Haathi Mahal is the best hotel to stay in , ive been to goa many times and each time i would want to stay in Haathi Mahal , the staff at the hotel are so friendly they would go out of there way to keep you happy ! i cant wait to go back to goa this year its only holiday i have enjoyed so much every1 is friendly they all no me as they recognise me from my previous times in goa its the best hotel to visit!!!

This was our eleventh visit to Goa and we have never previously encountered any problems. However, the so called 4 star Haathi Mahal is by far the worst hotel that we have stayed in. We received nothing but a series of lies and misinformation by the hotel management from beginning to end of our short stay.

On arrival at the hotel we were kept waiting in reception for 3

Our room was opposite a building site which wasn't a good start and on the main thoroughfare, however although noisy not intolerable.

Staff only seemed interested if you were part of the time share set up they have there.

Although clean the bathroom was dated and in need of some work and bedroom was very basic.

The breakfast was the only meal we ate there and very limited and it took an age for tea and coffee to be served, although as soon as you put down your knife for a second your plate was cleared away.

The so called Cornish pub which they use as an important selling point was non descript nothing going on in there.

Although it states you can't reserve sunbeds there were never enough for the number of residents and they were always towel marked by about 8am each morning.

We spent 4 fantastic weeks here and couldn't fault it.

Our room overlooked a lovely walled garden and was roomy spotless and quiet the even numbered rooms face the pool or garden.

We only ate breakfast at the Hotel which was excellant always served with a smile, in fact the egg chef would start making my morning omelette (with everything in it) as soon as he saw us heading into the room.

The staff loved a friendly Kossa Assa as a greeting and the already friendly service got even better even members os staff who hadn't met us would greet us with a smile in konkani.

Cavelossim is a fabulous village and lcation-wise where ever you stay will be in a good location.

As we went out every night we didn't sample the evening enertainment but during the day the staff were great always ready to play table tennis, pool draughts etc. and if you have a pool bar what else do you need.

We would definitely return in fact on our last night our daughter was breaking her heart as she didn't want to come home.

p.s. The free BBQ on a Sunday night is put on by the timeshare team so we avoided that for the 4 weeks.

I found the haathi mahal to be the best hotel that i have stayed in.

We were made to feel so very special all of the time.
all the staff never once missed a good morning or evening on seeing you and always had a friendly smile.

Hotel was very clean and the location only a 10 minute walk away from the beach. Shops right outside if needed
the food was good but I thought some of the shellfish to be slightly over cooked which was a shame.

The pools were of a very high standard and all the waiters and the rest of the staff worked very hard at making our holiday for the 1st time in goa so very special.

We will definatley be visiting this hotel on our next visit to goa.

I found the haathi mahal to be the best hotel that i have stayed in.

We were made to feel so very special all of the time.
all the staff never once missed a good morning or evening on seeing you and always had a friendly smile.

Hotel was very clean and the location only a 10 minute walk away from the beach. shops right outside if needed
the food was good but I thought some of the shellfish to be slightly over cooked which was a shame.

The pools were of a very high standard and all the waiters and the rest of the staff worked very hard at making our holiday for the 1st time in goa so very special.

We will definatley be visiting this hotel on our next visit to goa.

We were booked at this hotel in January 2005. When we reached there they informed us that our booking was cancelled and the staff and the manager could not be bothered to transfer us to any other resort.

After 3 hours of talking and being nice the reception staff the manager just walked away leaving us at the mercy of the travel pack rep. We eventually ended up in a 2 star hotel and spent our first Goa holiday there.

So be warned check on the last day of departure that your room is still there.

Firstly I must say that if I were returning to South Goa, I would stay here again. The hotel has no significant faults and several bonuses, and there are few hotels one can say that about.

Location: About a 10min walk to the beach (with 6+ beach-shacks) past rows of shops and restaurants. We saw this as a disadvantage when we booked, but in fact it was great fun and resulted in us immediately frequenting local restaurants and looking at the wide range of wares on offer. It is definitely an advantage. See later on shacks.

Rooms: Large, comfortable. 3 tables, chest and sofa, gave plenty of space to put things. TV (we did not use). Ceiling fan and central (quiet) aircon would give you a serious chill at full bore. Kettle and coffee/tea provided. Exceptionally a 100L fridge meant all your water, drinks, chocolate and whatever could be kept cold. Large balcony with table and two chairs and still ample space left.

Bathroom is acceptable, enough room around basin to put *all* your clutter on. Bath/shower has plenty of hot water (booster switch on wall) if slightly tatty. Usual proviso of towels/flannels/soap/shampoo etc.

Lift. Some rooms can be joined, good for families, but might be a problem if singles and next door has TV on loudly. We didn't have a problem but they should have used double doors. Incense smells will go under the door.

Pool: two pools, snack and bar service, free towels and recliners etc. Pools are spotless. A number of guests never bothered to leave.

Breakfast (if B&B) is the usual "two eggs cooked how you like", hash browns/tomatoes/beans/indian choice/porridge/cornflakes/pastry/ croissants/toast/fruit/fruitjuice/unlimited tea/coffee etc etc.

Dinners are somewhat dearer than town (except shellfish) and get the luxury hotel tax. In my opinion they are better quality than any of the restaurants so you get what you pay for. Usual choice of Indian/European /Chinese/Thai/whatever....

Exchanging money at reception is efficient and about 4% less than outside. They will also change large notes into useful 50's, 20's and 10's.

The in house shop is only marginally dearer than outside and very convenient. See later.

Staff are particularly friendly and helpful. Wakeup calls can be erratic. If leaving very early in the morning a 'packed breakfast' can be supplied by room service the day before and put in your fridge.

The Haathi Mathal was one of the best hotels I have ever visited.

Our room was fantastic, in all aspects apart from maybe the bathroom which could do with a little updating.

We stayed B&B and found the breakfasts to be great.

The service from the staff is fantastic - nothing is too much trouble - and the hotel is cleanliness personified!!!

The hotel is very central with loads of shops, restaurants, bars etc within 2 minutes walk, and a taxi to the beach only costs 50 pence!!!

A brilliant hotel with fantastic facilities and I can't wait to go back!!!!

One word of warning - if you can upgrade your flights to Premium it is well worth it especially if flying Monarch as the seats at the back are very very cramped. Premium seats qualify for free taxi transfers, free drinks on board, much bigger and better seats, faster check-in and baggage reclaim, a 5 course meal with real cutlery and an extra 10kg baggage allowance for about

I totally agree with most of the comments posted. The staff are attentive,smiling,helpful and friendly.

Set in the heart of the village with a great local restaurant next door the Jazz Bar great food and the couple who own it could not be more friendly(you,ll find you say this a lot)Tula is from Finland and her husband from Mumbai.

The beach is a short taxi ride from the hotel,if you want to leave one of the pools.

One drawback is they do push their time share at you.