DOCKED AT PORT MUZIRIS

An imaginary heroine birthed by Studio HBA influences every design element of this modern-Indian boutique hotel in Kochi

- TINA THAKRAR

PORT Muziris, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel by Marriott International in Kochi, has a fictional heroine named Lila. The director of this project, who oversaw everything from the theme to the build, is Abhishek Mathur of Studio HBA, who cleverly used the invisible touch of Lila to give the hotel a personable, warm, and inviting glow. Bathed in shades of mustard and indigo and materials like rough plaster and treated oakwood, the hotel uses Lila’s character traits to forge its own identity - strongly rooted in tradition and local culture but modern in outlook, with a passion for art and graphics.