18 Best Hotels in Goa, India

Overlooking verdant rice plantations and the Arabian Sea, the Alila Diwa Goa is a cool open oasis of dark pitched roofs, breezy verandas, and serene courtyards. The first Indian venture for the Alila luxury chain, this stylish resort is designed to soothe and indulge—whether through pampering ayurvedic or Balinese spa treatments, lounging by its lovely paddy-facing infinity pool, going on custom local tours and activities, or catching a flick at its mini theater. The rooms all come with balconies and are fully loaded with modern amenities, including 55-inch LCD televisions. A shuttle service takes guests to and from nearby Gonsua Beach from sunrise until just after sunset.

This smart and luxurious property by the sea has enough to keep guests occupied both on- and off-site, from meditation and yoga sessions to cultural and culinary excursions—though you might choose to linger on your private balcony or patio (each room has one) with views of the sea, lagoon, or garden instead. The 45-acre property also has an excellent spa, a meandering pool (one of the largest in India), a children's play area where they can learn arts and crafts, and restaurants covering a broad spectrum of cuisines, including Goan specialties.

In the very top bracket of the Goa resorts, the modern and sleek, 45-acre Hyatt has spacious rooms, great dining, an excellent spa, a library with 1,500 titles, a minitheater where you can watch movies, and the largest swimming pool in India (21,527 square feet). The thoroughly luxurious spa houses body scrub and massage suites, hydrotherapy facilities, steam rooms, and well-trained staff; it offers a full range of ayurvedic treatments. The sprawling group of restaurants in the hotel's food "village" adjacent to its expansive lobby covers a broad spectrum of cuisines, including Goan specialties (Casa Sarita), North and South Indian cuisine (Masala), and wood-fire pizzas and pasta (Da Luigi). Praia de Luz, a wine and tapas bar overlooking the Arabian Sea, is one of the highlights here.

For flat-out, over-the-top luxury and sophistication, nothing in Goa can top this well-planned 49-acre resort that includes a golf course, private access to a secluded beach, and rooms varying in degrees of decadence. The two-story, salmon-covered villas are arranged along a winding artificial lagoon, with some featuring private plunge pools. Rooms and suites have elegant furnishings, marble bathrooms, and private balconies. The open-air lobby is reminiscent of a temple from the ruins of the town of Hampi to the west, complete with panel carvings---it is a wonderful place to spend a cool, quiet afternoon. The restaurants offer broad and diverse menus in beautiful settings. For a memorable experience, book a celestial dining experience in a glass pod.

Constructed within the boundary and adjoining the ramparts of an old Portuguese fort, this hotel has gorgeous views of the fort, sea, and beach. Most of the rooms face the ocean and are furnished with contemporary Goan-style dark wood and cane furniture. If you crave seclusion, stay in the exclusive (and expensive) villas tucked into the hillside behind the resort (these used to be a separate property, known as the Aguada Hermitage). The restaurants, recreational facilities, and spa at the Taj Holiday Village next door are open to Fort Aguada guests as well.

In a quiet location off the main road near Candolim, this resort from the Acron Hotels group resembles a classy Portuguese mansion and is competent and professional in its service and facilities. The property overlooks verdant rice fields and an imposing whitewashed church behind busy Candolim. A free shuttle service transports guests to nearby Candolim Beach, and the busy Calangute stretch is a short taxi ride away. All rooms come with balconies—ask for a pool-facing one.

You'll find thatched cottages and Portuguese-style bungalows nestled in lush palm trees at this beachfront property. Most accommodations have a private balcony with sea or garden views. Hammocks are scattered around, inviting you to plonk yourself down for a relaxing afternoon. There is also an in-house beachfront multi-cuisine restaurant, L'Atelier, that serves Goan specialties.

This six-story high-rise beachfront hotel is a good choice for those needing easy access to the airport, but not much else. Its chief assets are its big, bright rooms, every one with a direct view of the rolling ocean.

A golf course, eight dining options, and private access to the beach add to the mix of this cheery resort, which is spread out over 23 acres. The atrium lobby is a fusion of cathedral and piazza, with wrought-iron garden benches and huge arches and beams. Rooms are big and cozy, and many have lovely views out over the Arabian Sea.

On a dense coconut plantation, just a two-minute walk (about 500 yards) from Bogmalo Beach and a 5-km (3-mile) drive from Dabolim Airport, this charming little resort with spotless, airy rooms, and a small swimming pool is run by friendly staff. Unlike many of Goa's mid-range resorts, it succeeds in creating a mellow vibe, despite the occasional noise of planes from a nearby Indian Airforce base.

Walk into the lovely sea-facing lobby, where you can watch and listen to the crash of waves along the rocky shores, and you will find it hard to leave this upscale Western chain hotel with all the plush trimmings expected in a five-star establishment. The rooms are elegantly furnished in a contemporary style—try the bay-view rooms for sea-facing balconies. The lounge, a coffee shop during the day, becomes a popular nightclub on weekends. It's just a few minutes on foot to the beach, although this is very much a city hotel, not a resort.

The chief advantage of this international chain is its uniform service and friendly vibe, and the private access to Mobor Beach is a blessing after the crowded beaches of North Goa. Spread over 25 acres, the hotel has a large pool that encourages long, all-day soaks, a poolside bar with excellent snacks, and comfortable, if generic, rooms. It's also a popular wedding venue, and there are plenty of colorful, if loud, weddings here during the November--January wedding season.

You may find your peace and quiet here: this large resort has an experienced and calm staff, thus lacking the frantic-to-please service typical of some other hotels in Goa; plus there's a marble lobby with lots of quiet corners for relaxing. But you can also join the activities afoot. There's an expansive swimming pool with a swim-up bar, an open-air Jacuzzi, a fun zone, and a swanky spa.

A 10-minute walk from the beach, this quiet spot with elegant, minimalist cottages is in a tree-lined residential area. The cottages, each with one or two bedrooms, have soft lighting and entertainment areas with divans. The resort has an attractive pool, plenty of greenery, and a quiet restaurant if you don't want to trek to the other restaurants down the road.

They don't get much bigger than this sprawling 85-acre resort with spacious rooms and a 9-hole golf course lining the clean, untouched sands of the Rajbaga Beach. The expansive colonial-Portuguese-inspired lobby, bookended by grand staircases on either end, leads into 14 interconnecting chambers, making it sometimes disorienting to find your way. Rooms start at about 605 square feet and come with lots of luxury touches; several overlook the manicured lawns. The resort has a sports complex and offer lots of water-sports activities at the beach—all good options given its isolated location down south.

At this old Colva favorite right on the beach, most have private balconies with lovely sea views. For a special stay, opt for the Modern deco-style Arabian Sky View Suite, complete with an al fresco bathtub. If you don't want to eat at Loca, the in-house restaurant and bar serving local and global fare, you can take your pick from dozens of shack restaurants close by.

Beside tranquil Benaulim Beach, well away from the mass-tourist clutter of Colva, is one of the most attractive places to stay in South Goa---and where the staff is kind and the rooms are spacious, too. You can opt for a villa with an outdoor private pool or one with a hot tub overlooking the Arabian Sea; all have shady verandas looking out onto the golf course and sea. The lobby has gleaming marble floors and spotless white sofas. The spa offers ayurvedic treatments as well as Western massage therapies. In addition to a fine-dining Goan restaurant and a more casual all-day restaurant with an Italian bent, there's a lobster shack just above the beach.

Housed in charming Goan village–style cottages and villas that face lush gardens or the broad expanse of Sinquerim Beach, all guest rooms at this Taj resort include private terraces, luxurious bedding, marble bathrooms, and flat-screen TVs. The freeform pool affords both views of and access to the beach, and it's adjacent to the children's program facility. The three full-service restaurants specialize in Thai, Goan, and continental cuisine. Myriad recreational activities are offered for adults and children, and a world-class spa has ayurvedic treatments, yoga, and therapeutic massage in a serene setting.