Castle House – Calangute – Goa

On arrival we were picked up by a cab arranged by the hotel. When approaching the hotel from the Candolim Road, I thought we had made a big mistake as the lanes we drove through looked a bit grim, with big puddles. The Hotel entrance was small as was reception.

We were shown to our room which looked nice enough, then were asked if we would prefer a larger room. We had a look at the other one & decided to take it as it was indeed bigger with an extra bed. All rooms have air-conditioning, TV, fridge, a wardrobe, & shelf space under the TV. Beds were comfy. Bedding & towels were changed daily. There was a small balcony at the rear of the room, & you could also sit out at the front overlooking the bar/pool.

Breakfast was the usual toast (OR cornflakes) and tea & coffee. You could order more from the menu for a small charge. The breakfast area was very small & not particularly inviting, therefore you wouldn’t want to stay at your table for long. We never ate there at all, but other guests did sometimes.

The staff were all lovely & helpful, but very few spoke much English. They made a fuss of a family there with a toddler. The location turned out to be great, (as the taxi had come in from another direction), walking for 5 minutes around the other way, you came out by the Red Lion, half way down Calangute beach road.

The hotel receptionist made a call & arranged scooter hire for us at Rs/- 125 per day. This hotel turned out to be just what we wanted, as we have often paid more & holidayed at larger hotels with more to offer, but we rarely use the hotels other than as a base, so the extra’s are a waste of money.

We took our own travel kettle for tea & coffee in the room & used hotel cups (and milk from breakfast). We used the free safety deposit boxes in the reception, with our own padlock. There is a small ‘library’ in the reception too. This area also doubled up as a sleeping place for the night staff!

The hotel has a dog (ET) who is very friendly. Overall this is a little gem of a place, and we will definitely book again. However, I’m sure it wouldn’t suit everyone. Some would think it too basic.