A ‘FORT’ to unwind
The 16-key Ayana Fort Kochi allows corporate groups to relax and rejuvenate while also providing the perfect setting to inspire clear thought and creativity
Blending history with modern comfort, Ayana Fort Kochi is a 200-year old courthouse that has been restored and renovated to its rightful glory. Appropriately named ‘Ayana' which means a resting place in Sanskrit, Ayana Fort Kochi is located on Bazaar Road, the oldest international trading market in India. The historical court room has been painstakingly preserved, with each wooden plank restored and treated to create a grand lounge and welcome area for our guests.
The extremely large sloping roof is supported by an intricate mechanism of iron tubes that is representational of the ingenious architecture during the Portuguese occupation of Fort Kochi. The flagship property of Ayana Hospitality, this luxury boutique hotel in Kerala offers yoga classes on its rooftop, a gymnasium as well as a rooftop pool. The art deco interiors are complemented by one of the largest and finest collection of contemporary art.
With large public spaces, the property lends itself well to showcase art and the Ayana team endeavours to make the hotel a platform to build awareness towards Indian contemporary artists. Ayana's commitment towards art was confirmed by it being selected to host the inaugural breakfast talk for the third edition of the Kochi Muziris Biennale in 2016.
Speaking about the kind of events that the hotel is more popular for, Akhil Behl, Chief Executive Officer, Ayana Hospitality, says, “Being a luxury boutique hotel, companies looking to do top management meets with smaller group sizes would mostly opt for our hotel. Ayana
Fort Kochi is ideal for resident conferences, training programmes for top management level employees or board meetings. However, we can also do events for larger groups whereby we can get additional rooms with hotels nearby we have tie-ups with.”
CHOICE OF THREE VENUES
Ayana Fort Kochi has three major venues for events:
Restaurant: ‘The Old Court' is a 50-cover all day dining. It can accommodate a floating crowd of 80 to 120 pax since it makes use of an adjoining room for a buffet if the main restaurant is being used for an event. The restaurant area is 1,670 sqft.
Courthouse: The main courthouse area is big and can accommodate 100 pax in theatre style, 35 pax in cluster style and 15 pax in boardroom format.
Rooftop Café: This is an ideal venue for evening parties and cocktail dinners as it is al fresco. With an area of 510 sqft, it can accommodate a moving crowd of 40 pax and 12 pax in boardroom style. The hotel also offers special services and discounts for big groups. Behl shares details about this and says, “Generally, we block the entire property and create an exclusive experience for the group. Requests for special dietary requirements and curated experiences around the town are expertly handled. We understand that bespoke services are very important to MICE groups and we ensure that they get their privacy, seamless Wi-Fi, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, leisure activity choices, multiple F&B choices and dedicated concierge services with a dependable team.”
Ayana places a high priority on food and offers fresh local produce and authentic flavours. The all-day dining, ‘The Old Court' overlooks the courtyard garden and offers a menu based on organic vegetables and fresh local catch. It also offers craft teas and specialty coffee at its ‘Tea Lounge'.
Companies look to do top management meets with smaller group sizes at Ayana Fort Kochi