6 Best Hotels in Panaji, Goa

For a homely stay away from the hubbub of the beach belts, visit this century-old, crimson-hued Portuguese villa-turned-boutique hotel set amidst well-tended gardens. Guests can breakfast out on its cafe\é's expansive veranda, which overlooks the Zuari River, or unwind in the Moroccan-inspired pool house. The rooms are light-filled, airy, and done up with well-chosen antiques and stylish wooden furniture, and offer views of either the garden or the pool. Dobolim International Airport is just a 25-minute drive away.

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.

This chain property is more business-oriented than the average Panaji hotel, with the added oomph of high-tech features such as surround-sound home-theater systems, multimedia panels, and LCD screens in all rooms. The aesthetically pleasing rooms are styled in contemporary fashion, and the top-notch facilities are kept in great repair.

Travelers who appreciate a sense of place love the warmth of the WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, a unique hotel in the center of historic Fontainhas that was built in the late 1800s. Nearly half of the rooms are in the older wing, while the remainders are in the newly added extension. Each room comes with a blend of period furnishings and modern art. In addition to a quiet restaurant on the veranda, there's an airy breakfast and dining area inside that's decorated in sleek black and white; it's the perfect place to enjoy the hotel's Goan seafood specials, read the paper, or simply escape from the chaos of Panaji's traffic. There's a small jacuzzi on the rooftop available for in-house guests.

The four spacious and beautiful antiques-furnished rooms in this historic annex of the Panjim Inn, with their four-poster beds, carved rosewood dressers, and plenty of windows, are a reminder of the times when colonial homes stood along the banks of the river. The mosaic tile floors and walls of the bathrooms resemble a crazy quilt and were designed by local artists. There's an art gallery on the ground floor. Guests use the restaurant and public rooms of the Panjim Inn, just across the street.

Several blocks from the street noise of Rua de Ourem, this vintage and stylish property built around a central garden courtyard is noted for being one of the few Hindu homes in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood. It is furnished with elegant antique cupboards and teak and rosewood four-poster beds. Guests can dine and take advantage of the services of the Panjim Inn, which is a two-minute walk away.