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Kovalam · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels in the old town, Kovalam

Katarina Novak

Katarina Novak Britain and Ireland

Updated 1 September 2026 · 14 Kovalam hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Kovalam, out of the 14 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.9 down to 4.4.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $17.

GREENVIEW HOMESTAY KOVALAM

Highest rated of the five

GREENVIEW HOMESTAY KOVALAM

★★★★★4.9 from 115 reviews

GREENVIEW HOMESTAY KOVALAM comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.9 from 115 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is found under city centre and around $17 a night on the dates we checked.

14 hotels in Kovalam qualified for this list and five made it. UDAYA HOTEL is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Kitchenettebreakfast on your own schedule
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in
  • Airport shuttlethe first hour after landing solved

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All five, ranked

  1. GREENVIEW HOMESTAY KOVALAM1

    GREENVIEW HOMESTAY KOVALAM

    ★★★★★4.9 from 115 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible
    • Airport shuttle

    Check rates Read more

  2. UDAYA HOTEL2

    UDAYA HOTEL

    ★★★★★4.7 from 123 reviews

    • Parking
    • Air conditioning
    • Airport shuttle

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  3. Hotel Coco Beach Kovalam3

    Hotel Coco Beach Kovalam

    ★★★★★4.5 from 198 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Airport shuttle

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  4. Santa Maria Hostel Kovalam Light House Beach4

    Santa Maria Hostel Kovalam Light House Beach

    ★★★★★4.4 from 165 reviews

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    • Cosmic Leisure Resort5

      Cosmic Leisure Resort

      ★★★★★4.5 from 43 reviews

      • Parking
      • Kitchen
      • Air conditioning
      • Airport shuttle

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    How this list was put together

    14 Kovalam hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

    Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

    The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

    What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

    Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

    Katarina Novak

    Katarina Novak Britain and Ireland

    Works long ward rotations, then blocks four days off and disappears. Specialises in short trips done well, mostly cities within three hours' flight. Twenty-two logged so far.

    Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.