SIOLIM HOUSE HERITAGE BOUTIQUE HOTEL
A BOUTIQUE HOTEL, SIOLIM HOUSE HERITAGE BOUTIQUE HOTEL IS LIKE YOUR OWN PRIVATE MANOR TUCKED AWAY FROM ALL THE MADNESS IN GOA. WITH ONLY 9 SUITES, THIS FULL-RESTORED HERITAGE HOTEL IS IDEAL FOR THOSE LOOKING TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL WITHOUT THE COMMERCIALISM OF THE BIG HOTELS.
QUAINT, QUIET, AND QUITE FRANKLY MY FAVOURITE PLACE TO DATE, SIOLIM HOUSE WAS DIVINE.
ABOUT SIOLIM HOUSE HERITAGE BOUTIQUE HOTEL
The hotel itself has 9 suites including one garden suite: five are standard rooms, two are superior suites, and two are family rooms. All rooms come with AC, big bathrooms, and lots of nifty trinkets and historical items.
The Garden Suite is a separate little house at the back of the property, and comes with kitchenette and a small balcony. The two superior suites, the Macao Room and the Macassar Room, are located above the entrance to the hotel and flank the rumpus/TV/library room. The standard suites surround the courtyard and also have historical and geographical names (Cambay being the British word for today’s Khambhat, Timor, Bahia, etc.)
There is a large open courtyard in which meals are served, and a private pool for the guests that is a good spot to take photos and sun tan.
You can read all about the restoration journey here. I found it really interesting to realise how much work went into making the hotel as authentic as possible including the shells lining the doors and the towers.
Location
Around an hour and a bit from the airport, Siolim House Heritage Boutique Hotel is in a great spot nestled down a quiet street, although beach lovers will need to get a bike or a taxi to reach the beach. We rented from a guy just outside the hotel, he charged ₹500 a day, and also provided us with a cab to the airport at the end of our trip for a cool ₹1400.
There’s a small shop opposite stocked with all essentials, and there are some restaurants within walking distance that are worth trying such as Coco’s Kitchen, and Candlelight Bar.
On bikes, nearby beaches were Morjim, Ashwem, and a little further to Mandrem. Be warned that the sun-beds at most of the beachside cafes and bars are chargeable for the day, the highest charge we encountered was ₹300.
MY VISIT
A birthday trip for my partner, I found Siolim online and after reading raving reviews I decided to book. For a two night stay, I paid around ₹28k, which was a lot more than I was anticipating for the trip, but I’m glad I did. I booked through booking.com, but I wish I had booked directly.
We decided not to use the hotel driver to collect us from the airport, and instead used an airport taxi to get there (costing around ₹1400 for a one way trip). Arriving at the hotel, I was over the moon to see that it looked exactly like the photos (no hotel-catfishing for me this trip!) The manager warmly greeted us, and we were led to our room on the first floor above the reception.
The Room
The first floor has two suites, the Macao Room and the Macassar Room. We were placed in the Macao room, and I was over the moon with it. The huge four-poster bed had a mosquito net, which I love because it makes me feel like a princess, and the room was divided in two with a heavy red velvet curtain, giving privacy from the bed to the sitting area.
The bathroom was HUGE, and while I didn’t try it the shower had a steam option. Throw open the windows and doors of this room, because it is like stepping back in time to a romantic old-timey movie set in a Portuguese colony.
The attention to detail in this hotel is phenomenal. The doors in the bathroom leading out onto the balcony consisted of real pearl shells, a detail the owner of the building fought hard to keep, and event the decorations in the room were well reconstructed historical items such as a jewellery box and incense holder.
I slept like a baby with the double paned windows and heavy blockout curtains.
I had a little issue with the room as there were only two power outlets, both set behind the bed and occupied by the accompanying lamps. Being a historical hotel, I understand that electricity wasn’t high on the list of priorities. The bed is set about a foot back from the wall, and funnily enough the bed design means that there is a reasonable gap between the headboard and the mattress frame. I could reach through the back of the bed and access my phone with ease, although this also meant that during the night my pillows slid through too and I woke up pillow-less.
FOOD.
Although I have lived in India for many years, my body still hasn’t adjusted to Indian cuisine so I was low-key dreading the complimentary lunch provided to us by the hotel. Luckily for me, this Indian cuisine was so well made that my tummy was as pleased as punch.
The chapattis were soft and fluffy, the dahl was so light and free of oil, and the green beans and eggplant dishes were free from the pool of oil I had grown accustomed to in India. Plus, I ordered a bottle of Sula Sauvignon Blanc for ₹1100 which the hotel kept in the fridge for me (usually retailing around ₹800 at bottle shops, the markup by the hotel was not bad at all. In a hotel in Jaisalmer, I was charged ₹800 for a glass of the same wine.)
Breakfast runs from 8am-10am down in the courtyard. You order your desired dish from a menu, and it is made fresh on the spot with a side of fresh fruit and tea or coffee. I had eggs the first day, and was not disappointed although I asked for a side of potatoes and the server misheard and brought me a plate of bacon. A fortunate tragedy, and I ate both happily.
My partner has a paratha, and said it was a little oily though. I also ordered the porridge, and requested some honey and nuts with it. Divine.
There were only 2 other rooms occupied in the hotel, and I must say it made the experience much better, especially for someone who idolises breakfast and hates fighting for food at the buffet.
Tea and biscuits is offered from 4pm-5pm, and dinner 7:30-9pm. I didn’t try the dinner, but a fellow hotel patron told me in passing that the fish she had was good.
“Better than the crap they serve at Thalassa, anyway” she said with a sniff.
FACILITIES
Massages
Yes, this hotel has massages and pampering galore. The hotel has in-house therapists, a couple of healers from Kerala who specialise in all sorts of therapeutic andAyurvedic massages. They also have the option to book in with an Ayurvedic doctor if you have any health enquiries.
Library/TV Room/Rumpus
Other than the huge living space on the bottom floor near the courtyard, there is also a big activities room on the first floor. Tv, games, and a large collection of books are on offer to guests. I had a great night with a huge mug of coffee watching TV and arguing over a chess match with my partner.
The collection of books is quite good, I particularly enjoyed thumbing through a book on Mumbai and historical images of the city.
Yoga
Yoga-bunnies, rejoice!
Because at this hotel, there is a complimentary yoga session every single morning from 7:30am-8:30am! Do a spot of yoga, feel good, and then tuck in to the chow.
Pool
There's a large outdoor pool surrounded by trees and deckchairs. The whole property is quite private, and I thought nothing of stripping down to my swimsuit and going for a paddle. It is cleaned daily, and the water is not overly chlorinated at all.
Library/TV Room/Rumpus
Other than the huge living space on the bottom floor near the courtyard, there is also a big activities room on the first floor. Tv, games, and a large collection of books are on offer to guests. I had a great night with a huge mug of coffee watching TV and arguing over a chess match with my partner.
The collection of books is quite good, I particularly enjoyed thumbing through a book on Mumbai and historical images of the city.
LOVE THE LOOKS OF IT?
Book in now. You can book via any travel booking site (I used Booking.com), however I discovered that it is much more efficient and slightly cheaper to book directly through the hotel itself (100% safe).
Head to their website here to book in.
http://www.siolimhouse.com/