[adimicra]

I posted this query on the Hyderabad-Goa route thread but realized this is the right thread.

I am planning to travel to Goa in October 3rd/4th week with my family (wife and 13-year old daughter). We would like to a beach property with direct access to the beach. Though we do not have particular preference to North or South Goa, we have found South goa beaches to be less crowded and have good properties on the beach. Last 2 times, we have stayed in Chub Mahindra (Varca beach) and Holiday Inn (Cavelossim beach). Both are very decent places with direct access to beach. I am looking for something similar but a different beach. Some of the beaches I am considering are Benaulim/Agonda/Palolem.
Budget is ~12K per night. So, Taj/Leela is ruled out but I am guessing the other well-knows chains should be within the budget roughly.

We are looking for relatively less crowded beaches but 1 or 2 shacks and some good eateries nearby providing authentic Goan cuisine will be nice to have.

Any suggestions/recommendations are welcome.

[ishan12]

Originally Posted by adimicra

Budget is ~12K per night. So, Taj/Leela is ruled out but I am guessing the other well-knows chains should be within the budget roughly.

You can try Zuri white sands, Novotel. Radission. I would rate them in the same order, because Novotel is right next to the beach and access to beach for Radisson goes through Novotel. Zuri is better then them both and is right next to Club Mahindra on the same beach. You can check out Kenilworth Resort too.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by adimicra

I posted this query on the Hyderabad-Goa route thread but realized this is the right thread.

Budget is ~12K per night. So, Taj/Leela is ruled out but I am guessing the other well-knows chains should be within the budget roughly.

Have a look at Cidade De Goa which is an IHCL property.
Location is excellent, lots of good food options nearby / short drive away (black sheep, etc.). And being Taj Group Hotel : cleanliness and hygiene should be top notch too.

Even the Taj Convention Center location next door is nice with good deals though a very different ambience.

Get the sea facing rooms for the best view.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by adimicra

We are looking for relatively less crowded beaches but 1 or 2 shacks and some good eateries nearby providing authentic Goan cuisine will be nice to have. Any suggestions/recommendations are welcome.

Check out Caravela Beach Resort on Varca beach. Seems to have good reviews. We had planned to go there last year, but had to cancel due to a medical emergency in the family.

[sanmish]

Originally Posted by adimicra

We are looking for relatively less crowded beaches but 1 or 2 shacks and some good eateries nearby providing authentic Goan cuisine will be nice to have.

Any suggestions/recommendations are welcome.

You can check out Heritage Village Resort and Spa. No personal experience, but online reviews seem mostly favourable. Ticks most of the boxes for what you are looking for.

[adimicra]

Just an update -

Actually, I stayed in the Novotel Sona Sylvia resort last time not Holiday Inn.
So, this time I have booked at Holiday Inn.

Holiday Inn seems to have very good reviews online and I also received very positive feedback from one of my friends who stayed there couple of years back. Plus, they had slightly larger deluxe rooms compared to other hotels and I like a bigger space as there are 3 of us. This is the first real holiday in the last 2 years (since Oct 2019) and I am so looking forward to it, can hardly contain my excitement

Will post a quick review of the place once I am back. Thanks all for your replies.

[normaltusker]

While we travelled to Goa with kids in December last year, we stayed at La Gracia. It's a nice place at a walking distance to Morjim beach. We found the food to be light on the stomach and prepared well.

More details about the place here -> http://www.lagraciaresort.com/

They do bookings on MMT as well as directly on call.

[noopster]

Stayed at Nanu Resort at Betalbatim beach (South Goa) on my last trip with friends. We booked double rooms in the C-wing, which have sub-units of 4 rooms (2 adjacent each on two levels connected by a stairway). We got a killer deal thanks to off-season travel and early booking. Each room has a twin bed and an additional third single bed.

It was completely worth it. The pool is nice, complimentary breakfast is adequate and the beach is accessible through the property's back gate. There is a lifeguard station to ensure people don't violate red flags and the sand is pristine.















Nearby eateries are Fishka (walkable), Mickey's (live music & karaoke on weekends) and Martin's Corner. As elsewhere in the South, it is prefereable to have your own vehicle but there are cabs standing outside the resort that one of us employed once at what seemed a reasonable rate.

The villa wing has larger rooms with a big common area suitable for big groups. Rates are higher. The resort encourages customers to "book direct" rather than come through travel portals, so call them directly for bookings.

[lamborghini]

Stayed at the fairly new Hilton Resort, North Goa this past week.

What we liked:
- Large rooms, each with its own balcony. Since we were a group of 5, each room had enough space to accommodate us together comfortably. Either inside or outside.
- Breakfast & restaurant team were very good. Courteous, polite staff (albeit a bit slow at times), and fresh hot food. Generally most hotels disappoint with their breakfast buffet : food is often over heated, or limited spread, or huge rush. This was one of those few times wherein I was awake and ready for breakfast! While some staff didn't care, some went over and above to make it a comfortable stay.
- Serene surroundings. Despite being 5-7 min away from the main Baga - Candolim road, it was eerily peaceful!

What we didn't like:
- Hotel is on a steep incline from road to lobby. But once you make it to the car drop off it's not too steep : can walk around comfortably.
- Check in was slow, some staff members were forgetful. Small things such as some breakfast live counter items or a bottle opener took ages to comes and needed several reminders. However a few other staff totally made up for this with their excellent service.
- Property doesn't look new. Needs some maintenance + Goa monsoon didn't help with moss growing on the dhana plaster, etc. Similarly power kept getting cut the first night which was later rectified.
That being said, no big negatives such as leakages, and everything worked.
- Not close to a beach / no beach access. This can be a deal breaker for many, but we were ok with this as our intention was to drive around to beach shacks and beach front restaurants known for their views and food.
- Average cleanliness. While all touch points inside were clean, the balcony chairs could do with better cleaning (again maybe due to rains) as could the floor where we could feel the odd grain of sand / dirt. Similarly priced Taj Convention Center & Le Meridien felt cleaner inside.

Overall, compared to Meridien and Taj Convention Center this has its own set of pros and cons.
Le Meridien is centrally located, but doesn't have a resort vibe due to its size.
The food at Hilton was the best, and rooms were the largest. Also the most peaceful property of the 3.
Taj Convention Center had the best views and good connectivity + walking distance from a relatively peaceful beach.

[adi.mariner]

Originally Posted by normaltusker

More details about the place here -> http://www.lagraciaresort.com/

Thanks for the suggestion. We were planning to stay in Morjim for this Goa trip. Had called the Hotel but they were fully booked for the intended dates. So Mr. Navin got us a great deal at the White Woods Resort and Spa next door. Everyone in the family enjoyed the stay at the resort. The approach road isn't good at all and it's very easy to miss it.
http://whitewoodsgoa.com/

[Guite]

Beautiful and secluded (not crowded) might be a misnomer, but still seeking members' recommendation on such a beach in Goa. Going to Goa, we would like to stay in a resort, preferably run by prominent hotel chains, or by non brand resorts of comparable quality. Beach front property would be preferable but not essential.

So recommendations on beautiful secluded beach on one part, and a decent resort most welcome. If these two are not at same location, we will travel the distance by whatever means required.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by Guite

So recommendations on beautiful secluded beach on one part, and a decent resort most welcome. If these two are not at same location, we will travel the distance by whatever means required.

If you have the funds, go to taj exotica. It has a clean semi secluded beach and a fabulous hotel right beside. Doesn't get better than that.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by Guite

So recommendations on beautiful secluded beach on one part, and a decent resort most welcome. If these two are not at same location, we will travel the distance by whatever means required.

‘Alcove beach resort’ if you are in north goa. It’s around 5 mins ride from Anjuna beach but the hotel is kinda peaceful on the cliff. Rooms are clean with excellent view of the sea and food is good. I enjoy my stays there for the same reason. Having been to goa 19 times till now this is one of my preferred stays. First ofcourse is in South Goa

[Guite]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

If you have the funds, go to taj exotica. It has a clean semi secluded beach and a fabulous hotel right beside. Doesn't get better than that.

Coincidentally I was checking out Taj Exotica last night. I have enjoyed staying in their other properties in the past, but not at 30k+ per night. From photographs and Google map the property is impressive. But to spend so much? I don’t think I can justify the cost.

Originally Posted by SoumenD

‘Alcove beach resort’ if you are in north goa. It’s around 5 mins ride from Anjuna beach but the hotel is kinda peaceful on the cliff. Rooms are clean with excellent view of the sea and food is good. I enjoy my stays there for the same reason. Having been to goa 19 times till now this is one of my preferred stays. First ofcourse is in South Goa

I seem to gravitate towards south Goa. Any recommendations there?

I have a question regarding “private beaches”. For example the Taj Exotica apparently has a private beach. Does this mean the beach in front of this property is out of bounds for other people? Can some one get onto this beach a few hundred metres away and walk along the beach, past this property? My intent is not about this property par se, but the entire beach along this sea front seems pristine as seen from photographs and Google map. It’s very inviting.

[androdev]

Grand Hyatt = Very similar property as Taj Exotica, at a cheaper price. I also feel GH has better sea facing rooms than TE. TE has a good kids swimming pool with a slide etc. Taj hospitality is any day better than others (and consistent).

The beaches are private (more or less) to the hotels but there will be plenty of hotel guests hanging out on the beach. The beaches are not the dry/sandy/soft type, I find them a bit muddy/firm. However they are great for a swim (shallow and safe) depending on the tide of course and women/girls in swimwear don't have to worry about outside crowd.

Walking on the beach past hotel property is hit-or-miss, especially Goa is a very crowded beach place and I doubt you will find it safe beyond the hotel limits. On one occasion, I ran into a couple of unfriendly dogs protecting the fishing boats of local people :-)

Don't forget to find out about access to beach water sports - can turn out to be the best part of your holiday.