This is an off-season review of the Majorda Beach Resort.
As soon as our company sanctioned the trip budget for our team, we unanimously decided that it had to be Goa. Unfortunately, though it was the peak of the off-season, all the 5-star resorts were booked on that particular weekend. We then decided on Majorda, which is located quite close to the airport in South Goa.
This was my 12th visit to Goa, and my second to South Goa. Braving the turbulent flight through the mighty stormy monsoon clouds, our puny Air Deccan ATR landed at the Dabolim Airport on time!!!!
We were immediately whisked into two air-conditioned Qualises, by a very hospitable young man. So far so good, I thought to myself. After an uneventful half hour drive we arrived at the resort.
The resort is a typical Portuguese-Goan structure. One striking thing is that the lobby is NOT air-conditioned. For people used to the Bangalore climate, Goa in the monsoons is extremely humid! Be prepared to get soaked! After completing the check-in formalities while sipping our complimentary mocktails, we made our way to our rooms. First impression? I’ve seen better. Much better. The rooms were tidy. That was about it. Every single thing in the room, right from furniture, to stationery were sub-standard. To point out a few things:
• The glass door that opened into the balcony was dirty, and the balcony itself was pretty dusty.
• The plastic chair and table in the balcony looked as though they were bought in 1983.
• The furniture in the room looked as though they were bought in 1974.
• The heavy kurl-on mattress on the bed was placed the wrong side up. (Incase you didn’t know, there is a cushioned side and a “poky” side)
• A couple of other rooms were being renovated, so there was a lot of sand in the corridors. I mean a lot.
• The bathroom is extremely small, and if you have a shower in the tub (there isn’t a separate shower closet), with the curtains closed, a lot of water some how finds its way on to the floor, so you can forget about dry floors.
• The AC in the room is not effective. (In a way, this is good, as you don’t get shocked by the temperature gradient when you leave the room.)
• The mini bar is in a sorry state. Looks like a small cracker blew up inside the fridge.
• Can you believe this? You’ve got to pay for using the coffee / tea machine in the room! Now that’s really cheap! And what tea do u get? The usual Twinings Tea bag!
• The “bottle of wine in every room” is actually a Quarter of wine, again with a cheap looking label.
• The “surprise gift” is a flimsy duffel bag, not worth 50 bucks.
• The renovation also meant hammers banging, and noisy workers carrying debris in and out of the rooms till late night.
• One room had a major problem with the swipe locks. The lock had to be replaced 3 times! The occupants were pretty pissed off as the door opened by itself in the night. And there were 3 women in the room.
On the brighter side:
• Both, the indoor and outdoor pools are good.
• They have an excellent sauna room, and a decent steam room.
• The Kerala Ayurvedic Massage is quite nice and rejuvenating, though you may need to errrrr…….., take of all your clothes for certain massages. Yes. All of them, including your underwear!
• The staff are reasonably friendly, though not necessarily knowledgeable.
• The Casino is a nice place to kill time.
• The resort arranges poolside parties for it’s guests on a regular basis.
On the whole, the monsoon package is definitely worth it considering the rates. The food was pretty ok, nothing great though. The package includes 3 buffet meals a day, use of both indoor & outdoor pools, sauna and steam. Jacuzzi, ayurvedic massages and billiards are at an extra cost. Maybe I'm being a little too hard on them as it was off-season, but then in that case, they ought to drop a star or two from their 5 stars during the monsoons!
The casino is small, and gaudily decorated with pirates. But the slot machines and roulette are good & encourage you to gamble-as winning is quite easy (and so is losing!!!). 10 coins are available for Rs 100. The casino staff is quite friendly and helpful.
Well, this is the first time I’ve stayed at a 5 star resort. Maybe, a 5 star resort does not have to be as luxurious as a 5 star hotel. But whatever it is, don’t expect the class and finesse of an Oberoi or a Leela in the bigger cities, at the Majorda. All said and done, Goa is still the best place to holiday in India, and yes, the next time, it’s back to shacks by the beach for me!
