Holiday Inn Express Brings Overnight Option to Changanassery’s Lively Local Streets

In early 2027, Changanassery in Kerala’s Kottayam district will welcome its first international hotel. Holiday Inn Express Kottayam Changanassery is being built as part of a large development that will combine shopping, a small cinema for local screenings, and everyday services in one space. With 90 guest rooms planned, the project from IHG Hotels & Resorts brings a new kind of stay to a town where choices have long been limited.

The hotel will be situated near key roads and transit hubs, making it a practical stop for travelers heading through central Kerala. For a long time, Changanassery was more of a pass-through town, the kind of place people crossed rather than stopped to explore. The opening of a structured hotel may encourage more people to stay within the town rather than commute to larger cities for overnight stays or short visits, especially given the location’s accessibility and nearby attractions.

One of the closest spots of interest is Gandhi Market, where early-morning vendors sell everything from vegetables and bananas to dried fish and jasmine flowers. The market is active before sunrise and offers a raw, unfiltered view of daily commerce. Just nearby is Valia Angadi, the town’s older wholesale quarter, known for its textile and rice shops packed into narrow lanes that are full of sound and movement throughout the day. Together, they reflect how the town wakes and works.

Just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel is Vazhappally Shiva Temple, where daily rituals continue much as they have for centuries. The grounds are quiet and shaded, with old stone paths and tall oil lamps marking the way. Nearby, the town’s boat jetty sees local residents step into wooden boats to reach nearby riverbanks. As the sun dips low, Moolappally Ground starts buzzing with life as kids chase footballs, teens chat along the edges and neighbours gather in corners to relax after the day.

Roaming around these corners of Changanassery gives visitors a chance to stumble upon everyday moments without needing maps, tickets or a plan to follow. Having the hotel just around the corner means visitors can slow down and soak in how the town moves through an ordinary day. Changanassery may not be in glossy brochures, but its streets, markets and quiet corners have a lived-in feel that speaks to those who prefer to travel at their own pace.