Rare Luxury, Impeccable Hospitality, Eternal Peace
Once in a lifetime you come across an experience which touches your soul. I am not the only one giving 5 stars to this property for my review, but there are many in past and I am sure there would be many in future as well.
The kind of detailing you would see here is impeccable. Each of the staff members are so well groomed to talk, to serve, to smile, to greet. These guys don’t miss a beat. It was impossible to find out any flaws in there working at any point of time. It’s like the army of ants (All working for 1 uniform and clear goal and that is customer satisfaction).
I am an avid traveller, and have stayed in numerous hotels, and a lot of Luxury hotels as well. Most of them, if there is a problem during the stay and we inform them, then we get a reply by email saying please give us a chance to serve you next time, or stay with us next time and we will improvise etc etc. This property had a clear understanding for getting it done right in first go and if at all there is any error, to rectify it there and then itself in the same stay.
The property is huge, it is spread in some 75 acres and it’s all beautifully landscaped and planned. There are so many aww facts to the property that it would take pages mentioning them. The prime most (as per me) being the BRICS summit bring hosted by them in 2016 hosting 200+ delegates including 11 heads of countries as their guests. Having over 1000 coconut trees, having its own herbs garden and orchids garden, it’s own golf course and a lots more.
One more interesting thing I learn about was of the “Club Rooms”. A guest staying in one of the suits, has the club access and has a very private place for gym / buffets / evening club etc. (Something like Business class and its lounge). Of course, many hotels have this feature as club floor / club access, but here it was like a hotel inside a hotel. Everything grand and spectacular.
COVID Safety:
All guests are monitored for temperature as they arrive to the property. All the room contact points and restraint contact points are sanitised regularly. In buffet its preferred that the server gives serving to you in your plate or bowl so that all people do not touch the same serving spoons.
The paper menu are changed to E-menu for the entire hotel. Even the In-room dining menu is on the app / website which can be easily accessed with a QR code.
Room:
We stayed in a Lagoon Room facing room around Lagoon 2, we had one of the most wonderful rooms, and I already have started missing it. It was very spacious, gracefully traditional yet modern. It actually had all facilities which you find in a modern contemporary hotel. A separate working desk with chair, a balcony overlooking lagoon with table chair setup, full dark and sheer curtains, luxurious bedding, a pillow menu and what not.
The room had all standard amenities like iron board with iron, water kettle with tea and coffee supplies, toiletries, hair dryer, safe, cordless telephone, TV with DVD player etc.
Bathroom:
Beautiful marble clad floor and walls. A bathtub beautiful placed near the room window providing privacy with electrically operated lover curtains, a separate shower enclosure, it had it all.
Gym / Swimming pool / Spa:
The property has a beautiful swimming pool right in the middle of it. The depth of the pool was very well suitable even for kids. (max was 1.6m). The pool also has a rocky waterfall at one end giving it very conceptual look to be set in perfect goan theme.
The hotel has a gym, yoga classes and also meditation sessions for its guests. The hotel has its own golf course and a long walk path. I found lot of people talking walk at beach or the hotel track in early mornings.
Leela spa is very famous and a must try thing.
Food:
WOOOOW food from the hotel at all times. Since was I was travelling with small kids (3.5 years), we had to think a lot about kid’s food options. On telling my concern to Ms. Laxmi, she arranged me to meet the F&B head Mr. Desokar and also the Chef. Both gentlemen met me and understood my concern. They not only assured me for full support in terms of food, they gave exemplary food and service to us for rest of our stay.
The Hotel Buffet is excellent and has a huge spread. The sit out for buffet is also designed to suit all age groups and taste. One can enjoy it at poolside, or semi open area or a regular restraint area.
The hotel defiantly has many other specially restaurants for Indian and Italian cuisines. One of the best is the hotels beach side restaurant “Susegado”. The service to all of them is excellent in-spite of having such high volume of guests at all times. Special thanks to Mr. Ajay present with us on all our buffet breakfast and dinners to assist us with impeccable service and coordination.
Kids Activities:
The hotel as a very well-equipped kids’ room which has so many kid’s activities. The staff to take care of the kids was well trained and friendly. The hotel also has a kid’s area with swings and slides in front garden. The kids pool was closed at this time of visit, though the main pool was open for kids as well.
Beach Access and other activities:
The hotel has its own access to beach with its own sunbeds and full service to the beds. Since there are no immediate hotels around, its 99% a private beach only. (No beach is a private beach in goa). I must mention the sand at the beach was very different. Its seems to have been imported from some other location / country.
Me and my wife enjoyed water sports at the beach as well. We felt that since they are in tie up with the hotel, they are honest and safe.
Special Thanks:
I would like to thank Ms. Sandhya Anil , Ms. Laxmi and their team for having put this beautiful stay for us. We are truly impressed by the warmth and love your team has towards its guest and i wish to come back and stay with you guys whenever I get another opportunity.
Bonus Finding:
I learnt about a guest who completed 365 days on 2nd march 2021. She came to the hotel for a small vacation, but had to stay longer due to COVID lockdown. And now even after travel is possible back to her country, she feels this hotel safer and more like home. Kudos to Leela hospitality.