseed oil, and hardwood floors polished with traditional wax.