JONATHAN LUKE
October 4, 2023
I had a disappointing experience at the Fairfield Marriott in Calungate.
The location is on a back road and is quite far from the centre of Calungate. You may need a taxi or motorbike to make the journey to the centre. The hotel front desk will not help with either and the taxi's outside the front of the hotel were price gouging for the duration of my stay. You can rent a motorbike in the centre of Calungate. The closest beach is walkable but the good beaches will require a taxi (Calungate, Baga, and Anjuna). There are some good restaurants within a 20 minute walk of the hotel but no shops or restaurants any closer. The hotel shop (which they promote in their room brochure) was empty. The staff on the front desk were helpful, smiled, and did make an effort, however, they could benefit from additional training (forgetfulness was the main issue). The front desk forgot that I'd arranged for a late checkout and deactivated my key card early on the last day (my key card stopped working on 3 occasions). My room was not cleaned when requested. They had trouble recommending local restaurants and bars (something that a 2 star hotel can do very well). The laundry fee was extortionate (it would've been cheaper to buy new clothes) and I was not told the cost in advance. The room struggled with condensation too. I could go on, however, life is short!
On a positive note, the staff were friendly, the food in the restaurant was good (as was the beer) and the facilities were as promised in the photos. The gentelman behind the bar was very helpful as was a member of the front desk staff when I checked out (and my Uber failed to appear - don't use Uber in Goa...useless!). The room was clean too - no mold, dirt, or small animals. This hotel would suit a family with young children that do not plan to leave the hotel. However, this will be the last time I stay at a Fairfield Marriott.