The Best Boutique Hotel In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

Kerala is the southern most state of India, also popularly known as God's Own Country in tourism lingo. The state is the rice bowl of India and is blessed with lush green landscapes, long sandy beaches and abundance of rain forests and mangroves. The main agricultural crop in Kerala is rice, coconut, cashew, spices, rubber and a large variety of fruits.
During my last visit to Kerala, I landed at Thiruvananthapuram, earlier known as Trivandrum, and, on recommendation of a friend, decided to stay at a relatively unknown 4-star hotel called

Classic Avenue

. I was quite surprised with the product and the services and thought to share my views for the benefit of others.
The hotel is located in very close proximity; say a kilometre and a half from the main railway station, about the same distance from the central business district and the state secretariat and about 15 minutes drive from the domestic and international airport. The interstate bus terminus is only a kilometre away. A very convenient and city centre location for business and corporate travellers.
The hotel is relatively new and has good number of open parking spaces. The lobby lounge is modern, well-appointed and quite inviting though, I found absence of fresh flowers. The flowers were however compensated by the overall welcoming ambiance of the lobby.
Classic Avenue has 60 well-appointed, tastefully decorated and thoughtfully furnished guest rooms and suites. All rooms have attached bathrooms with long baths. The bathroom fixtures used are modern. The amenities in the bathroom are branded. The rooms have king, queen or single beds, colour TV with satellite channels, mini bars, hair dryer and a personal safe. Good quality linen is used by the hotel.
For dining and entertainment, the hotel has two restaurants including a 24 hours coffee shop. The menu offers local, international and fusion cuisine. The quality of crockery and cutlery is quite good and the service has a personal touch. The hotel has a theme bar serving alcoholic and soft beverages.
For conferences and meetings, the hotel offers two banquet halls and a boardroom. A business centre on the second floor of the hotel compliments the business package.
The hotel also has a small gym and a roof top swimming pool with a deck all around with pool chairs, towels and a small mobile bar. In short, the hotel offers all facilities and services that are required of a good boutique product. On our special request, the hotel organised our private dinner at the pool deck from where we could have a glimpse of the city by night. The breathtaking view, the atmosphere, cool gentle breeze and the mouth-watering food has left a lasting impression on me. I would like to repeat my experience at least once more.
For me this is the best boutique hotel in Thiruvananthapuram.
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Ram Gupta is a management professional with specialisation in hospitality, real estate, product and e-marketing. He has over four decades of experience in Asia, Far East, Middle East and Europe. He has been associated with over two dozen hotel projects. His web site can be viewed at http://www.bcgglobal.com/ and can be contacted at ramgupta@bcgglobal.com