Misty Mountain Plantation Resort has added a significant new milestone to its journey. At the Keralam Retail Conclave 2026, organised by the Cochin Chamber of Commerce & Industry in association with Altacit Global, the resort was honoured with the Hospitality Brand of the Year award at the Spice Coast Excellence Awards 2026. The recognition celebrates the resort's commitment to exceptional guest experiences, authentic hospitality, and memorable mountain retreats that reflect the spirit of Kerala's highlands.
About the Evening: Keralam Retail Conclave and Spice Coast Excellence Awards 2026
The award was presented at a gathering that brought together retail leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers from across Kerala's consumer economy. Held at Hotel Radisson Blu Kochi, the evening opened with an introductory address by Ms. Manju Ammanath, Advocate and Associate Partner at Altacit Global, followed by a welcome address from Cochin Chamber President Ms. Vinodini Sukumar. The inaugural address was delivered by Shri K.S. Mani, Chairman of the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, with a vote of thanks from Vice President Mr. Bibu Punnooran.
The evening's centrepiece was a panel discussion on the digital evolution of India's consumer economy, featuring voices from across Kerala's business landscape, moderated by Mr. Mahadevan Jayaram, Director of M1 Marketing Services. The proceedings closed with the Spice Coast Excellence Awards 2026, recognising the innovation, resilience, and achievement of Kerala's business community, followed by a valedictory vote of thanks from Ms. Preethi Thomas, Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Altacit Global.
It was within this setting, among Kerala's retail and hospitality leaders, that Misty Mountain Plantation Resort was named Hospitality Brand of the Year, a recognition of its distinguished reputation across the hospitality and tourism industry.
The Award, Received by CEO Mikhail Joseph
The Hospitality Brand of the Year award was received by Mr. Mikhail Joseph, Chief Executive Officer of Misty Mountain Experience, on behalf of the entire team. The recognition reflects the resort's unwavering commitment to exceptional guest experiences, service excellence, and its standing as one of Kerala's most distinguished hospitality brands.
For a resort built around a working plantation rather than a conventional hotel property, the honour carries particular weight. It affirms that the same qualities guests have come to associate with a stay at Misty Mountain Experience, warm and personal service, genuine estate experiences, and a deep respect for the surrounding landscape, are now being recognised at an industry level as well.
The win comes at a meaningful point for the resort, which has spent decades turning a working plantation estate into one of the Western Ghats' most recognised mountain retreats, without losing sight of the land that made it possible in the first place.
Why This Recognition Matters
Hospitality awards in Kerala's competitive tourism market are typically decided on a mix of guest experience, service consistency, and brand reputation, which makes this recognition particularly meaningful for a resort built around a working plantation rather than a conventional luxury property.
It affirms Misty Mountain's position among Kerala's leading hospitality brands, judged by an independent industry panel.
It reflects consistent guest experience standards across stays, dining, and guided estate activities among other Kuttikkanam resorts.
It recognises the resort's model of hospitality built on an authentic, working 600-acre tea and cardamom estate.
It reinforces Kuttikkanam and Peermade's growing reputation as a serious hill-station travel destination.
What Sets Misty Mountain Apart
Set across a 600-acre working estate in the Sahyadri Hills of Kerala's Western Ghats, Misty Mountain Plantation Resort has built its reputation on something harder to manufacture than a well-designed lobby: decades of genuine plantation life. Guests join guided jeep safaris through rugged estate trails, walk through an orthodox tea-making process that has been part of Peermade's identity for generations, and stay in cottages designed to sit quietly within the landscape rather than dominate it.
That philosophy runs through everything the resort does, as reflected in how it describes its own approach to hospitality built around nature rather than in spite of it. It is this consistency between what the resort promises and what guests actually experience that industry panels increasingly reward.
About the Organisers
The Cochin Chamber of Commerce & Industry is one of Kerala's oldest and most influential business bodies, representing enterprises across trade, retail, and industry throughout the state. Altacit Global is a legal and business advisory firm that has partnered with the Chamber to convene the Keralam Retail Conclave, a platform bringing together retail leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers from across Kerala's consumer economy. Together, the two organisations use the Spice Coast Excellence Awards to recognise businesses that set new benchmarks for their respective industries.
Experience the Award-Winning Hospitality at Misty Mountain
Recognition like this is earned one guest stay at a time, and that is exactly how Misty Mountain intends to keep earning it. If you would like to experience the hospitality behind the Hospitality Brand of the Year 2026 award for yourself, explore Misty Mountain Plantation Resort's rooms and cottages, browse the resort's guided estate experiences, or head straight to mistymountain experience to plan your stay in the Western Ghats.
