Lovely hotel but no "wow" factor
by TripAdvisor Member 08kate02
We stayed here for the week before Easter. We were with our two teenage daughter's and had two lagoon rooms. They were excellent, very spacious, simply furnished, and the two bathrooms were a hit... no arguing about who's getting ready first etc. The housekeeping was to a very high standard, a lovely lady who kept the place immaculately. One small niggle, the toiletries were probably the saddest I've ever seen... a definite "thank God I brought our own" moment! The pool is in a very strange position, sort of cramped up in a corner by the breakfast restaurant. The pool area is probably half the size it needs to be when the hotel is full, which it was. So, if you wanted a lounger which wasn't on top of loads of others and did have a parasol then you needed to be down there at 7.30am!
No thank you! We tried to upgrade to club rooms but they were full. The beach was OK but the sea is always very rough, we never had one day with a green flag flying. The shack on the beach, Pearl's place, was excellent, fabulous food at silly prices. Local wine and beer very good too. Mike's place, a short taxi ride, very good. Betty's place, a short walk, was also very good. Had a great holiday but can't say I felt pampered or wow'd in any way. Agree with previous reviews... only at the club!
Goodbye Paradise
by TripAdvisor Member Helen Ruth
I am fortunate to be an `old Leela hand', having stayed there for the past four or five years; which makes its current state even more painful. First, let me say that the Leela physcially remains one of the most beautiful beach resorts not only in India, but in the world. Its layout and landscaping are breathtaking. But today it is tired...it lacks its past spirit; the staff is disenchanted; the food is mediocre (even in its vast, apparently sumptuous-looking, buffets). Nobody, from the manager down, seems to care. If celebrities continue to come, i.e. Bill Clinton, etc., it is because there simply is no other hotel of this category in Goa. Some years ago, they added a `super deluxe Club' within the resort; and for astronomical rates, you get a huge air-conditioned villa whose permanently closed windows face a greenway; a vast bed overlooking a huge plasma TV and amenities that they have notably taken away from the rest of the hotel. The main hotel's pool is gorgeous, with a lovely waterfall: but, as was evident from guests' vigorous complaints, there is a woeful...and potentially hazardous...lack of chlorine. by the afternoon, when most of the guests were there. When guests complained...and this was at a holiday time when the pool was full of children...management simply shrugged its shoulders and declared that `this is not a high priority'! It is a special pity because the Leela in its better days was virtually unmatched anywhere in India. I eagerly await its return to glory!
Leela Dissapoints
by TripAdvisor Member ITConsultant
I was looking forward to the Leela. I was dissapointed. The Hotel is tired and worn out. On arrival, the reception is impressive but the feeling soon fades away. We have two young children and had booked adjoining rooms. The management decided that our 8 and 12 year old daughters could be placed several buildings away. After much debate we settled for an alternative building for a few nights, and then one room upstairs, and another downstairs for the remainder. We were told the Leela did not have adjoining rooms (they do!). We were told that there was a 12 hole golf course complete with caddiesand buggies (its a pitch and put). We were told there was a private beach - it is for about 30 yards, but the beach is traded by hawkers who can be very persistent. Get the message - lots of false promises and accentuating the positive to the point of disbelief.
I was ill for about 3 days with food poisoning, and my wife for about 7 days. The riverside reasaurant was probably the culprit. The Indian resturant had a very limited menu but the quality was good. Drinks are 5 times the price of outside the hotel (thats what the * in 5* means - multiply!) The onsite cafe was good. The pool was relatively small. The Spa was quite good. Its a shame.
A butleron demand
by TripAdvisor Member travelbugzippie
We just got back from a weekend at the leela beach resort goa to catch the rains. We had reserved a club suite but because the existing guests exetnded their stay, we got upgraded to a club villa with private plunge pool at the same rate as the club suite - bliss! The club villa and the club area is simply fabulous - right from th check in - which we did in th comfort of the club lounge sipping our apple frappes - to the room - a very large spacious living area, and huge plasma tv, a beautiful minimilistic bedroom with another plasma tv, and a lovely huge closet and bathroom - the feeling of space doesnt leave you anywhere in the suite. Both the living and bedrooms have french windows which open out to a porch and facing th living porch lies the goegeous private plunge pool - pretty large from what i had expected. We thought the privacy in th pool could have been better tho. The entire suite is in italian marble and the decor adds to the feeling of luxury - well with such a great room plus the heavy rains we spent a good deal of time indoors. saw a couple of DVDs and had a nice collection of music to choose from too to play on our cd player. The property is gorgeous tho i did think the garish pink of the regular lagoon suites spoilt the effect of the lush greenery a bit (th club rooms are a nice subtle shade)
The hot stone massage at the spa is not to be missed. The rates of the food however are over the top but as we had brought our whiskey from th local shop we had our drinks in our room porch with jeeves at our service - a butler on demand is absolute bliss - he even made us our coffee and delivered it to th pool while we swam lazily about. hah! thats heaven..and hey there was free alcohol too - whiskey gin vodka (but th brands dint keep up with the room) and really really good coffee beans with a coffee maker..overall however th resort does look like it needs a spruce up and since the italian and open grill were shut for th rains we had our meals at the club lounge..starngely enough we did not visit(or miss) the main building. Overall great fun
Leela looks dejected
by TripAdvisor Member lifecompanions
The Leela gardens and beach are still as beautiful as ever. The staff pleasant and attentive. The food in the restaurants good. However since the advent of GHM as management the decor in public areas and bedrooms in the main hotel is drab and dull and maintenance ignored.
The Club may be new and glitzy but the hotel accommodation although "top dollar" prices is now old, leaking, and shabby. Water ingress in Lagoon Suite Rooms ($485 per night) leads to paint staining and damp smell. Roof tiles are perished and a quick splash of paint simply won't do.
The Spa building leaks and there is damp plaster and staining on walls and ceilings. The ladies' changing room toilets smell of urine.
The gym may sport 2 new treadmills but the air con is ineffective and the window frames show bubbling plaster and staining.
It is sad to see what was once an immaculate hotel when Four Seasons and Kempinski managed now so run down.
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Leela Goa
