India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (100 page)

If you prefer a resort with a fresher look, do investigate the brand-new
O Hotel
(opening in late-2009), aiming to provide some modern-era competition to the Taj from its location at Dando on Candolim Beach (
0832/304-7000;
www.ohotelsindia.com
); for some idea of what to expect (albeit in a city context), read our review of the O Hotel in Pune . There will be 75 rooms and, if the Pune version is anything to go by, a truly luxurious, state-of-the-art spa, not to mention a frenzy of unbridled designer-crafted fun throughout.

Nilaya Hermitage
Ex-Parisian fashion stylist Claudia Derain and her Indian husband, Hari Ajwani, started this exclusive hillside resort when they fell in love with Goa during a vacation from Europe. Together with Goan architect Dean D’Cruz, they have created something out of
Arabian Nights,
with 12 cosmic-themed guest suites featuring vibrant colors, terrazzo flooring, and minimalist decor. Giant mosquito nets hang from high-beamed ceilings, and sweeping archways lead off to open-plan bathrooms with views of the tropical garden. Like a chic harem, the split-level, saffron-colored “Music Room” is where guests unwind on sprawling mattresses or meditate while soothing music plays beneath a high, blue-domed ceiling. Overlooking paddy fields and coconut palm groves, the setting is romantic and classy, and although not on the beachfront, Nilaya is Goa’s most celebrated getaway, as its extensive celebrity guest list (Kate Moss, Peter Lindbergh, Philippe Starck) indicates.

Arpora Bhati, Goa 403 518.
0832/227-6793,
-6794, -5187, or -5188. Fax 0832/227-6792.
www.nilaya.com
. 11 units. Oct–Dec 19 and Jan 11–Apr: 320€ double; Dec 20–Jan 10: 490€ double; May and Aug–Sept rates may be discounted. Rates include breakfast, dinner, taxes, and airport transfers. AE, MC, V. Closed June–July.
Amenities:
Restaurant; breakfast area; lounge; bar; free airport transfers; Ayurvedic center; cultural performances; fitness room; large outdoor pool; room service; spa; tennis court; yoga pavilion and meditation room. In room: A/C, TV/DVD (on request), hair dryer, Wi-Fi (planned for 2010).

Pousada Tauma
Of the upmarket boutique resorts in north Goa, this one stands out for its distinctive local character, thanks in no small part to the fastidious attentions of Neville Proenca, the charming owner-manager, who worked with award-winning architect Dean D’Cruz to create his magical retreat. Even though it’s located in the heart of a bustling tourist center (a 10-min. walk from overpopulated Calangute Beach), it is sheltered from the high-season madness by thick, verdant vegetation and feels like a beautiful fortress against the outside world. Fashioned entirely out of Goan laterite stone and set around a beautiful pool with cascading water, each suite is uniquely styled and themed with eccentric Goan antiques (a cradle-turned-table; dentist-chair-turned-recliner); each has its own balcony, overlooking either the garden or pool, and simple bathrooms done in shattered tile mosaics. Pousada is the perfect getaway for artists and sophisticated socialites. Neville has quietly been developing an additional 3,000 sq. m (32,291 sq. ft.) of gardens alongside the original property, where yoga and meditation sessions are held; and he’s renovating a gorgeous old beach house for guests to use not too far from here, in Candolim.

Porba Vaddo, Calangute, Bardez 403 519.
0832/227-9061.
Fax 0832/227-9064.
www.pousada-tauma.com
. 12 units. Oct and Mar–Apr: 210€ standard suite, 235€ superior suite, 320€ deluxe suite; Nov–Dec 19 and Jan 11–Feb: 225€ standard, 250€ superior, 340€ deluxe; Dec 20–Jan 10: 250€ standard, 275€ superior, 350€ deluxe; May–Sept: 140€–155€ standard, 150€–180€ superior, 180€–260€ deluxe; 80€ extra bed. Rates include breakfast and lunch or dinner; 10% tax extra. MC, V. No children.
Amenities:
Restaurant (Copper Bowl; reviewed), bar; airport transfers (Rs 1,000–Rs 1,200); fitness room; Internet (free); large outdoor pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer on request, minibar.

Expensive

Fort Tiracol Heritage Hotel
You need to catch a public ferry to get there, but once you do you’ll feel like you’ve reached a sanctuary that’s untouchable. Restored by the same talent-filled couple responsible for Nilaya Hermitage (reviewed above), it may not have all the luxuries and distractions of a resort, but it does have an epic location, spectacular views of the sea, and a sense of charm and style that are really hard to beat. Seven rooms are built into the fortress rampart (choose Friday, the loveliest suite, with a large balcony)—windows and Mediterranean-style terraces open towards the water, with views along Goa’s coast—and in the courtyard the old Portuguese church is still used by the villagers. Rooms are beautiful, decorated in saffron and ocher, gold and black, with expansive open-design bathrooms, and a chic minimalism with strategic use of period furniture, large wrought-iron designer beds, uniquely patterned linens, and pared-down ornamentation recognizing the fort’s historical origins, built by a maharajah to protect this enclave from the Portuguese. Although the views are outstanding and the food superb, you may find life a little dull (no pool, and the beach is a 3-min. ferry away) and isolated (90 min. from Baga). However, it’s hard to beat if you want to
really
get away from it all, and you can rent a speedboat for dolphin-watching, take a cruise on the wooden dhow, or mingle with members of Tiracol’s tiny village community.

Tiracol, Pernem 403 524.
02366/22-7631
or 0832/652-9653.
www.forttiracol.com
. 7 units. Sept–Mar Rs 7,600 double, Rs 9,600 suite; Apr–May Rs 6,080 double, Rs 7,680 suite; June–Aug Rs 5,320 double, Rs 6,720 suite; Dec 20–Jan 10 Rs 9,500 double, Rs 13,500 suite. Rates include breakfast and dinner; 10% tax extra. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar, lounge with CD; airport transfers (Rs 2,000–Rs 3,000); dhow; Internet (in office; for e-mail only); massage center. In room: Fans, TV/DVD (in suites; also on request, Rs 300/day).