We stayed at this hotel from 9th to 30th December 2012. On arrival we entered the large airy lobby and filled out the paperwork which had been prepared for us. After a welcome drink and a wait of a few minutes, we were shown to our room.

The room was large with a massive bed, TV, fridge, air conditioning, safe and kettle. The bathroom had a waterfall shower, but no bath. Toiletries were provided, and replaced at random.

The pool was smaller than expected, and not cleaned on a regular basis. During our three week stay, the pool area wasn’t washed down once, and the pool itself was only cleaned about four times. One day the pool was so cloudy I wouldn’t get in it. Beach towels weren’t on a card or booking system, and often ran out, as some guests used a fresh towel each time the exited the pool, and these were then left lying around on the beds.

In the morning there were often bottles and crockery left from the evening before, and clearing this was obviously not in the pool boys’ job description, as they left it for the catering staff to remove.

I saw a waiter on two occasions walk around the pool offering drinks, and as there was no pool bar, only the internal bar, it wasn’t convenient to go and get a drink.

The bar was labelled as a lobby bar, but wasn’t actually in the lobby, you had to go down a corridor and behind Reception to get to it. The air conditioning was up very high, and made sitting in here rather uncomfortable. There was a buy one get one free happy hour each evening, but somehow despite signing for our drinks, the drinks from the people on the table behind got added to our room bill, so please make sure you check you bill every couple of days so that you can sort any issues out.

There was also a bit of a fiasco with the Christmas gala dinner. A board went up with a table plan on, but we were never asked to book. I asked if it was for the dinner, and how much it was and was told 6000 rupees each, plus tax, not including drinks, so I said no. Later when we checked our bill, over 13000 rupees had been added for the dinner. Once I said that we hadn’t gone, this was removed from our bill, and we were then told that this should have been part of our package. No one thought to put any tickets through our door though, so I haven’t got a clue if we should or shouldn’t have been able to go.

We had a meal at the Shandong oriental restaurant, but were the only two people in there. The food was good, but not quite what I was expecting, and even with the discount voucher provided by the hotel, still cost around £30 for the two of us.

Staff at the hotel weren’t as friendly as at other hotels in Goa, and it wasn’t always possible to get a “Good morning” from most of them.

Breakfast was exactly the same each day, and although the live counter gave you a choice of eggs, and could do pork sausages, they only seemed to be able to cook one thing at a time, so you got your eggs, and then you got your sausages.

We only took the dinner option twice at the beginning of the holiday. On the first day it was good, so we went back, but on the second day, not so good, and knowing the quality and variety of food available at the restaurants in Cavelossim, we didn’t go back again.

The hotel is very well situated for the shops and restaurants, and the location is probably the best thing about the hotel.

To get to the beach you have to walk through the Dona Sylvia. At least you get to admire their very large, very clean pool.

A good holiday because of the weather, the beach, the beach shacks and the location of the hotel, but would we go back to the Radisson? Probably not.